Daily Kos isn’t for me anymore.

My experience with popular writing sites that seem filled with negative people focuses on Daily Kos. Recently, I decided to start writing again on Daily Kos. I haven’t posted there in years, and when I did, I was the angry version of myself instead of the much calmer and happier version of today. I enjoyed reading the stories posted by some outstanding writers I greatly admire.

I was all set and published my first story there. Almost instantly, I received criticism about my lack of activity, misunderstandings about what I wrote, obscene comments, and unfair criticism from some users. I suppose those responses were karma for my unpleasant behavior years ago. 

Those people had no idea who I was or what I had gone through, yet they were ready to pounce on anything I said. That was incredibly frustrating and annoying.

The sniping only increased after I wrote a second story; I again had to deal with another round of negativity. The original complainers and some of their friends were there. I tried to respond with grace and Kindness, but that only encouraged them to continue their unacceptable behavior. Some criticisms were justified, but most were not, and the obscenity was definitely uncalled for.

I posted a picture online that wasn’t properly credited. I thought the picture came from Unsplash, but it didn’t. I thanked that person for looking out for me, but after a few more minutes, I thought, “Why am I going through this?”

I reported the obscene comments to the website owners, who assured me this was unacceptable behavior. Then, I deleted the stories and went on my way.

I don’t know if or when I’ll try writing on that site again. I hate giving up, but I also believe in living and learning. I knew that Daily Kos was a site many semi-professional writers frequent, but I didn’t realize that the atmosphere there had become so toxic and unwelcoming over the years. I felt disappointed but, at the same time, relieved to learn this as quickly as I did.

I understand the problem of chronic pessimism far too well. I spent years trying to overcome it, and now that I see it from the other side, I recognize just how ugly it can be. I would have engaged in some pointless online debate about this in the past, but now I know better, and I won’t let sad and unhappy people ruin my day or my life.

Relentless criticism without constructive feedback does no one any good. Since I was on the receiving end, I felt hurt and a little angry until I realized that the sad people on the other end must have no life at all. Some people’s problem is that they only exist to criticize others. I suppose it makes them feel better about themselves, and I pity them if that is true. There is so much more to live for that isn’t harmful, but everyone must learn this.

Some people live to spread discouragement all over the place. It is their way of handling their personal jealousy. I managed to extricate myself from that situation without getting discouraged. I would rather know about things like this sooner rather than later. If that website is nothing more than constant criticism of others, I don’t have time for it in my life. It felt better to walk away, figuratively, rather than try arguing with those people. Life is too short, and so much of it has already passed.
I am glad I matured and found Kindness in my life because it kept me from feeling discouraged after the chaos. I feel more sorry for the miserable people than anything else. Still, since I’m not a professional online counselor, I don’t have the time or the inclination to attempt to help all the miserable people out there. Thankfully, this experience didn’t deter me from writing. I won’t let the toxicity of others stop me from expressing myself and trying to help and entertain others along the way.

I didn’t let this experience become a hindrance to creative expression. That is a form of censorship and has no place in my life. I will never tell someone what they can or cannot say, but I will distance myself from the unpleasant people without hesitation.

I decided to cope with and avoid the toxicity on the Daily Kos platform by simply deleting my account there. I don’t need to keep up with the professional critics who constantly tear others down instead of building them up or remaining silent and neutral. My account was officially deleted, and I feel like I’ve won two victories. I no longer have to deal with those sad people, and I know that they still have to live with themselves every day. I feel better after taking that simple and effective step in my life. I couldn’t let myself be drawn into the bottomless pit of despair and hopelessness that those people live in. They only exist to bring others down to the same level of misery that they live in.

I sought out supportive writing communities and am glad I did. I prefer being around creative people who encourage one another. I joined a local writers’ group that meets every other week, and I thoroughly enjoy my time with innovative and positive people.

When I cannot maintain a positive outlook on my writing, it will be time to walk away and reevaluate my life and what led me to that place. Thankfully, I still love what I do, and I don’t want to tempt fate by allowing negativity and hate into my life when I don’t have to. 

I have no time for petty, vicious people in my life. I used to be one of those people, and I now realize how miserable I was. That realization allowed me to walk away from the situation and keep my positive outlook on things. Experience is a tricky teacher, but the lessons are worthwhile. I learned that I can’t live and thrive in that environment any longer. I want to focus on my personal growth and maintain positivity. It isn’t easy, but I don’t want to live any other way. I left the darkness behind me, and I won’t turn back.

A healthy writing environment is one of the keys to my happiness. I don’t sit down and intend to write anything negative. I will write something like this, which is true, but I won’t purposefully set out to harm anyone with my writing. That is why I refuse to mention the screen names of the people who made Daily Kos such a miserable place for me. Why give them any specific attention?

I sincerely apologize if I sound negative in this story. This is the honest style I mentioned. I had to say all of this to clear my conscience. Harboring those negative feelings is harmful, and I hope that I might give some useful advice to my readers. 

Be Kind to each other.