Propeller Week In Review: July 25, 2008 — Jul 25th 2008

By James Marcus

THE NEW NEW THING

The launch of the new Propeller platform certainly grabbed the lion's share of attention on the site this week. The immediate verdict from the membership was fairly negative. Here and there you found pockets of debate about whether the new site was an Edsel or a Cadillac. (Well, maybe not a Cadillac--more like a Dodge Dart.) A typical story was "Propeller: Fail," which generated 189 votes and 263 comments. DiffeeOnline, who posted the story, offered one of the more charitable assessments: "I personally think it's going to be okay, but I have some exploring to do." Dionys took a more negative tack: "It's far too glossy, not enough substance. Like America." But for sheer vividness, it was hard to beat this pan from nightcrawlerX: "I find it rather confusing, and I had just gotten used to the old format. It kinda feels like I'm the person who had just finished cleaning up a big mess, and all of a sudden, drunken coke-fueled monkeys are released in the room with a pile of mud." GWHayduke was somewhat milder: "I think we all would have been OK with improvements, but a complete 180 was a bit unexpected. The new format has few of the features of the old Propeller, and requires much more time and effort to navigate." And pc25 put a personal spin on the relaunch: "It's like a new girlfriend.... Takes a little getting used to." A related story, "Propeller Gets a Major Overhaul, But is It All Good?," bagged 116 votes and 344 comments and this comment from Formidable: "Looks like something Al Gore had a hand in." (There was also this wistful contribution from globalwarmer: "Maybe when I wake up tomorrow, it will all be back to normal. Next stop: the Twilight Zone.") And let's not forget "Propeller.com's New Layout Sucks!", with 180 votes and 146 comments. Please note: ladies and gentlemen, we are listening to your feedback. Look for ongoing improvements over the next couple of weeks.

MAC IS BACK (AGAIN)

The Republican candidate was once again the focus of some lively discussions. "John McCain, POW: A First-Person Account" bagged 184 votes and 613 comments. AlphaGnosis, who posted the story, was floored by McCain's narrative: "Wow, words can't describe what this article made me feel. Totally amazing. I can't believe I read the whole thing." Replied AntiNeoCon: "Touching story, but that doesn't qualify him as a great presidential candidate." There was a similar response from not2needy: "My heart has always gone out to McCain and ALL of the men/women who were POWs, then and now. They get all of my respect for their sacrifices and service to their country. However, it's not enough to get me to vote for any of them for president." To which TonyByron replied: "With all due respect, McCain is one tough, honorable SOB. He's served his country, met barbarism face-to-face, and still remains an exceedingly kind, compassionate person."

WHOOPS, I DID IT AGAIN

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's apparent endorsement of Obama's troop withdrawal plan led to nearly a half-dozen lively posts this week. The ball got rolling with "White House sends press corps al-Maliki's praise for Obama plan," which bagged 163 votes and 217 comments. ML2007 had a good chortle over the Oval Office's (unintentional) promotion of a rival agenda: "George's White house finally did something right even, if it was by accident. [Here's] something you NeoCons never thought you would hear me say: Thanks, George." Next came a burst of backpedaling from Maliki's office, documented in "UPDATE: Maliki Doesn't Endorse Obama Troop Withdrawal Plan." The latter story notched 179 votes and 548 comments. Glee leaped on the news and declared that the Democratic candidate had been busted: "Now the whole truth comes around. Amazing how that seems to happen, even to a Propeller Socialist like Obama." (Historic note: this may be the first time Obama has been called a "Propeller Socialist." Let's hope it catches on.) But Tango57 noted another about-face from the Iraqi PM: "On another note, Malakai agrees with Obama on timeline and is excited that he agrees.... It's on the wire, it's history now." And a third story,"Obama Campaign Welcomes Report of Maliki Support for Timetable, Maliki Government Demurs," bagged 156 votes, 170 comments, and this expression of vindication from Daylight: "McCain's position was that he wanted to bask in the Iraqi sun for another 100 years, and Obama wanted a timetable for withdrawal and he spelled it out, and Iraqi prime minister accepted it." (Said MRCOFFEECAKE: "I liked McCain back when he hated Bush, but I guess they neutered him.") Natureboy, meanwhile, saw ominous developments no matter which candidate you were backing: "Some are sounding pretty jubilant about all this, but what it means is that if either Obama or McCain get in, which is virtual certainty, we will be engaging in an escalation of the conflict in Afghanistan, a conflict which may well expand into Pakistan. Sorry, but I am not feeling like this is a good thing."

AND DON'T OVERLOOK....

In other stories, Propeller members sounded off about Harry Chapin, the advent of the solar taxi (can this be a coincidence, give Chapin's most famous song?), and the world-menacing gadget known as the Hadron Collider. And during an often contentious week, "As wars lengthen, toll on military families mounts" was capable of bringing the community to some sort of agreement. "God bless these young men and women," said Teech (reserving his vitriol for the administration that sent them to war.) Glendalee, whose son-in-law is currently on his second tour of duty in Iraq, spoke firsthand about the stresses: "It is very hard on my daughter, in fact I am living with her for support until he returns this time. Imagine every day not knowing where your spouse is or how he is." Replied baddad59: "Thoughts and prayers are with you and yours. I wish him a safe tour and hope he is home soon." As do we all.

Tags: week-in-review, wir

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