Introducing The Techdirt Insider Discord

from the join-us dept

Join the Insider Discord with a Watercooler or Behind The Curtain membership!

Techdirt has been around for nearly 25 years at this point, and we have an unfortunate habit of being just slightly too far ahead of the technology curve. The site was launched before the word blog even existed, and certainly before there were readily available and easy to use tools for creating a blog (more on that soon!), so we cobbled together our own solution. We've done that with unfortunate frequency. In the early 2000s, we even built our own internal RSS reader in order to find stories (I always thought it was better than Google Reader). And, a while back, we launched the Techdirt "Insider Chat" long before Discord or Slack or other such tools were popular.

The Techdirt Insider Chat was a widget on our site that, if you supported us at certain levels in our own Insider Shop (or on Patreon), you got access to a chat that only those supporters could use -- but which was still displayed on the sidebar for anyone to see. Because there weren't widespread tools to make this possible, we built our own. But it was a bit clunky and limited, and honestly wasn't receiving that much use beyond a handful of dedicated users.

Over the last few months, we've moved the Insider Chat over to Discord, which has become the standard these days for community chats. However, we did want to still include the feature of displaying the chat publicly -- but only allowing actual supporters to participate. So while we are now using Discord as the basis of the chat (which is much easier for many people to use, has many more features, and allows for things like accessing the chat on mobile devices), we built our own embeddable widget that reflects the chat in the sidebar (which you can see if you look over to the right).

If you're interested in (1) supporting Techdirt and (2) joining in on the conversations now happening in the chat and (3) connecting with others in the Techdirt community, please consider supporting us at a level that includes the Insider Chat.

As you'll recall, earlier this year we removed all the ads (and Google tracking code) from Techdirt. We are relying more and more on our community supporting us going forward, and we're working hard to provide those supporters with more useful and fun features, including this new Discord community.

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Filed Under: chat, insider chat, techdirt
Companies: discord, techdirt


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  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 20 Oct 2021 @ 1:35pm

    Sign up Sign in.......

    NO!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Mike Masnick (profile), 20 Oct 2021 @ 4:09pm

      Re: Sign up Sign in.......

      It's not a requirement -- just if you want to support the site and join the chat.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Doane Effing Kerr, 22 Oct 2021 @ 8:19pm

    Discord! One of your most brilliant ideas ever!

    NOT sarcasm, simply fact that your ideas are pitiable.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Doane Effing Kerr, 22 Oct 2021 @ 8:19pm

      Re: Discord! One of your most brilliant ideas ever!

      We are relying more and more on our community supporting us going forward,

      Oh, really? You still claim "community" while "hide" ordinary opinions that would pass without notice on other sites? As I've long stated: you're entirely UN-self-aware, though I've often stated that the "hiding" is infuriating. -- You DON'T have a "community". You've deliberately fostered "US" versus those you deem conservative racist "insurrectionists", and so there can be no goodwill or agreement, it's simply war. -- Which dissenters here are winning by simple attrition! You're steadily losing readers.

      So NOW you're going to split the little discussion over TWO sites? Sheesh.

      Since the new site to be the most hard-core of 'dirters who NEVER disagree with you, "Discord" is truly Freudian reveal of your constant LYING. -- In another Freudo, you state as if for this once:

      honestly wasn't receiving that much use beyond a handful of dedicated users.

      disùcord = n. 1. lack of concord; disagreement; dissension; conflict 2. a harsh or confused noise, as the sound of battle; clash; din 3. Music a lack of harmony in tones sounded together; inharmonious combination of tones; dissonance vi. to disagree; clash

      If'n ya want actual discord meaning dissension, you could have it by resuming prior practice; in particular, by simply ceasing to block me. I'll keep your fanboys busy in their sole specialty of stoopy off-topic ad hom. The few new readers who drift in will at least slightly interest in the conflict. -- Be clear that I don't like the ad hom, only am forced to accept endless attacks if wish to state my views in this cesspit of corporatism. -- All reasonable people have simply LEFT due to the corporatism even more than the ad hom.

      YOU could end the ad hom easily by "hiding" it instead of my on-topic, civil, ordinary views. But you've refused to implement my advice since 2009 when had a far larger audience. I treasure your consistent stupidity.

      Back when you allowed dissenting comments, this was THE most fun site on teh internets, with incomparable HOOTS from your silly impractical views for abolishing copyright. But since eventually had to be clearly anti-American -- and admitted shill for Silly-con Valley: https://copia.is/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/sponsors.png -- you now can't stand actual "discord".

      I'll still be winning the battle here as readership further wanes from the ad hom, general dullness of topics, and your blatantly corporatist-uber-alles assertions.

      link to this | view in chronology ]


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