Why is there so little going on here?
I've heard the argument about herding cats, but why does every libertarian group have to re-invent the wheel when it comes to running websites/forums/blogs? For instance, all one needs to run a decent forum is a decent LAMP-server (Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP) running MyBB (http://www.mybboard.net/), and all the local admins need are low-level moderation privileges for some really basic stuff such as moving merging threads.
See for example, the statistics the forums of thepiratebay (http://forum.suprbay.org/):
Our members have made a total of 494,319 posts in 60,549 threads.
We currently have 124,000 members registered.
Please welcome our newest member, Derragon
The most users online at one time was 2,742 on 11th January 2010 at 07:22
Who cares if 99% of posts are off-topic? 100.000 Socializing libertarians represent more of a threat to totalitarianism than 3 guys and a ferret handing out pamphlets on politics, especially when they're too naive to tell the difference between 'every vote counts' and 'every vote is counted'.
[...]I'd rather have 100 people choosing to work together[...]
Which is why libertarian candidates will not get more than those 100 votes, because every sufficiently rational libertarian voter will vote Rep/Dem tactically or - more likely - stay home and enjoy the show with an 80 pulse.
Instead, try giving the 100 people basic privileges to help moderate [...]chaotic forums filled with petty fights, flame wars, etc[...]. Petty fighting is exactly what 10.000+ potential (read: sufficiently irrational) voters enjoy doing in their free time. I'm sorry to hear about your inclination to behave like a totalitarian control-freak in libertarian forums.
Look, I've run forums with numbers ranging from 10 people to 10,000 people. Regardless of how you think a forum should or shouldn't be run, the committee in charge of internet communications at LPKY has set up this website and its various inner-workings.
This forum has a specific purpose and is used in that way. There's nothing stopping people from using any other forum. This forum, however, is the property of the LPKY and is used for a specific purpose. There's nothing non-libertarian about choosing what to do with ones own property.
As for successes, we pulled 4.9% in a 3-way race for US Congress in 2006, with only $750 against a total of $10M; without any forums and only a barely-operating website at the time.
We have a plan and a strategy. We are working toward those goals. This website is only one piece of the plan. The forums are here because we don't want to clutter things like press releases and blog posts with comments. This provides a place to post responses, comments and whatnot.
People are free to comment elsewhere, but the LPKY provides this site and its associated pieces for a specific purpose.
Typically, the winner is NOT determined by pulling one of the total votes randomly out of a hat, in which case there would be a 4.9% chance of getting elected.
Therefore, another way of looking at the result is: Libertarians lost the 3-way race, wasted 4.9% of the voters effort and threw away $750. I don't consider this something to be proud of.
When a race between two other candidates is close enough, then the trick is to get 4.9% of the voters to *credibly* (that's the hard bit) threaten to turn a winner into a loser with tactical voting. The "Christian Right" isn't even an organized group and yet exerts more power than libertarians. Therefore, IMHO it is not even a choice between emphasizing the "social-club" aspect of the Libertarian Party and playing politics with brass knuckles.
So far: 40 years of libertarian effort and little to show for it. The one thing we have learned to excel at is pretending that we're not making fools out of (statistically) smarter people.
In 2009 we had only one race to run, and pulled 5.7% in a three-way race. This time I hope to do even better.
Third parties were very effective at the turn of the 20th century at having major portions of their platforms co-opted by making major party candidates lose. There is a time and a place for that strategy.
Politics is an auction wrapped in a popularity contest.
We have a lot going on right now around the state. It's been a busy time for the past few weeks. Primarily there are local efforts. We are still working to get the various districts to fully utilize this website.
We have a couple of statewide efforts kicking off June 1st.
As for on-topic versus off-topic, I believe it's important that the party's website stay focused. I've run many different forums in the past as well (primarily on phpBB). I'd rather have 100 people choosing to work together rather than have chaotic forums filled with petty fights, flame wars, etc which require management outside the scope of party activities. Quite frankly, I just don't have time for that drama.