www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Maybe it is just me?

Dear Forum Members,

Perhaps it is just me, but there seems to be very little participation on this forum lately.

The subjects do not change, or are repeated, and there seems to be less diversity of posters of different faith traditions and cultures than were present in the past, and which made this one of the most interesting and unique Eastern forums on the internet.

I have also noticed that we have lost many of our regular posters, or that they read but do not post. I notice that we have had very few newly registered posters actually post.

At one time last year we had more posters online in one day than any other Eastern forum has ever come close to.

As a Moderator of the Prayer Forum, I am thankful that I see that we still have more participation in prayer than other forums...

However--where is the friendliness and participation which we used to have, and the interesting discussions which appealed to many people--of different genders, interests, and faith traditions?!?

Please, feel free to start new threads, and just don't read posts, but respond to them--even if it is just a 'thank you for posting that'.

Yours in Christ,
Alice

Alice - I think the summer season has hit us .

At least we are not getting all the really idiotic things that you find in the newspapers at times , those they use to fill up what would be otherwise blank pages

Alice,

We track the number of readers by page views. The highest readership is in the winter months with a slackening off in the late spring through roughly the middle of September. This is not unique to our Forum but pretty standard across most forums where the majority of posters reside in North America. Last July's "Max Online" number of 1,087 was unique and due to a special situation (during the first weeks after the Revised Divine Liturgy became mandatory in the Pittsburgh Ruthenian Church there was heightened interest). If you look through the older posts there is probably at least one thread each year (in about June) that laments the fact that there are fewer posts than in the past, and every year there lots of predictions that we won't last the summer. I know for myself, at this time of the year I much prefer to be sitting out on the deck with my morning coffee and no laptop to trouble me!

Look for the Forum traffic to be lighter over the summer months, and to pick up in the fall. It will most likely continue to grow slowly, but there are a finite number of Eastern Christians posting on the internet. Plus, new forums do appear regularly that will draw away specific groups of posters. That is perfectly normal.

Interestingly, we are averaging 3.5 new registrants per day. Most never post (though that is long common to all forums).

John

Dear John,

I didn't mean to put anyone on the defensive..God forbid!

I just thought that, as a Moderator and fellow poster, I would encourage more diversified and interesting conversations, and participation.

That is why I initiated three new threads on Church News.

I know from personal experience how lives ebbs and flows and time restraints (working, not working, illness, vacation time, moving, etc.) can affect one's participation in forums!

I just thought that maybe some people, including myself at times, need a gentle, little coax in order to post!

Just trying to help...

Have a nice day,
Alice

Re: the slump or morgue time or the lazy time of summer

Do not forget to pray for students at this time of year.

Now is the time for finals and graduations for many high school students. College students who take the intensive 3 to 8 week courses are buried in their books with little time to post. And finally those June, July, and August brides and moms and mother-in-laws are busy with last minute preparations.

Yes, summer is a busy time.

Then there are the folks who are more concerned with evacuations rather than life online due to flooding in the Midwest. Let us pray for them.

I haven't been posting much over the past few months but that is partly because I find that I don't have as much to say and I also got a little burned out a few months ago when we were in some rather heated polemics (which resulted in a certain poster being banned). It left a bad taste in my mouth and it has taken me a few months to get over it. I really only want to post when I have something helpful or useful to say. But I still enjoy reading the many different threads and I keep the entire forum and all of its members in my prayers regularly.

Joe

And I must add that I am quite busy in my offline life so I don't have quite the time I used to.

Joe

This is not the Prayer Forum. You are certainly welcome to post these serious intentions on that Forum for prayer.

Alice, Moderator

Dear Alice,

Since commentaries and posts are often deleted in the prayer forum without any notice being given by staff here, I wanted to mention why people are not posting during the summer months. And of course, we should ceaselessly remember all in our prayers, whenever and wherever we post.

So, I honestly must ask this question: Does your admonition mean that I cannot mention that I am praying for those in the NeoCatechumenate way in the current thread? Do we ignore St. Paul's warning to pray without ceasing?

I think that a prayerful attitude (and not a judgmental attitude which is seen too often here) will help our posts to be more charitable, don't you agree.

In Christ,
Elizabeth

p.s. I love you Alice. You are my favorite mod here. So, this is not an attack, but a very concerned query for clarification by the administrators.

1. The Byzantine Forum dedicates a special forum to prayer, for posters to post their prayer requests and for other posters to post that they are offering prayer. Posts that are not directly related to prayer (even some well meaning ones offering advice) are deleted because the Prayer Forum is not the right place. Behavior in the Prayer Forum should be similar to behavior in a private shrine room either at the back of a church or in field next to a church or monastery. If someone were praying there no one would go up to them and start giving advice. They�d simply join them in prayer.

2. A post in any thread offering prayer is always appropriate. But there is a line between a simple statement that one will remember the issue (or people) in prayer and making the discussion about prayer. There is a time and place for everything. As an extreme example consider the difference between a conversation with a friend at a coffee shop in which you might respond �I�ll keep that in my prayers� and taking over the corner table to hold a moleben or novena.

I don't know, but it seems to me that the forum has become a bit like one of my crotchety old aunts. She took offense at anything she didn't agree with (or didn't fit her agendas), was incredibly thin-skinned, and so exacting that it was a chore, at times, to deal with her. She never wanted to hear a discouraging word. It did no good to remind her that was from "Home on the Range," not real life. I don't find the good-natured exchanges that I used to enjoy here. In other words, it seems to me the forum used to have more of a conversational atmosphere. Now it's more dot "i" only when not followed by "e" in forums not designated "x, y or z" on Thursdays outside the Great Fast. Is the word I am looking for in relation to the forum and my aunt possibly, "persnickety?" I miss the free-wheeling exchanges of old when the forum was actually more interesting. True, some of the positions advanced were delightfully crazy - as possibly were the posters - but were still enjoyable. It's possible to have those without insulting or offending anyone, I would think. Then there's all the rancor that came from the revised Pittsburgh liturgy. I wonder if that might have soured the atmosphere a bit? Who knows? The trouble with this kind of thing is that causes are really hard to pin down and are, at best, speculation. Then there's the possibility that the forum in trying to appeal to such an overly broad base of eastern Christians, has become too general to appeal to many. Again, who knows? No offense intended toward anyone. I am just trying to figure out the answers to Alice's questions.

Dear Charles,

Thanks for your valued input.

Alice

I haven't been posting too much because of my LSAT prepping, and them I'm off to D.C. for the rest of the summer to intern for a U.S. senator on Capitol Hill, so I'll probably be pretty scarce for the rest of the summer.

I think a lot of people are in situations like me, Alice, where a lot is going on in the summer. And even when they aren't, the weather is just too nice to play online as much! At least in my book.

Alexis

Dear Alexis,

I wasn't asking people to participate, nor was I questioning anyone's lack of participation...I think my post was terribly misconstrued and/or misunderstood.

I am also too busy at times to read and post, but I was hoping to coax those who read and are too shy to post, or to those who may have ideas for new threads, to add their comments to our community in order to revitalize it.

Curiously, I do see more participation now!
Maybe there really is a method behind my madness!

Anyway, please note, as I said on the previous page, this was not a post meant to put our regular posters on the defensive in having to respond. You have been more active in posting than most of us, anyway!

ANYWAY--Enjoy your wonderful internship! You will absolutely LOVE Washington, D.C., though it can be very humid in the summers. My son went to college there, and therefore, I had the opportunity to fall in love with the city. It is very American in being our capital and seat of government, but also very international at the same time, which makes it unique. There are great restaurants of many ethnic cuisines there. The best Turkish food I ever ate was in Georgetown.

Wishing you every success. You make us proud, dear young man!

In Christ,
Alice

Dear Charles,

I agree with your comments. We have had one too many posters who have inferred whatever nasty intentions they choose. A little more love along with less judgmental comments would greatly improve the atmosphere.

When mere members assume the role of mods, then it becomes a little overbearing.

My prayers.

In Christ,
Elizabeth