In 2010, we moved into a house and transitioned from dial-up internet to DSL and it took a little time to adjust.
It was at that point that I discovered online forums such as AngelQueen,Ignis Ardens, Suscipe Domine, Cathinfo (I was banned within a couple of days).
I was even invited to a resistance forum that started when Ignis Ardens started it's death spiral. I was banned within 20 minutes - my personal best!
Those days were exciting and I was very thankful that my mother forced me to take typing. It got to the point that my 'resistor' opponents could not conceive of my being a single person. At one point the opinion emerged that I was about 3 to 5 Menzigenites working against the 'resistance'.
Those were heady days indeed.
While I enjoyed the experience, it was taxing, instructive, exhilarating and frustrating. I was once described by a former IDF commando (RIP) as a warrior and at this point I think I would agree. But the experience was beginning to sour.
The biggest problem was that the work I put into responses was quickly lost in the stream of responses. This was overshadowed by a the realization that I had become somewhat obsessed or at least absorbed by these arguments and not doing my duty to my family.
Over a number of months I became disillusioned and finally disinterested in contributing to forums. It took time and the real turning point was when I did a study of my online time vs family time. The results were depressing and added to this was the fact that I had been drawn into real-world discussions and arguments with Modern Catholics.
One benefit of all this activity was that I had to study and I studied a lot. The downside was that I was being spiritually drained by the exertion. The solution was provided by a priest who, in a few words, described the danger of running on empty in a spiritual war.
The solution:
- I try to keep up my spiritual life by doing spiritual reading and prayer to counter balance studies.
- I started this blog, so I could write down the results of my studies and ponderings.
- I still pop in to Suscipe Domine, but if I'm going to write a long response (a rare occurrence these days), I'll post it on Tradicat first. I should note that Suscipe Domine has the most effective and balanced moderation process of all the forums I explored.
So why did I start Tradicat?
- To not lose track of the work that I've done and documented in articles.
- To have my own place to write what I want even if a forum moderator doesn't like it.
- To have a "library" resource
Why do I continue?
- It's therapeutic. I work out my frustrations with the crisis of the Church by studying, thinking and writing my thoughts on the blog
- Because to be motivated to do the above, I need to 'publish' it. It was the same with my research into my thesis and to a lesser extent is it the same here. I get motivated to study things I find interesting and publishing puts me over the threshold of action.
- Because some people find the work of value.
So, those of my rambling thoughts this Canada Day.
P^3
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