I note that the pace of posts to NewGathering seems to have slowed in recent months. We've lost a few contributors, with Tom's death and Jean's and Margaret's stepping away within the few months; and previously, others have also become less active.
I'm not suggesting that NewGathering be put six feet under. But I've observed over the years that these communities have a life cycle. If a critical mass of new material and discussions isn't maintained, the community atrophies. Any community of this sort that achieves a ten-year run is probably doing the equivalent of living to be a hundred and ten. This blog has been running for four+ years now, which is quite respectable.
One thing I've wondered about: does anyone, beyond the half dozen or so contributors and frequent commenters, visit and read this blog? Does anyone know? If other people are getting something out of our little project here, it would be good to know.
Yes, it would be nice to know if anyone else reads New Gathering, besides the usual suspects! I have wondered if some of the people on Jim McCrea's emails might like to participate, since at times we cover similar topics.
ReplyDeleteJust FYI, I will probably not be here as often for the next few weeks, since I am going back to work. Hopefully this will be a very temporary gig, since I really enjoy my free time. My old boss asked me to come back until they can hire someone else, because the guy who replaced me three years ago is quitting and moving to China (??!). They say millenials have a hard time finding jobs, here's hoping one with the right background will find this one and I can go back to being lazy retired grandma.
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ReplyDeleteI hope this little group survives. I have been in Colorado for more than a month, helping my son and his wife with their 4 and 2 year olds while everyone gets used to baby #3! It's been very hectic because the 2 year old (2 on the 4th of July) has been waking up multiple times/night for about 6 weeks and crying for long periods. It's exhausting for my son and his wife, especially now that there is a newborn who also wakes every couple of hours. I think the many changes in the 2 year olds life in a short time (moving out of the house in Sydney to a short-term rental there, then to the US - lots and lots of stress for my son and his wife, which little children sense, etc)have contributed. He is occasionally now sleeping better. I will finally go home on Sunday after 5 weeks. I have had little time for the computer. I hope that nobody ends this blog. I don't think many people read it besides us. Does that make it worth less? Or is it the equivalent of a very small group in your parish? Worthwhile to continue?
ReplyDeleteI do read the blog every day however. I sometimes don't comment because the subject is about something that I am no longer really involved with - such as changes in the Catholic liturgy, or the reopening of dioceses and parishes.
What the bishops do does impact me when it comes to Biden and other pro-choice politicians. I believe that the President is president of the entire country (not just President of Catholics) and that he or she MUST refrain from imposing his/her own religious views on the whole country via proposed legislation. My fear is that the bishops will sway enough Catholic votes away from Biden or other pro-choice candidates to re-elect trump and a GOP house. This would be the final blow to our democracy. Our nation, including its principle of separation of church and state, would be only a memory. So what the bishops do is everyone's business. They can possibly influence enough votes to change history, and perhaps bring about the demise of our religious freedom, as well as help elect an authoritarian regime that would end or neuter other freedoms (such as freedom of the press).
Anne, it sounds like you and your family have been very busy! I'm sure you will be glad to get home and relax a bit. Was the baby born before they left Australia, or after they got back to the states? Moving is hard for kids (and grown ups) Hopefully the children's sleep patterns will settle down now.
DeleteAbout the bishops who want to bar Biden from Communion, it seems likely that they aren't going to convince any voters who weren't already convinced. I am reading that their efforts are angering a lot of people, both Catholics and non. It says something about our divisions that our differences have become a chasm without much crossover. Separation of church and state is a fragile concept, but the only one that honors the integrity of both religion and the government.
Are the members of this blog willing to open it to more readers, commenters, and contributors?
ReplyDeleteI am thinking of the members of the Cleveland Commonweal Local Community. They know you exist but I have not given them the name of the blog or the url. The advantage would be that they are all Commonweal readers. I, at least, would probably do a lot more posts on Commonweal articles. If any of them decide to become contributors, it would likely be about Commonweal articles at least in the beginning.
Another advantage (or maybe disadvantage) is that I know the ones that come to the meetings well, and therefore we might be able to keep the personal community flavor of the blog since they would know me and the others that join. The Cleveland Community only met once a month so we don't know each other as well as this group does.
People at first would come on as commenters. Then David could repost the instructions they need to follow to become contributors.
The Cleveland Community has a mailing list of about thirty members, but only about ten who have come with any regularly. Many have come only once or even never. Mostly because they do not have the time and/or it is too far to drive.
If we were to do this, I think it would require the unanimous consent of the present six contributors (Katherine, Anne, Jim, David, Stanley and myself)
Personally I am willing to keep the blog with its present membership for as long as there is someone else who wants to read and comment on my posts. I find it is always good to write for an audience.
I support Jim's call for others who may be reading to step up either as commenters or contributors.
I read regularly and comment periodically.
ReplyDeleteJim McCrea aka Jimmy Mac
I'm happy to open the forum to other commenters. I think the forum would benefit from more members. I read Commonweal and wouldn't mind posts on the articles. I may not be commenting because I feel a stagnation in my life and thought, at the moment. The recent article in Commonweal about Walker Percy and acedia seemed timely to me.
ReplyDeleteI'd also welcome other commenters, but I am also fine with things as they are. I read Commonweal, but I also read a lot of other things, and wouldn't want to confine discussions to one publication.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katherine. I am fine with the small group, but also with a bigger group. I suspect that those who read Commonweal read books and articles from other sources as well.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see more contributors. However, the reason I think NewGathering has worked so well is that it began with a self-selected group of fairly like-minded individuals. I have seen what only a few "bad apples" can do to a forum like this. I'd be more than happy to welcome new contributors, but no other group I am personally acquainted with seems a likely source of either new contributors or readers. Perhaps I should add that I self-identify as an agnostic who happens to have been educated in Catholic schools and who maintains an interest in the Church, but very much as an outsider. This is why I largely remain in the background.
ReplyDeleteThank you for being our resident agnostic.
DeleteOne sociologist from Germany once said that he and his Russian colleague were both atheists, however he was a Lutheran atheist while his colleague with an Orthodox atheist.
Sounds like you are a Catholic agnostic.
I seldom comment but I read this blog about weekly.
ReplyDeleteWell, I am glad that you are still around. Let us know from time to time of your presence and what is going on in your part of the world.
DeleteIt seems from the comments that while we are open to more commenters, we are also satisfied with things as they are.
ReplyDeleteI think David Nichol’s cautions are well stated. Why attempt to improve something that is not broken. However Jim’s original comments about being concerned for our future are also valid. Being proactive might stave off a downward spiral.
Hitherto, I have never called attention to any of my posts here to anyone in the Cleveland Commonweal Local Community.
They do know of our existence because I wrote a post for them suggesting that we become a Hybrid community, i.e. move in the direction of having posts and comments on the Cleveland website like we have here. I have opened that site to comments. So far only one person has made a comment. I suspect they don’t have much of an idea of what our website is like.
What I am thinking of doing is sending e-mails to individuals (not a group) when I make a post here that they might find interesting. The e-mail would say nothing about asking them to comment, presumably they could easily return their thoughts by e-mail to me.
This process would allow a core group of about six to nine people to become familiar with our website as a potential model for the Cleveland website.
I would let it up to the recipients of the e-mails to take any initiative about becoming either a commenter or contributor here. Obviously I would be encouraging them to be a commenter and a contributor on the Cleveland blog.
In this way we could add another half dozen or more readers to our list while leaving open the possibility of their becoming commenters or even contributors.
In preparation for a possible re-opening of our Cleveland group this fall I will be posting here reviews of some Commonweal articles that Cleveland might use.
I am also going to be doing posts here about the materials and blogging from my ND course. I may also forward some of those to some members of our Cleveland group.