Author Topic: CathInfo changes all the time (Read 2478 times)

Matthew · « **on:** May 24, 2013, 02:01:26 PM »

I know people are used to considering message boards as huge, monolithic, homogeneous entities.

"Fisheaters is liberal."
"CathInfo is stodgy and hard-core."
etc.

As if 100% of the posters on the message board in question fit that description.

True, it is necessary to conceptualize and generalize if any fruitful discussion or decision-making is to take place.

But here is my point --

What DEFINES a message board? I'll tell you what defines it. A combination of these three things:

A) The forum owner
B) The rules the forum owner decides upon (including which rules he decides to enforce)
C) The forum software/name/web address/site design
D) The contributions of each of the members.

I have bolded D because that is what I wish to say a few lines about.

My thesis: Since point D changes all the time, the board's essence changes all the time as well.

CathInfo has been TOTALLY different, about 3 dozen times in the past. At least.

Who here realizes that we've almost COMPLETELY cycled our membership, several times over, since 2009?

How many people (especially ex-members) realize that the person that annoyed them the most hasn't posted here in years?

How many people realize that 25% of our membership (400 users) signed up in the past 6 months? I've cleaned out a lot of the old members from the database (banned users, and those who hadn't signed in for 2 or 3 years).

And 50% of our membership (800 users) have joined in the last 12 months -- since the SSPX-Rome Crisis blew wide open.

Bet you didn't know that!

Think about it: for a while, SGG dominated the forum. For a week here or there, it's Fisheaters, or women in pants. A year ago the forum was completely dominated by the SSPX-Rome issue. Sometimes the main busy topics are all about Race. Or marriage. Or both! Sometimes it's Sedevacantism, or some other point of theology. Sometimes the forum is dominated by Telesphorus' latest "musings". Last week it was modesty and T-shirts. The mix of posters changes on a monthly basis.

I dare you to click on a few old posts from 2009, and see who the "regulars" were at the time.

Many of you would be saying, "Who is Raoul76?" "Who is Belloc?" etc. and meanwhile you'd be asking, "Where is Neil Obstat? Where is Incredulous? etc."

Like I said -- a complete cycling. Yet the forum keeps the same name, the same software, the same owner, and the same reputation.

My simple question is... why?

Matthew · « **Reply #1 on:** May 24, 2013, 02:11:34 PM »

Oh, and I should also mention that A), B) and C) change slightly over the years as well.

For example:

I used to be fervently on Eamon's side in the SGG debacle. How many people left because of that? Now, I'm completely neutral, and no one talks/posts about it anymore. In fact, you'll look in vain for MOST of the threads on that subject. They have been permanently deleted.

I grew up a bit since then. What did I learn? I learned that sometimes in a conflict you don't have a snow-white "good guy". And that sometimes, when you don't have a dog in a fight, you should just keep your neutrality. And don't let emotion carry you away, just because someone is the same nationality as you.

When Hitler invaded Stalin's Russia, who was the saint? Who should I have rooted for? Hmmm?

I know for a fact that many people have left CathInfo because of "lack of charity" or the "harsh arguments" they found here. Usually involving Sedevacantism. But I don't see so much of that anymore. I think the Sedes are pretty much argued-out, at least for now. (knock on wood)

ServusSpiritusSancti · « **Reply #2 on:** May 24, 2013, 02:15:10 PM »

Quite right, the forum has gone through a lot of changes. New features added, members who have come and gone, etc.

It's sort of amazing to go back and read threads from 2006-2008 when there weren't that many frequent posters, then compare the forum to how it is now. It didn't really start becoming a large forum until 2009, apparently.

All that time, though, CatholicInfo has still been consistent, inasmuch as it is the most Traditional of the Trad forums out there. That's one thing that has NOT changed about CI. :)

Matto · « **Reply #3 on:** May 24, 2013, 02:30:36 PM »

I started posting a few years ago when some of the biggest posters were Raoul76, Belloc, and Ladislaus. Now one of them is banned and the other two disappeared except that Raoul76 comes on once in a while and apologizes for one of his old posts. Then I stopped posting for a while, and now I post again. I have definitely noticed the difference. I still think it is the best traditional Catholic forum and I like posting here.

jen51 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 24, 2013, 02:31:58 PM »

Quote from: Matthew

My simple question is... why?

IMO, the forum stays the same because of you and Mater, Matthew. You set the tone of the forum. You draw the lines and enforce them.

THANKYOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO!!!! :rahrah:

ServusSpiritusSancti · « **Reply #5 on:** May 24, 2013, 02:46:43 PM »

Yes, thanks Matthew and Mater for all that you do.

Hatchc · « **Reply #6 on:** May 24, 2013, 02:56:52 PM »

Quote from: jen51

Quote from: Matthew

My simple question is... why?

IMO, the forum stays the same because of you and Mater, Matthew. You set the tone of the forum. You draw the lines and enforce them.

THANKYOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO!!!! :rahrah:

Yep!

Hatchc · « **Reply #7 on:** May 24, 2013, 02:58:23 PM »

I miss Raoul. I wish he would post frequently again. He was entertaining, to say the least.

I miss SpouseofJesus, too.

TKGS · « **Reply #8 on:** May 24, 2013, 03:02:36 PM »

Quote from: Matthew

I know for a fact that many people have left CathInfo because of "lack of charity" or the "harsh arguments" they found here. Usually involving Sedevacantism. But I don't see so much of that anymore. I think the Sedes are pretty much argued-out, at least for now. (knock on wood)

I don't think it's because we are "argued-out", it's just that, I think, most of the sedevacantists who still post are not dogmatic about it. To paraphrase Archbishop Lefebvre, I do not say that the "pope" is the pope, but I do not say that you cannot say that the "pope" is the pope.

The only time the issue usually comes up anymore is when some dogmatic anti-sedevacantist declares that we are, by that reason alone, outside the Church. These are the people that are usually more troublesome and the fact that they don't post such idiocy very often really is a reason to knock on wood.

Both dogmatic declarations are schismatic.

TKGS · « **Reply #9 on:** May 24, 2013, 03:03:41 PM »

Quote from: Hatchc

I miss SpouseofJesus, too.

I fear for SpouseofJesus. If I remember rightly, she was our Catholic member from Iran.

MyrnaM · « **Reply #10 on:** May 24, 2013, 03:13:15 PM »

I also don't think sedevacantism are "argued-out", I think many folks are starting to see that sedevacantism may be the answer after all. Each conciLIAR "pope" seems to get worse and worse. The non sede are running out of excuses for them and hoping they say something Catholic once in awhile so they can sigh of relief for a few days.

The best argument is for the sede to just say, time will tell.

In fact one of the reasons this forum is so successful is because Matthew allows the sedevacantist to have a voice, while the other forums just talk to their self, and after a bit, that gets boring.

Matthew · « **Reply #11 on:** May 24, 2013, 03:15:48 PM »

Yes, I wonder how many people left because they were disgusted with armchair popes like "CM".

He's a member that considered 99.9% of CathInfo members to be non-Catholic.

He is what you'd call a dogmatic home-aloner. He only knew of one other familyi that he considered Catholic, headed by fkpagnanelli. Apparently the latter promised CM one of his daughters to marry. Maybe that's why CM found a way to get along with him? hahaha

Again, I will say that the MODERATOR of CI has changed a bit as well. (Yes, I'm actually talking about myself here!)

I can't believe how long I let someone like "Classiccom" stay on here. He was a member for many months! The man was a complete schismatic, Old Catholic who constantly referred to the Catholic Church as "Club Infallible".

I guess when you start a forum you have to accept a certain amount of "dregs" or you'd have no traffic/members.

Clancularius · « **Reply #12 on:** May 24, 2013, 03:23:02 PM »

Quote from: Matthew

the forum keeps the same name, the same software, the same owner, and the same reputation.

I would be interested to know, HOW you can judge the "reputation" at any given time? Is a poll taken? If so, not including those who left would make the poll seriously flawed. Is it based on traffic? If so, how could good or bad reputation could be garnered from that? My simple question is...how?

Quote from: ServusSpiritusSancti

it is the most Traditional of the Trad forums out there.

How do you rate a forum as more traditional than another? What is the list of criteria? Obviously Novus Ordo forums aren't included, so what determines more and most for Trad forums to outdo another in being "Traditional"?

Matthew · « **Reply #13 on:** May 24, 2013, 03:28:16 PM »

Reputation is a very nebulous thing. It's not an exact science.

I was referring to "reputation on the street" or "the reputation in the minds of countless people who don't look into CathInfo very deeply."

It's amazing how long a reputation lasts, even after a situation has long passed.

How many people try out an independent chapel again (after leaving) when a new priest comes in? How many people try out a restaurant they left "forever" when it's taken over by new owners/management? Etc.

Seriously, I wonder how many people are very active on Trad forums today, having tried out CathInfo once back in 2007 and say to themselves today:

Quote

CathInfo? Been there, done that. It's "meh". Not very active.

Seriously, they've crossed CathInfo off their "bucket list", as if it hasn't changed in 6 years. They think they still have a valid opinion of it, even though their opinion of the site really "expired" years ago.

That's what I'm talking about.

Matthew · « **Reply #14 on:** May 24, 2013, 03:31:17 PM »

Maybe this type of person is rare, because if CathInfo stays "in the news" as it were, people might be tempted to look into it again.

But still, even if they realize the forum is probably larger now, they probably assume it's like 2007 only on steroids. Instead of 1 "Classiccom", we have 5.

Really, CathInfo isn't as much of a free-for-all as it was back in the day. That's a good thing. A little variety is the spice of life. But you don't want to dump a whole pound of habaneros in your chili!