Recently, there was a poll on X/Twitter where the poster asked who was most influential in bringing them to Orthodoxy. It was all YouTube people.
It used to be books, then it was blogs, then podcasts, then YouTube content. While it's true that there are trends that push a lot of people into one of these, it's not as if books have become obsolete in evangelism with the advent of Discord channels. We now just have more options.
That said, I used to post every day, multiple times a day. Frankly, a lot more "action" was going on in years past. Bishops were a lot more outspoken and said things anyone could read or hear later. They've gotten a lot more savvy about not saying things publicly that will make them the topic of the day.
Still, I think books and blogs and podcasts and video content will be here to stay. I'm sad to see Ancient Faith getting out of the market, but you can find where the bloggers hosted are going by looking here.
(AFR) -
Farewell to Ancient Faith Blogs
Greetings, Ancient Faith listeners, readers, and viewers!
In October 2014, Ancient Faith Ministries (AFM) introduced Ancient Faith Blogs (AFB), a multi-blog site which invited some of the most notable Orthodox blogs onto the site at the time. Over the years, AFB hosted 38 blogs from both clergy and laity, both single-author and multi-author blogs. During that time, various blogs came and went.
Change like this is normal for any media company -- its content grows, changes, and adapts according to the resources, preferences, and ability of both the company's employees and also its collaborating content contributors, not to mention the audience being reached. AFM is no exception to the always-changing nature of media -- especially online media. Content comes and goes, and people benefit along the way.
In looking at AFB among its many other offerings -- podcasts, books, videos, events, etc. -- AFM decided earlier this summer that after 9 years it was time to give the blogs back to their authors to take wherever they please, effective Oct. 1, 2023.
Though you might just be learning about this, the bloggers were informed about a month before the shut-down date to give them plenty of time to transition. A number of them also made posts on their AF blogs letting their readers know.
Why did we make this choice?
There are a lot of reasons, but the biggest one is about AFM's side of the collaboration. As we looked at what we do best, we decided that hosting blogs isn't what we do best, and honestly, the nature of blogging is that it works best as something fully under the sole control of the author. Also, blogging has changed a lot in the 9 years that AFB has been around. It's easier than ever to set up your own blog to look however you like.
None of the bloggers have been "canceled." Indeed, we continue to maintain collaborative relationships with many of them on other AFM platforms, such as books and podcasts. The blogs' content will also continue to be available, if the blogger so chooses.
The databases of each AF blog are being given to their authors, and our IT staff is working with them to help them transition to a new hosting site, if that is their preference.
To all of you who contributed to, read, commented on, shared, and supported AFB over the years -- thank you! We hope you'll check out the new homes of these various blogs and continue to support their authors.
Posts
I get the impression that some within the OCA & at AFR didn't like the result of the recent survey where Jay Dyer and some others were on top.
ReplyDeleteWho would have thought that converts who are seeking the True Faith don't want a watered down version of Orthodoxy. Even for someone like me, who is a young person and already Orthodox, I stopped listening to AFR because of their refusal to address the Ukrainian issue and the same issue with covid. As much as I love the OCMC their seeming pan-Orthodox appearance actually just masks them being an outpost of GOARCH, I feel this is the same for AFR.
in my experience, this is a Youtube convert generation, and it shows. On the other hand, the list from Pascha Press might be even worse. God help us.
ReplyDeleteThis is too bad. Trends in media being what they are it is somewhat understandable, but I find it hard to believe it was that much of a $ and resource drain. Blogging (and writing in general) is much less impulsive, emotional, and passionate (for several reasons) than video and talk.
ReplyDeleteMenas is right and wrong, in that AF is in general a mature take on the Faith. On the one hand, it avoids falling off the Path to the right - the liberalism of the "don't tread on me" libertarian Orthodox (i.e. most of the "OrthoBro" culture as far as I can tell). On the other hand, AF in the persons of several of its writers, was/is rightly critical of the apostasy of "GOARCH", the Fordham boys, Met. Kallistos Ware (when he wrote that stupid intro to the The Wheels issue promoting LBGTQwerty and transhumanism), and the various promotors of women's ordination. We need more experienced/mature Orthodox voices online, not less.