@jws I was there from the beginning, with 42,000 combined posts between two accounts, and no shortage of photos, and both of my account archives came through. I suspect the problems are systemic rather than related to the size of the archive.
// @phoneboy @hybotics
@b123400 Slow down--I didn't address those. I'm not here to defend the business practices of the modern church, but thousands of tourists going through historic buildings day in and day out creates wear and tear, and they're probably attempting to pay for the upkeep.
Pope-themed souvenirs are there because people want to buy them. Like it or not, the Pope isn't just the bishop of Rome, he's also a global figure with followers who look up to him. It's good to remember that there is often a tension between the ideal religious practices of a community, and the actual practices which are the result of people being people. And people, as we all know, ruin everything. :-)
(Note: I'm not Catholic, but I've been around a bit. I'm actually a lapsed Orthodox person.)
@b123400 What you are encountering is traditional Christianity (i.e., pre-Reformation). Catholics (and Eastern Orthodox) do not worship the saints, or Mary, or the Pope. They believe the saints can intercede on our behalf, and ask for their help in much the same way you would ask a friend to intercede on your behalf with someone. As for Mary, think of it this way: as the mother of Jesus, she occupies a special place. If you were going to ask a friend for help, would you not ask his mother to put in a good word for you?
This is all rather contentious, I know, but it's important to try to understand the beliefs behind the acts, which to a non-Catholic or non-Orthodox can look very odd.
@b123400 There's zero clarity around this. It's either shutting down today or tomorrow, at an unspecified time. If I had to guess, I'd say midnight tonight California time, but that's just a guess.
@literary There's Robin for Pnut on Android, but it's an unstable alpha right now. You can ask @33mhz about it.
// @phoneboy @sumudu
Archived my final ADN thread on the Internet Archive:
https://web.archive.org/web/20170314152220/https://alpha.app.net/la/post/71070130
Watching ADN Global right now feels like waiting for a terminally ill relative to pass. At some point, you're glad when it finally happens.