Ave Atque Vale, WritestreakPT

I just had a look in r/WritestreamPT on Reddit. It’s a forum I posted in more-or-less daily over a period of about two years. I assumed it would have just carried on regardless. When I left, I was having a bit of a crisis of confidence because I felt like I kept making the same mistakes over and over, and since there were only so many Portuguese volunteers around, I was hogging attention that other, less dim learners could have used.

I think the decline had already set in though. There were fewer and fewer teachers working. Even the Brazilian teachers left. People kept going anyway and didn’t seem to be bothered if nobody corrected what they write.

But when I looked today, the only recent posts were from a bot that posts the “Dia de Socializar” message each week. O scrolled down. There hadn’t been a human for 3 months. Even Solanium, a PT-BR learner, with an unbroken streak of 1182 days, hardly ever making a mistake, and so focused that he didn’t even make a big deal when his streak reached 666, just kept on going (I would have planned that post a month in advance I tell you!)… Even he had stopped. And just to twist the knife further, when I had a look at his profile, he has been posting in r/WritestreakES! Wut??? He’s learning Spanish now? I feel betrayed!, 😭

It’s a shame, but i have fond memories of the place. I guess I was lucky enough to be involved when it was in its heyday.