Why I Left Quora
I’ve been on Quora since 2017, and in that time I gained 18,000 followers. It was fun to write and to meet others who shared the same interests as I did. I happily wrote words for free, and I while I started writing about books at first, I found myself answering questions on the British royal family. I’ve loved watching them from the time Diana joined “The Firm”, and I started writing about them when Meghan Markle came on the scene via Harry.
All went well at first. My articles were largely positive, since I thought all was well within the House of Windsor. I did write about weddings, movies and other subjects at the time; but most of my writing surrounded the royals. When things began to go south for the Sussexes, and it looked like they weren’t following royal protocol; I began to see trouble brewing.
Since I write what I see, I started answering questions on Prince Harry and Meghan. People shared their information with me. Even people who decided to bully me in the end. I have remained silent about what they’ve told me and will take it to the grave. But I couldn’t ignore the proof of certain awful stories, and so I decided the write the truth about Meghan bullying people and Harry going along with it.
I don’t want to have a negative presence online. I felt like I should have walked away from writing about Harry and Meghan at the start of this year, 2021. I was also experiencing terrible bullying by one unhinged lady, and it persists to this day. I wasn’t protected, and I chose to ignore her. It worked for a while, and I did my own thing on the forum and made new friends.
Some of my online friends chose to support this bully, and I pleaded for Quora to help me. I was told to go to the police. I was actually afraid of this woman or man, for who really knows the person behind a name that cannot be found in any online search. Besides, I was told she was using an alias. I chose to remain on the forum, because it was fun to see the number of followers grow daily. I was addicted to writing on there, even on days when I had little time to do so.
It’s crazy how a habit can quickly be established, and I kept typing away. But I noticed something. The dichotomy of what my words said on my blog, RosemaryandLavenderHome.com and my words on Quora became increasingly noticeable. I wanted to be a person who made others feel better and happier about their lives. I still want the very much. I want to inspire people to be their best even on their bad days, and my Quora words didn’t fit that goal.
I hit delete on my account there three days ago. It feels harder to quit Quora than to give up cigarettes (yeah, I smoked them in college). Giving up suagr was easier. I feel like I’ve lost a huge chunk of who I was, except I know it was the right decision. Picking on two people that I don’t know and don’t want to know isn’t where I want to be. I lost sight of my true writing goals, and it kept me from editing my book. All my own fault, I know. I’ll own up to that. Besides, the book is deeply personal, and I dither on whether to publish it while one family member is still alive. It’s been a tough choice.
When some people who used to be my “friends” on Quora started a space on there that mocked my writing and my interests, I knew a line had been crossed that I could no longer ignore. I wasn’t being helped by Quora at all, despite my pleas for assistance. Hitting delete was the best answer I could do. I’m going to write stories, true stories about my strange and funny life. Not in a book, since I have to get the first book’s edit completed; and I need a writing outlet. Will it be here? My blog?
I don’t know. What I do know is if I do write about the royals, it will be positive stories about the ones who live in Britain. I need to focus on good people doing excellent and noteworthy things. I also hope to inspire people. I will end by saying I have been receiving bad health news. Yes, I’ve had autoimmune problems since I was eighteen, and I managed to pass the CPA exam despite being in unremitting pain. I learned just this week that I have heart issues that have nothing to do with the lupus. It’s been a bad week all around, but I still had a chance to enjoy a full day of thunderstorms!
Anyone who reads my blog knows I adore thunder. The creek that runs past my house rose quickly, and my husband and I watched it pass by so swiftly. To look at a stormy sky fills me with happiness, and when the sun set last evening; the dark clouds mixed with the blue of clear skies brought on by the cold front that was finally passing through. I like looking up. The sky mesmerizes me, and to share the beauty with my husband was wonderful.
We walked down to the second set of waterfalls (they are small) yesterday. I wanted to walk into the creek but heeded the wise words of The Weather Channel and stayed on terra firma. This world is beautiful. Even when the news is filled with horrible stories that are very true, I can find good and inspiring things to think about. I hope to bring them to you, along with good stories about other people doing noteworthy deeds. I hope you join me on this ride.
And I hope I get over missing Quora. Maybe Medium is the right place to be to start writing again. And yes, I will write about the royals. Some of them are quite inspiring! If you have any tips for getting over leaving an online family, forum or space; I’d love to know. Thanks!
