Last week, I wrote a story for Daily Dot about the month-long absence of new QAnon posts, and what it means for the QAnon movement. I asked believers (who hate to be called that, except that it’s the only term that conveys their status with any accuracy) whether they were losing faith in Q, and if they’d walk away from the movement if Q didn’t post again.

I'm writing a story about the one month gap since QAnon's last post, and want to ask the most fervent believers some simple questions:

1. Do you still believe in Q and "the plan" despite the silence?

2. If so, why?

3. If not, why not?

4. Will you leave if Q never posts again? — Mike Rothschild (@rothschildmd) June 24, 2019

Many ignored me, a few called me a shill who should go F myself, but some answered me. And what they answered with, in unison, was that Q was no longer necessary for the QAnon movement to continue. QAnon is apparently shifting from armed purge porn to “raising awareness” of “corruption” and “evil” among the wealthy elites. Even if no mass arrests happen (though they totally still are happening), QAnon has opened so many eyes and illuminated so many hidden dens of wrongdoing that even if Q never posted again, Q bakers would have enough material for a lifetime of research and digging.

Of course, they were REALLY EXCITED when Q indeed did post again, making three drops on the 27th.

Sorry @rothschildmd. Thank you for using my stuff in your article. Annnnnnnnnddddd Q posted. Be ready.

Qhttps://t.co/q8peEmOiAL@POTUS — ]intheMatrixxx[ (@intheMatrixxx) June 29, 2019

55. So, on this day we hear from #QAnon as well, for the first time in a month. "Be ready."#Q pic.twitter.com/lRsUTs2Lst — DocRock1007 🇺🇸 (@DocRock1007) June 28, 2019

Naturally, I was annoyed that QAnon posted a day after I wrote a long article about the possibility of QAnon never posting again. It’s almost like QAnon reads my Twitter feed or something. But I was also interested to see the reaction of Q believers, who seemed to be psyching themselves up for a future where Q has no role in the movement he built.

Across the board, they were excited and energized. They shared their favorite disciple accounts, made instant memes, and psyched each other up for whatever they were supposed to “be ready” for.

#Q #QANON "Be Ready" Body For Awareness Project: Your cloths can advertise for corporate interests (Nike, Adidas, etc) or they can share your truth and evolve consciousness. Support alt-media and help raise awareness.https://t.co/vtzFjMUQQk pic.twitter.com/204HoUtXfi — Stillness in the Storm (@SITSSHOW) June 28, 2019

What nobody seemed particularly upset by is how little effort the Q poster put into the new drops. Of the three drops, none offered any new questions or riddles, nor any information. All of it was just exhorting followers not to lose hope. One was literally just “be ready,” and another was the same patriotic glurge about “fighting for God and country.

Then there was drop 3351, which was some nonsense code that had been cut and pasted from two previous Q drops, 2465 and 1314. A few accounts noticed that the code was identical, and didn’t presage any great event or happening. But by this point, the costs are so sunk that nothing Q copies from himself is likely to have any real effect on the movement.

QAnon has been kicking the can down the road for a year and a half, always with a “soon” or “next week” or “big week coming.” He’s even specifically been telling followers to “be ready” since all the way back in drop 518 in January 2018. Nothing ever happens, forcing believers to make tenuous connections to world events and retcon them into the Q narrative.

But how long is that going to work for? At what point will the Q movement wake up to the fact that there’s nothing to “be ready” for? How long will they wait patiently, without either taking up arms themselves, or walking away from the movement and torching it for good?

Q doesn’t seem to care. These posts are so low-effort that there’s no other way to see than as a skilled scam artist keeping their following excited without having to do any real work. This seems like the direction I’d take the QAnon scam in if I were running it: a few lame posts every couple of weeks, just enough to keep people hanging on and interested, and to make it look like things are still happening. All the while, nothing happens.

The point is coming where anyone who doesn’t walk away from QAnon is simply choosing to be scammed. And when lame placeholder posts like “be ready” just won’t be enough to keep the bloodlust of the most fervent believers at bay.

“Be ready,” indeed.

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