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Most of you here probably don't know my handle or haven't interacted with me personally since I've taken a back seat for a while now. I was the very first moderator here and I'm very proud of that fact and what I've accomplished in my earlier years. This post is being done off the top of my head so forgive the absence of any links or accurate dates.

I can remember the exact summer 2013 where I finished packing and was literally about to head out the door when I got the email that Blender.SE was had left Area51 and was entering private beta. I was beyond excited since I was an avid user of the software so I cancelled my entire summer, created an account and began churning out answers. Not accounting for StackExchange employees I was the 8th user to sign up. Today we have almost 69k (nice) users at the time of this writing.

I was eager to contribute and racked up points quickly (back then it was extremely fun to watch your reputation grow) and got to 4k points where I unlocked some moderator privileges, later on I applied to be a community mod and then was eventually promoted to a full time moderator voted in by the community some years later.

We have 4 (2?) moderators now at the time of writing but I have worked alongside 4 separate others in the past. I also take great pride in knowing that I was instrumental in deciding the approach the community took on how to tighten our scope regarding questions and exercising my privileges to keep the site clean, promote it whenever and wherever I could including getting the creator of Blender to join and organizing several events in the past with notable famous artists in the community. There's a lot more I could drone on about but similar to others I have dedicated a significant amount of my somewhat younger years on this site (I was 19 when I joined).

Now enough of the history. If you care or know what has been happening in the past few months regarding SE you should understand why people are leaving. I won't repeat it or speak on it but if you're interested you can poke around. I'll just say that at the end of the day people just want to ask a question and get an answer and be on their way, nothing more. Anything else is a distraction and waste of my time and others.

To see how SE now treats their "valued" employees and people who have volunteered years of their life for pretty much nothing in return is discouraging to say the least. Therefore as of today I wrap up my involvement with StackExchange completely. I will no longer participate on any of the sites and will not be replying to any messages going forward. This is not me being vengeful, I'm literally just tired, in general... a break is needed.

Cheers and I wish the best for this community, will not forget the friends I've made along the way.

Quick facts

  1. 8th user to join
  2. I've asked 0 questions
  3. First user to unlock moderator privileges, first community moderator, longest serving moderator
  4. — Some more I can't remember off the top of my head. :)
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  • $\begingroup$ Just going to ride David's post silently today and vanish into the shadows. :D. Cheers all. $\endgroup$
    – iKlsR
    Jan 21, 2020 at 23:28
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    $\begingroup$ Wow something went seriously wrong here... I will miss you too! $\endgroup$
    – user1853
    Jan 21, 2020 at 23:45
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    $\begingroup$ It feels empty around here now, I can hear the eco of my typing. You guys were the oldest most knowledgeable mods. I'll do my best to fill in your shoes, but I don't feel like I'm up to it. We'll miss you $\endgroup$
    – Duarte Farrajota Ramos Mod
    Jan 21, 2020 at 23:53
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    $\begingroup$ #BigSad #SadMess :( :( :( $\endgroup$
    – X-27 is done with the network
    Jan 22, 2020 at 2:23
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    $\begingroup$ That's the problem with volunteer work on a big site. We're all too small by now to get noticed. Whatever work we do, it basically evaporates, leaving nothing but less time to live. I mostly quit long ago. $\endgroup$
    – Haunt_House
    Jan 22, 2020 at 14:03
  • $\begingroup$ Fellow old-timer here (I happen to be wearing my Blender.SE t-shirt today). We'll remember you. Best wishes: take care, and may you find what you're looking for. $\endgroup$
    – wchargin
    Jan 24, 2020 at 6:28
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    $\begingroup$ Best of luck on your new path. I hope you'll find some project that treats you better and is fulfilling. If you're interested in still being part of the Blender community, there plenty of other places where your talents and effort would be greatly appreciated. $\endgroup$
    – Robert Gützkow Mod
    Jan 24, 2020 at 19:40
  • $\begingroup$ Goodbye and thankyou number 8. Another achievement of yours David once mentioned: you were the last to sweep the meta review, when more categories were on offer. Just checked the review and the sweepster himself still holds sway. Sad times indeed. $\endgroup$
    – batFINGER
    Jan 25, 2020 at 12:05
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    $\begingroup$ Thanks iKlsR for all the amazing work you've put into the site, I wouldn't be where I am without this site as it was source of my knowledge long before I became user and decided to share back. $\endgroup$
    – Jaroslav Jerryno Novotny
    Jan 30, 2020 at 16:10
  • $\begingroup$ @MrZak lol I even never got the BSE swag, they forgot to send it to me twice and then I gave up :) $\endgroup$
    – Jaroslav Jerryno Novotny
    Jan 30, 2020 at 16:11

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Wow.

From someone who was there when the site was just starting to walk (admittedly I arrived at bit late, 587 users after you), I can personally attest that its impossible to overstate the effort you've put into making this site live and breath. I am surprised to learn you were that young. Your leadership and initiative was and is inspiring, and I don't think I'm alone in looking up to you. To me you are eternally the cool moderator who always knows what to do.

For some this site is just a helpful search result, for others this site has been a major part our lives. Either way, you made it all possible.

You should absolutely be proud of what you have built.

Thank you for bringing us all together.

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    $\begingroup$ I know you and Duarte are more than up to the task at hand which is what will make this transition fairly painless in exiting the community here. You've more than surpassed me now and I've learnt a lot from you guys as well. Will always remember the good times in the farm plus you know where to find us later on. Thanks and all the best oh wise one! :) $\endgroup$
    – iKlsR
    Jan 22, 2020 at 2:29
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Knowing this was coming (us mods talked about all this) did not make reading your goodbye any easier. To quote you "SAD. Bigly disappointed".

The only consolation here is that I will no longer need an urban dictionary tab open when in chat. :)

BSE has lost a true friend. A steward of the first rate. Your dedication to this site at the start is what got BSE off the ground.
From all of us that have benefited, the thousands of users and the millions of others that have found answers here, Thank you. I personally would not know blender anywhere near as well as I do without this site.

If it were not for the great mods we leave behind I know the site would become a #mess without you.

I hope you can now take that vacation you canceled back in the summer of 2013.

I'll always remember you, and what you've done.

Go rek em m8.

PS feel free to swim over to our rock any time.

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