And yet another goodbye

Question

I'm done.

This has been a long time in coming.

I don't know if this is for good or if I'm just going to stay away until the new year. I'll decide just how final this goodbye is at that point.

Part of it is that Real life writes the plot as my personal life has far too much going on right now, and very little of it good.

A healthy chunk of it is that I no longer see the point or the fun in being part of this any longer.

This is not a rage quit but the end result of months of consideration. The recent changes to the site's policies that have become clandestine and inconsistent are a major part of it. The fact that the administration's attitude is "if you don't like it, leave" is also a major factor and I've decided to take the latter option, as those are the only two offered.

I find no small irony in the fact that the efforts to become "more welcoming" have had the opposite effect. I've noticed that since February, the various stacks, including this one have had a level of rudeness that has been increasing to the point where I have had more flags approved in the past six months than in the prior two years.

The site seems to be going for quantity over quality, which again takes the fun out of it.

Additionally, the recent departures of several lynchpins of this site for various reasons also plays a factor. All of them, save one have posted their reasons in here, so I see no benefit in rehashing them. Suffice it to say that I agree with their reasons and have my own as well, some of which I am not at liberty to discuss, as I have no inclination to have to defend those reasons, and making them public would invite such a discussion.

I have been accused of being angry over a few things here. That is not the case. I am disappointed. I am saddened by some of the developments, but not angry. I cannot help but feel that any concerns I raise are being dismissed as being rants, and that any I raise are falling on deaf ears because of that fact. That is frustrating and has instilled a sense of futility in me that I cannot overcome.

Part of my reason for leaving is admittedly my rigid thinking. I find that I cannot fit my thoughts into the new rules that SE is implementing and therefore cannot post what I mean to say, and it makes me feel dishonest to try.

Another significant reason is health wise, this place is not good for me.

Lastly, there are some personality clashes going on which I can no longer tolerate. I am not going to name names, but there are some people in positions of power that I believe are misusing it. To them, I say. Be careful of what you say, it always gets back to the person you are talking about.

I will miss this place and the people I've met here, but I no longer feel particularly welcome by the powers that be, which saddens me because I do feel a kinship with most of the user base and because of my somewhat unusual life can offer numerous perspectives that others may not be able to provide, especially in blue collar work, autism, and people with disabilities.

Again, this is not a rage quit, and I hold no grudges or ill will towards anyone. It is my sincerest hope that SE will prosper and thrive. I simply can no longer contribute, at least not at this time.

Answer 1

Very sorry to see you go. Your contributions will be sorely missed. Hopefully things in your real life take a sharp turn for the better.

We have not always agreed, but your side of the argument was fair and rational and you were never unjustly rude to me. As a matter of fact you were very helpful in my early days and for that I am grateful.

Best of luck to you.

Answer 2

Take care my friend.

It's been an honor getting to know you over the last years.

Answer 3

I somehow knew this was you when I saw the title at the sidebar.

Sorry to see you go. I wish you luck with all your personal stuff, and of course a speedy recovery.

We'll continue fighting a rearguard action to get the Stack we want to see, but frankly it's a losing battle :)

Good luck in your new adventures. You will be missed.

Answer 4

Take it easy mate, best of luck with wherever your journey goes.

Answer 5

Good luck, and all the best to you in the future - your contributions and insight here will most definitely be missed.

Answer 6

Sorry to see you go Richard. It's been a pleasure getting to know you and I hope things start looking up for you in life and health.

You have my email address if you want to keep in touch.

Answer 7

As a new user, sometimes it seems like each subsite has its own 3 core users who answer the majority of questions (and often get upvoted base on name value). Since I recognize your name, you are one of those people. A Q&A site functions best when the questions are answered by a large and diverse group of people, not the same 3 people over and over again (hello IPS, hello workplace, etc).

So nothing personal, but this should increase the variety of answers this site has to offer, thus improving overall quality of the site. I know you see the people who left as epic lynchpins!, but I see them as the same few entrenched people answering questions over and over again.

So rather than saying goodbye to the old slime mold that has been growing behind the fridge for the past several years, why don't we say hello to the new spores floating in the window who will themselves infect this area in the near future. Hello!