All Stories Come To An End.
 

Hi, everyone.

This is rather hard for me to talk about, so... I think it'll be easier if I just get to the point.
I am stepping down as head administrator, and I am leaving DPA.
I have a few reasons for this decision, but the main one is that I need to make changes in my life, because I am, for lack of a better word, unhappy.

In the last year or so, my own depression has become increasingly heavy, causing me to adopt a state that very much feels like I'm drowning. For those who have depression, or have suffered from it in the past, I believe you'll understand what I mean by that. The last few months in particular have given me a weighted heart and a weighted mind. I have done things I'm not proud of, and I have made severe mistakes, and it has created some extremely harsh concerns in myself.

Now, although many of my actions have been questionable in myself, I have always acted in the best interest and safety of the DPA community here. For that, one of the few things I feel solid in is the team members I have picked in the last few month, and the time before that. They know the rules, and I've never seen them run amok. I have asked members to come forward with any concerns of rule-breaking or abuse on my team's part, and I have received no responses, so I believe they are doing the right thing, as they have done during my time monitoring them. So with that said, I trust them, and I can confidently say that you should be able to as well. Our site has been relatively quiet, and there are eyes on it at all times, even in the background, watching and protecting those who need or want protecting. I have given everything I can give, and I hope it is enough.

Currently, there are no plans to replace me, but other admins are around if you need them to handle admin-only duties, but otherwise, trust in the moderation team. They can handle anything you need for basic actions - removing posts, handling reports... and offering protection from abuse, although I can't say I've seen any, which is very lightening on my heart.

I will be stepping down in the next few days most likely, after I've finished some last touches on back-end work. If there's anything you need me to do, or if you have anything you want to express with me, please do so then, because it is likely you won't get another chance when I'm done.

Please note that the community has brought me plenty of good memories. It was here when I needed it most, and it served as a safe place for me. My own little box fort, if you will, heheh. It was the birthplace of my Xero, and I learned many, many things in the nine years I've been here. I have made easy decisions and I've made hard ones. I've fallen in love, and I've loathed as well. If two sides of life were on two sides of a coin, this community is in the middle of the last nine years, as I learned and explored both sides of that coin.

Thank you all for all the years you've brought me comfort. I suppose I wish I had played a bit more with more of you, but... It's not like Xero inside me will ever go away. He was born here, and it's not like he's about to die because I'm leaving, heh.

Either way, I think... I think that's everything. I will miss this. But it's for the best on my own heart, and it's for the best for all of you as well, before I do something stupid, heh.

With much love, for the last time,
- Xero

Sorry to hear that you be missed just remember in this community the door always open

Good luck on your future endeavors Xero. You will be missed.

You will be missed xero. Thank you for all you have provided this great community!

Good luck mate we'll miss ya .

I can't believe you are leaving... Well at least I'm here to say goodbye. I want to say thank you for watching this humble community. I also am glad to have known you as you were a nice person. I enjoyed our chats, like around small life events. You were also one to make me feel a bit safe like you were understanding first before anything. I'm glad to have at least talked with you.

Maybe you won't come back or maybe you'll want to check out this pier and just think about the good times, funny times, or the sad times. Who knows.

I wish you luck in the future Xero. Thanks for helping the site. Good bye.

While I am shocked that it happens so soon, I knew it was comming...

Xero love, I think you earned you rest. You have worked so hard for this place. And whilst I will definately miss you here, it also gives me hope that you may find your path again. I shall do all in my power to keep this place safe. You have my word.

All the best little Xero-chan~
-Ryuko

I'm sorry to hear that you have fallen deeper into your depression so much so that you've decided to leave us. I hope that you will find the help that you need to eventually restore as much of your life as possible. I still struggle with my long term depression but am able to manage it day by day as life goes on (A little advice to get you through life: Laughter is the best medicine for whatever ails you - Try to find and enjoy the little bits of happiness throughout your life so that you aren't ultimately consumed in the long term from within by your depression). While it sounds like that you're leaving us permanently, I would recommend that you at least remain as a regular member (Don't be so hasty to abandon your account) and drop by from time to time to see how things are going on here (Of course, you are aware that the tenth anniversary of this site is just around the corner - How could you miss such a milestone?!) or even better, perhaps remain as some kind of "Special Advisor" that can occasionally be consulted upon for your experience and knowledge by whomever Ai eventually picks as the site's new main Administrator (Unless Ai is going to personally manage this site himself like he did previously before your administration took office). I have found you to be an impartial and level minded person that managed to maintain the order of this site throughout your nine years of service.

I hope that whomever will "Fill your shoes" as the site's new main Administrator will be as professional as you so that the future of this site will be ensured. I believe that websites are like companies - There are no "good" or "bad" ones. What makes a company (Or website) a good or bad place to be in depends upon the people running the company (Or website). If the people running the company (Or website) are performing in a proper manner (without abusing their power or acting appropriately befitting someone in their position and always on the look out for and quick to handle threats whether it be external or internal to the company [Or website]) then the company (Or website) will thrive as more people remain for the long term (There will always be new people joining but the trick is to have them remain as active members for the long term) - For a website, this means that there will be a retention of membership (Which is beneficial to the site, since too many people come and then go shortly afterwards in badly run sites while well run sites overall, have long standing members that have invested a lot of time and effort into building the community and who will work together with those in charge for the welfare and future of the website). I am sad to see you leave us (For some of us long time members who are still around after all of these years, you've become sort of a fixture here and this site just won't be the same without you) but I wish you the best with your life~!
:( :)

Sad to see you go, but you gotta make the decisions that are best for you.

I won't be deleting my account. It's not that I'm trying to remove trace I was here. I just wish to part with it, now. I won't be acting as any adviser, as I do not wish to have any more ties or responsibilities to the site. The sites here... I have to part with them, now. It's for the best, in myself, at the very least. It's the best and first step I can take to better my life. It's difficult to talk about without it getting uncomfortably personal, but I'm making multiple changes in my life that I thought I wouldn't be making. But it's for the best.

When I'm done with my final work, as I stated, I will be stepping down and leaving. Definitely hard to leave nine years of your life behind, though, although I haven't been an admin since day one, haha.