I am stepping down from my position as DOU moderator.
I've been here for a really, really long time. I started playing DOU at the very beginning, seeing the format grow from a rising star in OMs to a core metagame, and outside of a stint in 2016, have been around through thick and thin ever since. I've watched players come and go, watched every sort of game you can think of; I've seen the birth and death of legends. I've had my own moments in the sun, and likewise face down in the dirt. I have met so many incredible people in this community, many of whom have molded my life for the better, far beyond what I have the words for here. If I tried to write individual shoutouts I'd hit the character limit on multiple posts in a row.
But I turned 30 this year. I'm old! (At least for this site!) My Smogon account has been old enough to drive for a while now. The same incredible stories still come out of the community, but the names feel blurry. As I've watched the community over my tenure, and as my personal life has changed and grown, I feel like I'm slowly losing my grasp on what it means to be a DOU mod. I'm finding increasingly often that I just don't have the same drive or energy to do the things I want to do for this community, like host more tournaments, write more badge noms (which are still in the works!), and help coordinate community projects, while also balancing other commitments and free time. I'm having a hard time keeping track of all the new names, even as they stop being new. As such, I think it's time I leave this position. I would like more agency to treat this game as a hobby, rather than as a requirement. I'm not walking out on the community I love! Just opening the door for new people to lead us into the future.
I've had my missteps, but I firmly believe I have done everything I can for this community, and I hope that my efforts have left a positive impact. This community - and my role within it - have shaped the person I am today for the better, and it's all been an incredible adventure. See you in a month when I try to kill your DLT run!
I've been here for a really, really long time. I started playing DOU at the very beginning, seeing the format grow from a rising star in OMs to a core metagame, and outside of a stint in 2016, have been around through thick and thin ever since. I've watched players come and go, watched every sort of game you can think of; I've seen the birth and death of legends. I've had my own moments in the sun, and likewise face down in the dirt. I have met so many incredible people in this community, many of whom have molded my life for the better, far beyond what I have the words for here. If I tried to write individual shoutouts I'd hit the character limit on multiple posts in a row.
But I turned 30 this year. I'm old! (At least for this site!) My Smogon account has been old enough to drive for a while now. The same incredible stories still come out of the community, but the names feel blurry. As I've watched the community over my tenure, and as my personal life has changed and grown, I feel like I'm slowly losing my grasp on what it means to be a DOU mod. I'm finding increasingly often that I just don't have the same drive or energy to do the things I want to do for this community, like host more tournaments, write more badge noms (which are still in the works!), and help coordinate community projects, while also balancing other commitments and free time. I'm having a hard time keeping track of all the new names, even as they stop being new. As such, I think it's time I leave this position. I would like more agency to treat this game as a hobby, rather than as a requirement. I'm not walking out on the community I love! Just opening the door for new people to lead us into the future.
I've had my missteps, but I firmly believe I have done everything I can for this community, and I hope that my efforts have left a positive impact. This community - and my role within it - have shaped the person I am today for the better, and it's all been an incredible adventure. See you in a month when I try to kill your DLT run!