After 14+ years, I have decided to finally resign as the owner and maintainer for SMW Central, passing it on to someone else - a tough decision to make for something you created and took care of for so many years.
When Smallhacker and I first started working on it back in 2005, I couldn't possibly have imagined what it would grow into. We wanted to create the home for SMW hacking on the internet, and I believe SMW Central has succeeded in that mission. It has certainly been an experience to run it for so long, both good and bad, and I think it is one that has also helped me grow as a person. Likewise, seeing people talk about the how SMW Central has influenced their lives growing up always makes me smile.
There have been trying times, of course, and "getting rid" of the site some way (either shutting it down, selling it or giving it away) has been on my mind more than once. But in the end, I've always told myself that I would keep the site running for as long as there are people around who enjoy it.
So, what changed my mind? To be honest, I feel like it's been a long time coming. It's no secret that I've been rather inactive on the site for some years, having only afforded it a minimum amount of attention whenever there was a fire to put out. This seems to have only become worse, and it made increasingly less sense for me to spend energy and resources on it.
I am at a point now were it feels like I'm starting a new chapter of my life. I finally got an engineering degree, I got a full-time job and a new place to live. I also have a few project ideas that I would like to take a stab at. So, it feels like the right time to let go of some of the old to make room for something new.
So, who will be the new owner? I brought the subject up with the admin team, and Noivern stepped forward. He will take over the domains and hosting, paying for the site's upkeep. Telinc1 has already been developing for the site for a while and will step up to become fully responsible for coding and operation of the server. idol will remain site manager/head admin.
The plan is to transfer the site on Tuesday, June 18, 2019. This means that all user information, forum posts, files, etc. will be moved to a server owned and paid for by Noivern on that date. The site will be down during the move, which is expected to take a few hours, but it could be longer (a day or two at worst) if we run into unexpected issues. Still, we'll try to make the transition as smooth as possible.
I would like to thank everyone who's been involved with SMW Central, whether it be former or current staff, or just the userbase in general, for all your contributions over the years, making the site what it is today. I hope that it will continue to be the home of SMW hacking and will keep thriving. Perhaps even moreso with a new, more active management.
I'm probably not disappearing fully, at least not overnight (though I can scarcely be less active than I am already), and if any of those projects pan out, who knows. Perhaps you'll see me rear my ugly head again someday. Until then, you can reach me through email, Steam or Discord (I'm on the SMW Central server) if you have any questions, comments, want to play a game of Minecraft (or something else), or simply have a chat.
See you all around!
When Smallhacker and I first started working on it back in 2005, I couldn't possibly have imagined what it would grow into. We wanted to create the home for SMW hacking on the internet, and I believe SMW Central has succeeded in that mission. It has certainly been an experience to run it for so long, both good and bad, and I think it is one that has also helped me grow as a person. Likewise, seeing people talk about the how SMW Central has influenced their lives growing up always makes me smile.
There have been trying times, of course, and "getting rid" of the site some way (either shutting it down, selling it or giving it away) has been on my mind more than once. But in the end, I've always told myself that I would keep the site running for as long as there are people around who enjoy it.
So, what changed my mind? To be honest, I feel like it's been a long time coming. It's no secret that I've been rather inactive on the site for some years, having only afforded it a minimum amount of attention whenever there was a fire to put out. This seems to have only become worse, and it made increasingly less sense for me to spend energy and resources on it.
I am at a point now were it feels like I'm starting a new chapter of my life. I finally got an engineering degree, I got a full-time job and a new place to live. I also have a few project ideas that I would like to take a stab at. So, it feels like the right time to let go of some of the old to make room for something new.
So, who will be the new owner? I brought the subject up with the admin team, and Noivern stepped forward. He will take over the domains and hosting, paying for the site's upkeep. Telinc1 has already been developing for the site for a while and will step up to become fully responsible for coding and operation of the server. idol will remain site manager/head admin.
The plan is to transfer the site on Tuesday, June 18, 2019. This means that all user information, forum posts, files, etc. will be moved to a server owned and paid for by Noivern on that date. The site will be down during the move, which is expected to take a few hours, but it could be longer (a day or two at worst) if we run into unexpected issues. Still, we'll try to make the transition as smooth as possible.
I would like to thank everyone who's been involved with SMW Central, whether it be former or current staff, or just the userbase in general, for all your contributions over the years, making the site what it is today. I hope that it will continue to be the home of SMW hacking and will keep thriving. Perhaps even moreso with a new, more active management.
I'm probably not disappearing fully, at least not overnight (though I can scarcely be less active than I am already), and if any of those projects pan out, who knows. Perhaps you'll see me rear my ugly head again someday. Until then, you can reach me through email, Steam or Discord (I'm on the SMW Central server) if you have any questions, comments, want to play a game of Minecraft (or something else), or simply have a chat.
See you all around!