I'm genuinely sorry for the nonsense you've endured, and I hope your retirement brings you the peace of mind you seek.
It was easy to take you for granted, because you were just so on top of things and it all felt so automatic, but I still occasionally found myself awing over the speed & accuracy of your work. Please know that we appreciate you. Best wishes, and thanks. 😎
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I will join the chorus saying "Thank you!".
I can't even begin to imagine the amount of never-ending focus it takes to stay on top of all the threads here AND everything on Barter. All the region locks, regional pricing, revoked keys, etc. and also trying to do it ASAP. Seemingly without ever missing a thing or taking a break. I deal with technology companies on a daily basis who charge a huge amount of money, and none of them deliver a level of quality, with such clarity, like you have given to us for free. I really appreciate it, not just "teh threadz" in general but the massive amount of time and coordination it must take, and the commitment to complete and precise data.
Your threads, like Rachel's threads before you. made me lazy -- in a good way! Humble Bundle sends an email about a new bundle? Don't care... I'll wait for the thread! 😀
I hope you are able to take a vacation, ignore Steam for a while. You have given us a tremendous gift over the years, and you don't owe anybody anything.
When I was younger, I had a hobby (bordering on compulsion, really) that literally consumed every free moment of my life for years and years. It's what I spent all my time on, all I talked about online, all I spent money on. My work life suffered because I'd be up at 3am online instead of sleeping. Life circumstances out of my control caused an interruption in that for a few months. At first, what I felt was almost a sense of loss, mourning, then panicked a bit (the FOMO is real!), but once I came to grips with it, it was actually such a huge relief to free up my time, and, more importantly, my mind, for other purposes! I hope you're able to find similar relief and take the time to do things you haven't had the opportunity to do these last several years.
Thank you! 💙
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Thank you Lilly for your tremendous work. Your "New MASTER LIST of ongoing Steam bundles 💚" is my bookmark to the site, since I use it so much! Glad you are not leaving, but I will definitely miss your bundle lists! Take care! ❤️
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I'm recent on the community but such dedication must be recognized and appreciated, I used to say that if you have haters, it's because you're on the right path but i completely understand your decision. Wish you all the best!
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Thank you for all the work you've put in over the years Lilly. We might of had our fair share of disagreements but those will never cloud the hard work and effort you put into your bundle posts and work on barter. It was so easy to take your work for granted, however you will be deeply missed. Nobody deserves to be harassed to the extent you were. Thank you for everything! I hope the retirement brings you the peace you deserve.
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Thank you for your work for both communities to this point. Without you, the whole gifting and trading will be much more difficult.
I'm sorry that the whole unresolved anger about the Bart-ee system, which isn't too transparent and shrouded in secrets, has fallen on you as the most prominent member of the Barter community. In all other communities, the admins openly accept their identity and do not gather under one user, which only results in the feeling that one is talking to a split personality and only makes people's unresolved anger lash out at those they see.
Please consider sharing your 7 years of methodology so that the others who take up where you left off and 7 years of knowledge don't go down the drainpipe.
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i've always appreciated your bundle threads, whether for getting consolidated info on new ones, or past.. they're a huge benefit to us all. i doubt i'm alone when i say that i had no idea the sacrifices you made to make them possible. you deserve a damn trophy or something lol.
i'll miss the threads, but you owe this community absolutely nothing. you've put in your time. thank you. 🙂
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Thank You for Your time and hard work You put into this! :)
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People take for granted what they have until they lose it. Thank you for all your work throughout the years! You have been a blessing on both this site and Barter :)
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Thank you for community support and contribution activities🤗
If you can't afford it, prioritize your own time over SG.
Your activities in SG should only be done in your spare time or you will not have time to enjoy the games on Steam and you will be up to a lot of things, so your response is justified.
I’ve been held culpable and blamed for things that I didn’t even do. Different user groups have directly accused me of the exact nasty behavior that they themselves engage in, to justify the very same, and intentionally kept spreading those lies about me.
I feel that there are users who, although I won't name names, are intentionally making friend requests to SG officials to cause trouble.🙄First I posted an appropriate complimentary comment on the SG side, then the poster sent me a friend request on Steam, and immediately after I accepted it, a suspicious person started spreading abusive language.spambot?
Have already reported those behaviors in my support tickets, but it would be depressing if it were an organized nuisance.
To some lunatics, I seem to be the mastermind.😂🛸📡🧠
After hearing similar stories, I decided not to bother.
[An alternative to reduce burden?]
I should consider alternative ways to get information....(For ordinary earthlings)
Humble Bundle, Fanatical, Indiegala or GOG, etc., and add them to GoogleNews feed of search terms with Sale or OFF added to the name and have Feedly read them and check them... or use GoogleAlert... I think the most common way is to make it ring.
Or each person would have to read the RSS feed reader of each site's Blog, or stare at their email, or monitor their SNS accounts.🤔
You have always provided an easy way to organize this information and check the GA of the SG.
In reality, they would have been updating information from more than one direction, so it will not be easy to maintain the same situation in the future.
I am concerned that this may cease to be the case, but I hope that some of the individuals will have the skills and time to let the AI do those things and post them.... I hope Mr. CG can conveniently spare some time....🙄ooO(🛸💻🐈).
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"I should consider alternative ways to get information....(For ordinary earthlings)
Humble Bundle, Fanatical, Indiegala or GOG, etc., and add them to GoogleNews feed of search terms with Sale or OFF added to the name and have Feedly read them and check them... or use GoogleAlert... I think the most common way is to make it ring.
Or each person would have to read the RSS feed reader of each site's Blog, or stare at their email, or monitor their SNS accounts.🤔"
A little bit overcomplicated. There is gg.deals and isthereanydeals.com for bundle information, but only SG list region locks.
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I will join others and say that you are an absolute legend. There are so many people visiting SG just to see the new deals we have a direct link to it in the header and a list of the threads in the footer. Like stlpaul (and a few others) wrote - your threads are a chef's kiss. As a support, I regularly directed users who created GAs with wrong region restrictions to the deals section, knowing people share problematic GAs, and you add those in an easy-to-digest form to the OP post.
Keeping on top of bundles is titanical work, that never ends. There is always "just 5 min more" to iron out the formatting. Scan the comments for any potential updates. Reply to users with explanations. It is an unpaid part-time job, on top of a paid full-time job, friends and family. And even when no one forced me to do so, I understand how engraved into the life it becomes. It is not something you do extra, like going to an amusement park (unless you go to an amusement park each week, I don't, so I will use it as an example). It is as basic and normal as breathing to some extent.
So on the 1st of January 2025 (right after you're done playing Tomb Raider) you will sit down and think "what will I use my newfound free time for??" (or you will have plan already, even better). It will take some time to get out of the habit of opening SG, just to make a new deal thread. Or catching yourself thinking "dang it, it's 7 pm, HB may be up with a new bundle!". And then I'm sure you will be rocking in whatever new (or old) hobby you will settle on. A personal project that will use your meticulous superpower. Or just having a more relaxed time with family, without jumping in the middle of the Harry vs Voldemort fight scene, as "new bundle is starting!".
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What a bummer. You're MVP, thank you for your work!!
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I have often wondered how you managed to maintain all that and always with such a level of professionalism, courtesy and friendly. Just thinking of trying to attempt that sends me whimpering into the corner to hide.
I've nothing but respect and admiration for you! And nothing more to say than a heartfelt, "Thank you".
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+1
couldnt have said it any better myself how I feel about Lilly.
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You did an amazing job and I always found your bundle threads to be one of the highlights of these forums. However, I can understand why you need to step away.
Thank you very much for all your efforts here, and good luck for the future. :)
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We will miss you dearly Shakti, know that you have been a treasure and will remain so in our hearts and minds.
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Thank you for all your work, your time and consistency. And I'm really sorry for how some members treated you.
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It is us who have so much gratitude for the work that you have done these last 7 years.
You deserve some rest from this work and I hope you find another better place that gives you stability.
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I was not aware your work would be the target of hate, and it doesn't make sense to me why anyone would target you when the work you've done, voluntarily, for that long, was so nice and welcome. And I also don't want to dwell on the negative side of it. So let me just say, coming from someone who relied on your bundle threads more than once (more than dozens of times) -- we appreciate you.
Thank you for your hard work -- even when no one asked you to do it, we still benefited and appreciated you enormously for your selfless sacrifice that you kept up for so long. Eenjoy the free time coming your way, and I hope you can find other activities and hobbies to meaningfully take over the activities you're leaving behind.
TL;DR - thank you, we appreciate you, and don`t forget that behind the hate you suffered, there are too many people that appreciate you and might not say it all the time, but they do.
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You have been brilliant. You have been fantastic. I have relied on your labors - I've used them constantly! I wish you'd had the full-throated and open respect that you've so well deserved. Thank you for the long sweep of great work, and I'm sure you'll feel as light as a butterfly once the tethers are cut. Enjoy! And thanks, thanks, thanks again!
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Hey Lilly,
Thanks a lot for all your dedication for the SG community. It was really amazing and i appreciated it a lot!
Your threads were so well made and informative, also the funny polls... i guess nobody could do it better than you did!
I didnt know that you suffered from harassment here and it makes me really speechless!
I dont know you too good, but from our few private chats i had the impression of you being a very nice person, always helpful and friendly.
I have no idea whats going on with some people to target you and make you feel bad. Makes me quite sad tbh.
Also even when we didnt have the same opinion about something i always appreciated that we could just talk, without ending it in any drama, so im pretty sure you didnt deserve what you got and it makes me angry.
I feel its like so unfair... i really have no words.
I wish you all the best and i hope you will find a new hobby you will enjoy even more, also maybe with people who are more thankful/kind/friendly and you wont have to suffer from any negativity anymore.
Of course i would really like you to continue the bundle threads, cuz there are a huge reason why many people visiting this site, but i really feel like you shouldnt. Apparently "we" didnt deserve it and you should have a good time elsewhere and make a cut. Your mental health is more important than anything and you sacrificed yourself apprently already way more than enough.
Also, for region locks you were the only and most reliable person on this planet for me <3
Thanks again and i wish you all the best for whatever you going to plan!
Maybe its weird, but i just got teary cuz about how unfair life can be....
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Thank you sincerely for the amazing work you've made over the years, Lilly! I cannot even begin to imagine the dedication it takes to put out such high quality information, not to mention so fast each time a deal goes live.
I personally have been totally oblivious about the online harassment you've been dealing with until now and I have to say, even knowing fully well how toxic and hostile online cultures can be, I'm still shocked to learn that anyone, let alone a significant number of people, would target you of all people. (Nobody should be the target, of course, but what you're doing is so uncontroversially selfless and for the benefit of the communities.)
I have no doubt that the vast majority of the two communities have nothing but deep appreciation for your steady contributions, and understanding & support for this decision you've made. Best wishes to your future endeavors online & offline, and may you find value and joy spending time in the communities you're part of! 🩵
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Thank you for everything. Hope you have a good night sleep at last.
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Dear SteamGifts community,
I'm sad to announce that I have made the decision to step down from creating / maintaining bundle threads starting 01 Jan 2025.
I am not quitting SteamGifts, but I will remain active only through comments and giveaways.
This might seem sudden for you, but it’s a decision I reached after lengthy consideration. For seven years, I’ve been the main person to create bundle threads and I would have probably been able to continue for many more, if not for some external factors that were out of my control.
2024 was one of the more difficult years of my life. I’ve continuously been the target of online harassment and untruthful / unfounded accusations, in many of these cases without a way for me to disprove them. I considered explaining myself many times, but past experience shows that those who seek to harm me aren’t looking for an explanation, and anything I dare to say in my defense would only be twisted into even worse lies. It’s understandable that without opening up and showing my side of the story, some of you might have negatively changed your opinion about me. This was a risk I knowingly took, as the least bad of the two options.
Seven years of doing bundle threads is a long time and aiming to keep these bundle threads as informative as possible and posting them close to the bundle launch time required a lot of sacrifices on my part. My sleep was the first one to be affected, as trying to be online when a bundle might (not necessarily would) launch often meant cutting down on my sleep, shifting the flow of my entire day (thus affecting the schedule of my family and friends too) or even scheduling trips in order to accommodate bundle threads as much as possible, all that not even knowing the bundle schedule in advance, as this is rarely made public. Obviously, no one forced me to do so, but in regards to bundle threads, I always wanted to give my best, and for me that meant first and foremost creating the thread as soon as possible, especially in the Humble BTA era - a habit that I continued even after it, throughout the years. Balancing bundle threads and work never was (and still isn't) an easy thing but at least it improved my ability to handle multiple mental tasks at the same time.
Aside from bundle thread creation, additional time went into maintaining these threads too: reading all the comments & continuously updating threads with the information you guys kindly share (coupons, subs, free DLC to claim, out of stock items, etc.). Together with my daily activities on Barter.vg (syncing this information between the two platforms was primarily done by me), these ate a significant chunk of my free time, similar to an unpaid part-time job. I’ve never received any monetary compensation for it, and I never wanted any compensation in the first place. My reason for doing this was always to help the two communities and keep the information as comprehensive as possible. It’s the kind of work that would be boring for most people, and get even more repetitive over the years, but I’m the kind of person who derives satisfaction and a feeling of stability from doing the same thing over and over again. I've always struggled to find my place in this world, but bundle threads (and Barter to some extent) gave me the feeling of contributing to society in a way that suited me.
Looking back at all these, I realized that a change is long overdue, as scary as that change might be. Firstly, due to the current online harassment situation, being a public person brings me more harm than I am willing to accept. Needless to say, I shouldn’t let myself be affected by what others think of me or say about me. To some extent I can do that but there’s still a line when too much hostility actually becomes… simply too much. Secondly, I’d like to allocate this time to something else. I’m not yet sure what that will be, for now I will keep myself open to possibilities and see what life has in stock for me.
As I step down from making bundle threads on SteamGifts, I also step down from Barter.vg. I’ve been the go-to person for most things on Barter during the past ~9 years, dealing with pretty much anything that was needed at the time when it was needed, filling every gap when there was no one else willing to do so. That may have made people mistaken me as an admin having full authority on Barter, and as a natural consequence, I attracted a certain amount of hate regarding some decisions that were taken during the recent years, while in reality those decisions were not mine to take. I’ve been held culpable and blamed for things that I didn’t even do. Different user groups have directly accused me of the exact nasty behavior that they themselves engage in, to justify the very same, and intentionally kept spreading those lies about me.
Much like SteamGifts, Barter.vg works solely on a volunteer-basis, with people assuming certain roles temporarily and performing them whenever they see fit or when their time allows. Without someone to be there when no one else is available or as a backup for them, Barter data (bundles, giveaways, items, notices) will probably see a decrease in consistency in the near future. At the moment of writing this, I can’t tell in what way the platform will change (or if it will in any way). Its future and shape is still in talks with the admin because there are several other factors to consider.
I’ll end this huge wall of text by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who supported me throughout the years. You were the reason for which I was able to continue doing this for so long. Thank you for the laughs we had together, for keeping the discussions on the bundle threads drama-free, for helping each other (and me) by answering questions, submitting region lock information, prices in different currencies and correcting my mistakes. Going forth, I hope you will show the same kindness and support to the people who will step up and continue doing this work.
🚂🚂🚂 A little train of various little indie games 🚂🚂🚂
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