Moderator open to recall

Hmm, lets see if I can help you by sharing my own story.

Currently I'm a moderator in a forum for almost 6 years. 6 years, where almost no one of the old users is regularly posting and I'm only active there because of the community and because I just feel like I should do my work there.

I really don't know why I should go on with that work, but I still do it because I feel like it would be a huge cut if I step down from being a moderator. I definitely feel your pain jade and I know what you are going through at least a little bit, so my advice is the following one: If you really can let go of something and not looking back and missing it, then go for it and move on.

After reading through many comments on this thread, I see that we all have awesome things to say about you. You're a great mod and an awesome commenter. I would rate your threads 10 fortix out of 10 (this one is almost skyrim levels for all the feels).

I also have to agree with the majority of this thread. Jade, you DESERVE a vacation. I also think SG needs more mods to relieve some stress or strain on the current mods. So, physically go someplace, have a great time and take your mind off of things. Then come back and comment because going cold turkey without Jade is tough.

The only one who can answer this question truthfully is yourself.

Sure, we can give advice, or convince you to stay/go, but in the end it's you who has to face the consequences.

So take a break, take a good look at yourself, and follow your gut feeling. It's usually right 95% of the time.

Just my two cents

GOOD!

Hey jade,

I'm afraid we have never really talked, and I honestly can't give you any advice regarding your situation here, in SG. What I can tell you is that thanks to this site I discovered a steam group, The Reset (previously U give me - I give U), in which I've been a part of for well over 1 year and we have a very nice little communit. Some people join and leave the group, some with more importance/relevance than others, but that's how life is. Do you think the community still needs you and do you believe you can contribute (even) more to it? If yes, stay. You don't have the time nor the will to keep going on? Just quit. Whatever you do is a decision that must come from you, and you alone.

Just like Batman said, "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain". And this is true. The people you enjoyed discussing with is gone or partially gone... You even said it yourself, you are becoming more aggressive, and that will ultimately result in toxic behavior. You will get angry and frustrated and will lead you to do something stupid.

There are other ways to help the community without the "mod" badge. It's probably less time consuming, and it would probably be less of a chore, but more importantly, you would feel like you have no obligation to do it. The reason why I don't post on these forums often, is that most of the time, it's full of spam and uninteresting or just pointless troll threads. I don't have the will, time or patient to contribute to those threads and feed trolls. That's up to someone like you, who really loves the community. And as I said, you certainly don't need a mod badge to do it.

As for your depression, I've been there... several times. I was unhappy with the job that I had, where I lived, heck.. I was unhappy with pretty much everything... and that pretty much happened at the same time I was broking up with my ex... couldn't sleep, eat or do anything besides playing WoW and LoL. One day, I just thought to myself, is there any way to fix this problem? Yes, and my family called me crazy for doing it... but I just decided to start a new life in a completely different country and culture, and I don't regret one bit. It was hard at times, especially because of language barriers and culture shock (I'm a Portuguese in China)... and sometimes I wanted to give up, but I knew if I went back I would be miserable again, so I just endured it. Now, I own my own company, I'm proposing to my girlfriend tomorrow and I couldn't be happier.

In my case, a radical change in my life did the trick, but that might not be feasible for you. In that case, I can just tell you to try your best, be strong, and suicide is never an option. It's just a cowardly way to run away from problems. Overcome them, marry that girl, and be happy with what you got. Life's already short enough.

PS: Thanks for Aliens... and the Predators.

If you're finding it frustrating, stay away.

So basically your good side fights the bad side and you can't distinguish between the two.
But neither can we!
In this case surely you need to step down, become a regular member of the community, enjoy your stay, make puzzles, report abusers etc.
On an universal scale become a father. Warning! That can be depressing too!

Take a break. If you're not enjoying yourself "working" on here any more, take the pressure off. Don't quit, just slow down and back off until you find the fun again. It's not worth sacrificing your health and wellbeing to moderate if you're not enjoying it, but I bet if you gave yourself some time off to spend some time with your fiance and focus on getting better, once you're recovered you'll be glad to have the opportunity to come back - and people will welcome you back.

By a break, I mean a real break. Stop logging in. If you're in a financial position to go on holiday, even just for a weekend, go away with your girl and leave your phone at home. If that doesn't work, talk to a doctor about your depression. I'm lucky, I've never been depressed (only mentally burned out from work), so I have no idea what you're going through but I really hope that you manage to recover.

I have never before spoken to you, and feel too young to comment appropriately, so I'll just offer you my support!

Best of luck with whatever choice you make!

You are very good person. This site and this community needs good person like you.
But we have no right which we hurt you or force to work as support.
I wish that you quit support first and then care your heart by specialist.

"I've been constantly depressed since I was a child in various strengths and I'm currently in the middle of a seriously deep depression."
Try a gluten-free diet. I'm serious. Or at least test if you're celiac/non-celiac gluten sensitive.
We had some fights on forums in the past but I hope you'll get better soon.

I think you do more good than har... I don't think you do any harm.
Take care of yourself. Be well.

To be honest, I think it's time for you to step down.

thejadefalcon, I know you and I didn't get along very well when I first talked to you, mostly because of my idiocy, and you probably don't even remember me. But the truth is, you were a good mod. You were very strict, but you did this to help the site. I think you are very focused and able to lots of things very well. I would hate to see you leave. This site will become worse than the way you described it if you do so. If you were to leave however, I would like to take you so much for doing so many great things to this site and you deserve more than depression.

You obviously have some deeper issues you need to attend to. Most people do. This here is probably a temporary solution to them. It keeps you busy. Engaged. It wont cure your depression though. Perhaps you need a journey. A change of environment. An adventure. To find who you are. Maybe one day you'll return and be a mod without complexes.

And if it happens that things start going south again, you can always fall back here for some invigoration.

Yes I was born with the talent for bullshit.

I read all of your post and it was... very reminiscent... of a sitation I've been in recently. I could give you the long version (and I will if you want me to), but the short version would be - just leave. Leaving is not quitting, definitely not in this case. But the "cons" are just too significant and if you didn't leave sooner, you'd do it later. Steamgifts will manage just fine without you and, what's more important, you'll manage just fine without Steamgifts.

Best of luck to you!

cant be bothered to read it all, but yeah, I think you should get out

You've done a great job here jade, if you decide to stick around first sort your personal life out. Get your depression sorted, talk to someone. Anyone.

If you do go it'll be sad to see the back off you but do what's right for you.

Perhaps drop the mod position temporarily until your personal life is sorted and you're no longer worried about messing the site up by bringing your own problems into it. Dropping it would give you more free time and less stress but it sounds like the mod position currently is a way to distract from your life problems which might be a good thing for you.

TLDR do what ever you think is the correct thing for you to do.

I, as many other here, also think you are doing a great job, and it would be a sad day when you decide to leave. But you have to do what you think is best for you. If I had the power to decide, I would have you here banning rulebreakers for eternity. :)

I moderate a similar site (those who know me, know the website). This is hard work but in the end, people's lives are often enriched by the games they are given. The end justify the means. I understand about your depression. I left work early today because my bipolar was rapid cycling so bad I could barely keep myself together. Being honest is a place like this is never easy but I for one am grateful to see it. Stay if you enjoy it. Leave if you think your life needs the change. I manage a gaming website, moderate another, work full time, am a husband and a dad to a almost 4 year old. Free time is a rarity. I juggle all of this because each one is something I enjoy among trying to find time to get a game in (I spend too much idling for cards now too). I do not know you on a personal level but I would never refuse to talk to someone who could be in need of talking to. You are more than welcome to contact me if you so desire. I am sure we could relate on many levels.

From the posts I have seen you on in here, I have never seen a reason to dislike you. I hope that things work out for you and you find a way to stay. Good help is hard to find. I know that first hand.

I may not always agree with your opinions, in fact tbh, a lot of the time that i see your comments i disagree due to the ambiguous nature of the original statement or post to which you reply... However, i respect you more for the fact that i disagree with you than if i were to agree with you most of the time. My line of reasoning takes out consideration for either side and tries to simply justify why someone thinks the way they do, it is neither positive or negative.

If I agreed with your comments, I would say "yes... you should leave" simply because your role as a moderator isn't to justify possible reasons, but to take the base information and decide whether a line has been crossed and provide an adequate response to your findings. and you do this well.

TL;DR, because I disagree with you, I respect your decisions all the more because I can clearly see your reasoning behind what you do and how you do it. Maybe take a break and see whether you are happier not moderating the site and make your decision based on that? or even just become a part-time moderator so you get to enjoy both sides of steamgifts in a more relaxed environment. Whatever you choose to do I wish you the best.

Jade, I feel you're an important part of this site, and I'll be sorry to see you go. If I had a choice I'd choose to have you as a forum participant rather than a moderator, if that makes you feel more free, and read your intelligent posts.

Your feeling towards the site and your work here might have to do with your depression more than with the changes in the site. The forum here was never a shining beacon of civil conversation. Although I do feel that it degenerated somewhat since contributor giveaways were introduced, and perhaps it lost some of its humour when some regulars left, so you might have a point.

Anyway, what's really important is for you to get out of that depression. I can't really help you there, unfortunately, but if you're looking for an alternate forum to haunt, the GOG.com general forum has some nice people, lots of giveaways and some die hard Steam haters to get annoyed with. I'm making most of my giveaways there these days.

Sorry 4 the bad english... not today.

Então, meu inglês não é bom. Portanto estarei escrevendo em minha língua nativa. Estou aqui á sete meses. E assim que descobri o fórum, achei incrível o trabalho do pessoal que faz essa grande manivela funcionar. Aprecio seu trabalho, o saúdo e desejo-lhe muita sorte, força e prosperidade em sua jornada. Problemas virão, o mundo não é perfeito. Você faz parte de algo imenso. Não se esqueça disso.

Best Regards

Falakienos

hug

Okay, my plan. I copypaste this text on usb flash drive, get back into the past and use it as my own "goodbye steamgifts" topic message. You elaborated everything I was going to say back then just so perfectly, I would have nothing more to add.
Also, me, you, Loko, Wes, Yatter, Raiden and the rest of a good pride shall create a group for ex staff members of SG. Obviously, with mahjong, geishas, sake and pleasuring talks about everything good we had here in the past.