So long, and thanks for all the fish

Discussion in 'Staff Goodbyes' started by TnT, Aug 21, 2014.

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    TnT

    With a heavy heart, I must say goodbye to Bukkit. Bukkit has been a huge part of my life for the past 3 and a half years, and one chapter I am sad to close. My start with Bukkit was as a regular community member seeking out a server mod to use to replace hMod, so I could run my own small private server (I think all I wanted was Teleportation at the time, which hMod allowed). This evolved into writing tutorials on running a CraftBukkit server (as there were very few at the time), and spending countless hours in Bukkit Help spreading my knowledge to those Server Admins who needed support getting their server running, or diagnosing their problems. Bukkit Help became my personal stomping ground as I became intimately aware of all changes going on with CraftBukkit from a Server Admin point of view. Those interactions led me to want to take a more active role in assisting the community, eventually leading up to being approached by EvilSeph to take on a moderator role.

    Fast forward a year, and I can proudly call all the Bukkit Staff, including EvilSeph, friends. When Mojang hired the original team, the question was posed about who should be project lead should EvilSeph step down, as a succession plan is very important to sustaining any project, Bukkit included. The question was put to a vote, and my name was presented as the candidate of choice. I’ll admit, this completely blew me away, but I was honored to be chosen. Luckily, EvilSeph continued to remain on as the primary lead of the project, while I proceeded to handle the day to day tasks. Bukkit Help matured along with the project, requiring less personal attention, so I branched out into every aspect of Bukkit, with the exception of handling any development (I think I made a javadoc update once though). I am proud to say I had a hand in creating the PR Handling process, managing BukkitDev, managing forum staff and making sure I was available in every aspect of the project - from helping to write our announcements, to bringing on new staff members when needed and so much more.

    What is often misunderstood about Bukkit was how the organization was ran. There has never been a decision made that was not made via a committee. There has always been a group consensus on all aspects - from handling BukkitDev approvals to forum rules and finally, yes, shutting down the project. This was truly a community run project. The core team was all formed from the existing community. The forum staff was all made up of community members. BukkitDev approvals were all handled by community members. Volunteers ran the project in every aspect, and as a team, we decided how to best proceed with decisions. As for Mojang’s involvement, not once in my time as a Bukkit Administrator did I hear from Mojang, or felt I could reach out to them for assistance when required and it came as a complete surprise that Mojang was willing to step up and help out. In the over two years that Mojang has claimed to own Bukkit, the original core developers hired by Mojang and Mojang itself was not present when we needed them most with the exception of EvilSeph himself continuing to pour countless hours into the project, at risk to his own personal health. Perhaps Bukkit wouldn’t have been shut down, or had such a difficult time maintaining the project had we known we could work closer with Mojang, as well as avoiding this whole EULA confusion.

    The decision to keep the acquisition of the Bukkit codebase a secret was made between Mojang and Curse, which only recently came to light. I was completely unaware that I had spent the last two years of my life as a Bukkit Administrator, and successor to the project lead, under the illusion that the project was independently ran. Had I known back then perhaps my choice would have been different, perhaps not. It’s easy to speculate on what might have been, but unless faced head on with the choice, the decision is not always clear.

    What I do know is the recent events has not changed the inevitable decision I have came to today, and its one that has been long coming. I am now the proud father of a beautiful 4 month old baby girl, who lights up my life, while also consuming my free time. I no longer have the countless evenings and weekends available to spend working on new processes, smoothing out issues, and responding to forum posts. I hung on this long only because I couldn’t leave knowing the project was hurting for volunteers, and I couldn’t just walk away given the current state. Bukkit has grown to be an extremely large project, and is incredibly time consuming to manage. I felt that I was abandoning the community of which I have grown so fond, as well as EvilSeph himself. I could not come to make that decision, it didn’t feel right.

    Now that Mojang has assumed control of all aspects of Bukkit, that gut wrenching decision is more palatable. Not because I harbor any ill will toward Mojang or the Bukkit community, but because I know Mojang has the resources available to really improve Bukkit. They can work with Curse to ensure BukkitDev has adequate staffing to handle the rigorous approval process - which has an incredible track record for keeping the community safe from those less savory elements of human nature. They can help when we have bugs that should be fixed in Minecraft itself. They can ensure whatever community contributions added to Bukkit can be taken into the Minecraft codebase itself. Now, more than ever, our community can actively contribute to Minecraft in a very real, direct way. You should submit your PR’s now, your code may very well contribute to the base game itself, an aspect which makes me want to dust off my 13 year old Java books and start developing again. In any event, should Mojang want any help in transitioning over the project to their control, I will gladly provide assistance where I can.

    I would personally like to thank all the volunteers who have contributed to Bukkit over the years. Our forum moderators have done wonders keeping this a welcoming, warm community. Our developers who repeatedly spend hours updating Minecraft, adding API and improving the codebase. Our many other unsung volunteers handling aspects from PR handling, to advice. Last but definitely not least, our BukkitDev staff who have spent countless hours keeping the community safe, as one of the most thankless tasks we have.

    I am extremely excited to see what Mojang can do with their vast resources to help the very community where some of its most prominent developers had their roots. This is exciting news for the Minecraft community in general, and perhaps when my daughter is old enough to play, I will meet up with you again on one of your fantastic servers, enjoying the features of one of your cool plugins. For now though, my family and my daughter comes first for my attention, as well as my heart.
     
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    ItsLeoFTW

    We'll miss you D:

    Good luck in life... the TNT has blown up the Bukkit now.
     
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    jacklin213

    It's a miracle Tnt liked bby post *screenshots* sets as desktop wall paper. Dw TNT you will never be forgotten :p
     
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    Jaaakee224

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    Acharige

    It sad to see Bukkit flow down the waterfall. Best of luck TnT. Although this is a shock for me as well, I understand what you are saying. :)

    EDIT: Please tell me that you will still continue to browse the forums, and respond to those that need your knowledge ;P.
     
    TnT likes this.
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    Ammar Askar

    Sad to see you go man, we haven't exactly been on the best terms over the years but you've been friendly and approachable irrespective of anything that has happened. It takes some dedication to put in the work that you did. Best of luck in the future especially with that new hatchling to take care of.
     
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    Gater12

    Sad to see you go. Hope you have the best of luck in your life!
     
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    carbuilder

    Thanks soooo much for your contributions! You've truly helped this community prosper and enjoy your break
     
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    Skyost

    It is strange, Mojang haters does not open their mouths... ;)
     
    Gigabyte_Giant likes this.
  10. Offline

    Gigabyte_Giant

    TnT
    Bukkit has changed the minecraft community immensely. It is sad that you lose your job because of the EULA change. This project will never be the same without you and EvilSeph.

    Hopefully you can move on to bigger and better things in life. The minecraft community owes you so much! We will never forget what you've done.

    Farewell. Good luck to all! May you all lead happy, healthy lives!
     
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    Toxic__Waste

    Laters TNT ill miss the banter, have fun and take care of that kid remember sugar sugar sugar at 11 at night helps them sleep...
     
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    ebear

    Thanks for all you've done for the community, TnT! We'll miss you, and hope to see you again in the future!
     
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    baem

    Thanks TnT!!!
     
    TnT likes this.
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    Dragonphase

    TnT

    It's sad to say goodbye, you've dedicated your own time to Bukkit and you've done an incredible job at doing so. Your contributions shall always be remembered. Bukkit won't be the same without you, and nobody will ever be able to fill your shoes, but it's a big community and, who knows, maybe someone will eventually step up. :)

    I hope that you have a great time being the proud father of a daughter who will bring so many times of joy and happiness to your life. Congratulations and good luck with your future, I'm rooting for you, like so many others here!

    TnT <- These are tears on a sad face.

    I also like how we share something in common, a quote from Stargate SG1:

    "If you immediately know the candlelight is fire, then the meal was cooked a long time ago."

     
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    ShearsSheep

    Will we still be able to make minecraft plugins? D:
     
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    Skionz

    TnT
    I am sorry to see you leave :( but on a happier note congratulations on becoming a father even if I am four months late :D
     
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    Dpasi314

    TnT
    Oh gosh, I don't know where to start. I could probably write a full on essay on how you're really amazing! I'm super sad to see you go, but it's always important to look at things optimistically, and look forward to better days ahead. You really did contribute a WHOLE bunch to this project, from your help on the forums, to even the posts on each CraftBukkit update with the common phrase of "Good job, team! [tnt]".
    Thank you for everything you've done! You are, and will continue to be awesome!
     
    justcool393 and TnT like this.
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    DrPyroCupcake

    Bye.
     
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    LordDarthBob

    The vibrant state of the entire community is owed in large part to you for your resolute persistence in helpfulness, moderation, and dutiful labor throughout the majority Bukkit's existence (3 of 4 years, that's quite a good :)).

    There's quite a lot to comment on, from code contributions to forums commenting and the numerous behind the scenes decisions that shaped Bukkit from the ground up. All of this can't be casually stated in one post, so in short, thank you for furthering the creativity of programmers and players alike by code and commentary, and cheers on fatherhood! ;)
    Best of luck,
    - Bob
     
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    dart2112

    So let me get this right, bukkit is still going to exist just it will be run completely by mojang, And good luck with your new ventures TNT.
     
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    HappyPikachu

    This is all so sudden and unexpected. I feel like I shouldn't say anything being such a small contributor to the community. Yet I have read every news post for the past 3 years, so it makes me sad to hear the names I have come to admire leave the project, for whatever reason. Even though there is so much emphasis on the fact that Bukkit will be updated for 1.8, that's not really what's important. Things will never be the same without you and EvilSeph.

    You guys helped teach me Java. Regardless of whether Mojang and their EULA alter the community, for better or worse, I will always treasure this experience. Thank you, and take care!
     
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  22. Thank you, for everything you have done!
     
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    CrazyTaco

    I told myself I wouldn't cry :.(
     
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  24. I've never seen a thread so full of posts liked by TnT! I hope whoever tries to replace you here takes the effort that you took. For one, a lot of your posts were interesting to read through - especially the longer ones. Thanks for all you've done for us, and good luck & enjoy your family life and whatever else you go on to do. :)
     
    TnT likes this.
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    Skyost

    [​IMG]
     
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    jorisk322

    Whoa, came here to check my internet connection and I see the two front page announcements. Thanks for your contributions to the community, you will be missed. Goodbye!
     
    TnT likes this.
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    FerusGrim

    Like any other active member of the Bukkit Staff, no one could possibly put your contributions to this project at doubt. Regardless of Mojang's involvement, your leaving is a great loss. Good luck, man, and enjoy your time with your new daughter. :)
     
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    MrSparkzz

    Thank you for everything. It's been a great honor to be a developer. Adding plugins here and there to help out server administrators control their servers as well as give them access to features Bukkit/Minecraft supports, but you wont have access to without plugins or mods.

    I'm kinda shaky about the whole Bukkit project being owned by Mojang, because I see it as this place that's full of freedom and is controlled by people like you, TnT that you can actually interact with and make you feel like you're actually a part of the Bukkit family.

    I love developing for Bukkit, but who knows what rules will be set by Mojang that might ruin/end my developing career.. Developing for Bukkit for me, is like an artist drawing from free will, instead of drawing requests or for profit.. I just really hope that the changes that are inevitable, wont be big changes, and will still allow my creative freedom. If you could pass this message onto Mojang and maybe open their eyes about how the Bukkit community enjoys their freedom and the features that Bukkit provides, then I would be eternally grateful. Thank you once again.
     
    TnT likes this.
  29. Thank you for everything.
    I'm sure you will be a great father!

    [cake]
     
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    LHammonds

    That's kinda funny. I remember when my 1st was born. I used to play online multiplayer games all the time like Battlefield (ya, the 1st one) but around 4 to 6 months, I could no longer handle both hats of being a dad and gamer. I had to quit gaming completely for a while and when I did start picking up games again, I went with single-player games I could quickly press ESC and come back to later which happened a lot!

    Minecraft was the 1st "multiplayer" game that got me back into the online community (besides modding for Oblivion and working as a file admin a TESNexus). It was your Linux tutorial that I 1st saw that gave me the confidence to run Minecraft in a Linux server rather than a Windows PC. Ever since then, I have not looked back and still run my (multiple) servers on Linux.

    Thanks for everything you have done.

    LHammonds
     
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