Friday, January 06, 2012

So long, and thanks for all the fish

For quite a few years now I've been playing Eve. I think I'm coming up on my 6th anniversary...  I've been actively blogging for pretty much all that time - excluding a few months where I played WoW, and then another few months when I was playing LOTRO... oh, and just recently while playing Skyrim....

Anyway, the recent break with Skyrim was a symptom of something else that's going on in my life. I'm 'untethering' from a lot of things that are not providing me with any value or helping me grow personally and professionally. This included 'stuff' and 'activities'.  I was getting rid of all the crap in the garage that I hadn't looked at in years. I was throwing out old books that were no longer relevant since I have Kindle on the iPad. I was disconnecting from people that were frustrating me. I was avoiding those activities that were just tedious, and slowly disconnecting from them too.

One day after Xmas I woke up and realised that Eve Online was tedious. I was playing it because I'd 'always been playing it'. It was part of my life in a 'coming home from work and relaxing in front of Eve' kind of way. You know, like most people relax with TV or a newspaper.  Except it was still 'work'. I still had to 'do stuff'.  I realised it was no longer enjoyable or bringing me value.

On top of this change for me was the dissatisfaction with how CCP managed their staff. Once the people that I valued were fired, my free 'media accounts' were reverted to paid accounts and I had to start paying for my time again, even though I had fan sites that (once) allowed me free access. I contacted CCP and they apologised for the error, advising this 'is now fixed'. Except it wasn't. They were polite and helpful when I followed it up, saying it was fixed. Except it still wasn't. Then they didn't reply to my queries, and a petition I raised about it was closed without resolution. And I'm still now paying for accounts that are supposed to be free because I run fan sites.

So I'm over it. Not just because of that, but because it's just another element of changes in the priorities within my life.

Eve Bloggers is shutting down

Also, as a result of these changes, and the newfound lack of appreciation from CCP, I'm closing the Eve Bloggers Portal.  That's right, www.evebloggers.com is shutting down.

The domain fees are due for renewal at the beginning of February, and I'm not going to renew it. As the most extensive listing of all of Eve's blogs for the past 3 years, it's always been the most under-appreciated and ignored. And I'm over that too.

What's happening with Black Claw?

I'll continue Black Claw's account and have the character as my occasional 'I might log in and have another few jumps around the galaxy this month' type of game, continuing to record my progress in this blog.

I have no illusions that this is a long-term certainty. I might just give it all up completely over the next few months.

It's been fun.  :)

16 comments:

  1. Shame, but I get where you are coming from. Good luck with where life leads you next.

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  2. Thanks for running the blogging portal. All the best o/

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  3. Thank you for all the work and time you have put in. I use the evebloggers site as my launchpad every time I start my browser. It is always the first EVE related url I go to. I will miss it. I wish you luck in life's endeavors.

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  4. That's a really shit bit of news to be honest .....I really really hope that it sorts and you come back ... That or enjoy the FJ

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  5. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

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  6. It's a shame you're switching off eve-bloggers, it's a fantastic service for the players rather than CCP.

    I do empathise though, I've felt similarly of late. There does seem to be more attention given to certain areas of EVE society over others. However, the EVE Community team were hit hard in the lay-offs and CCP Manifest has been on paternity leave recently. I would imagine they are up against it and as such I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt.

    Any chance you'd consider doing the same?

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  7. Would it be possible to hand over the in-game channel to somebody else? As it's still quite active!

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  8. "it's always been the most under-appreciated and ignored"
    I can assure you that this is not true. I greatly appreciate you site. I is pretty my much my home page when I log in the morning.

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  9. Real life over Eve. If you are not getting what you need or want out of your Eve experience, in-game or out, then you should walk away. I tell people this all the time, the sun is shining, the world needs you to be a part of it. If that is where you are then I can only wish you the very best in whatever that world brings you.

    I am saddened by the closing of the Eve Bloggers Portal. I rely on it each and every day, it is the one place where I can keep tabs on my fellow blogging community friends. Heck, most days it is open in my browser 10-14 hours a day. So it will be sorely missed.

    Don't think for a single second that your fellow community members did not appreciate your contributions. That would be false thinking. We all did and do. Your decisions are your own. Just know that if there is anything I can do to help, all you have to do is ask. Godspeed.

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  10. It's a shame it's come to this. I do really love the site and I hope someone might take it over to continue it's existance. If no-one steps forward, I'd like to throw my hat in the ring.

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  11. wishing you all the best bro, take care. remember whenever you login you are allways welcome back.

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  12. Aww just saw your post. That is too bad. Thanks for keeping up the page up until now and best wishes for your "untethered" worry-free life!

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  13. So sorry to hear you are leaving, so hope you will find fulfillment where ever life takes you.

    Your site was never underappreciated, it was the site that led to my amazment at actually getting hits on mine... After I was listed on evebloggers my stats really jumped.

    I can't put my hat in the ring, to full a plate here I am afraid, but I truly hope you will pass the reins.

    You will be sorely missed. GL!

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