FBTB - From Bricks To Bothans

Well, another year’s gone by, and another prank is in the can.

Come on, now, the datestamp on the article should have been your first hint. If not, my one and only post on TBB being about knock-off Hello Kitty Duplo was another clue. And finally, all the people posting comments about it being April Fools’ Day should have been a dead giveaway.

To set the record straight: I am not leaving. I have not nor intend to sell the domain. My wife and I are not pregnant with our second child. Don really is waiting for his mail order bride, but from Japan. It’s rare I get to flex any creative muscle, and the prank post was just an exercise in writing.

I’d like to thank my staff for the brainstorming session on this year’s prank and a big thanks to Andrew over at The Brothers Brick for being my partner in crime.

It’s time for me to step down.

I’ve taken a long, hard look at my life and the direction it’s been going. With a baby three and a half months old, and another on the way I came to the realization that sooner or later, something’s gonna give. And rather repeat the mistakes of my past, where my presence on the site was non-existent, I decided to be a little more proactive and step down from the duties as Editor in Chief of From Bricks To Bothans. This was not an easy decision to make. I’ve been wrestling with this issue for quite some time, ever since Leia was born to be exact. I’m sure my wife is sick of hearing me hem and haw about what to do. She’s been my rock far longer than I can remember; she’s encouraged me to keep the site and keep working on it but realistically that’s difficult to do now, and when the next baby comes, it’s going to be impossible.

I’ve spoken with the other administrators of the site, Nick, Don, and Ryan, and they all have their own issues and cannot shoulder the responsibility of taking over. Nick has a new house and I’m guessing will probably want to start a new family. Don’s still waiting for his mail order bride to ship from Russia. I’m totally kidding, he’s coming from Thailand. Okay, seriously, he’s facing possible unemployment and is looking for a job while working on his own house. Ryan has Carter and Connor, and last I know is working on his third kid. I’ve always said to my team that from day one their personal lives take priority and to work on the site when they have some down time. Truth of the matter is, with everyone’s life headed in their respective directions, no one has time anymore. And to be honest with you, there is no one else I can trust to take over the site. I’ve been involved since the beginning, and it’s been my baby since… gosh, maybe 2002 or so, maybe earlier. I’m not comfortable just handing it over to just anybody. It’s been a good run.

And just to set the record straight, this decision has nothing to do with the license possibly expiring in 2011. Even though no official announcement has been made, I’m willing to bet naming rights to my second kid that it will be extended for a few years more.

So what’s going to happen now? The domain has been sold to Andrew Becraft of The Brothers Brick. Despite our respective sites competing nature, he and I are great friends and I sought his advice on what to do. After much discussion, I’ve decided to sell the domain to Andrew. FBTB.net will either mirror TBB’s current site or forward a user directly. Nothing will change for at least a month. As part of the deal, I’ve taken a staff position with his site as a contributing writer. My experience, technical skills, and industry contacts will still benefit the LEGO AFOL community as a whole, just in a different capacity. I feel much more comfortable being a writer, as I can contribute when I can and not feel the pressure of keeping a site running.

The current ASS Model contest will be this site’s final hurrah, so to everyone who’s put the time and effort into entering, the contest will still go on.

I’m shutting down the forums. All forums and topics will be locked and preserved for posterity. I’ll leave the contest thread and one new forum open with this farewell message so you can post your thoughts and reactions and any questions. The chat room will eventually go away as well, just not sure when.

I’m all out of things to say. I hope that you can understand that this was not an easy decision, probably the most difficult one I’ve ever had to make. I’m still a little unsure if this is the best thing to do, but given what’s ahead in my life, I can only do what I think is right. To everyone who has supported this site, been a friend or foe to FBTB, to everyone I’ve ever met, there is nothing more I can say other than thank you. It is not enough to say just those two words, but nothing else I can say will ever come close to the appreciation I feel. From the bottom of my heart, Thank You.