Calling It Quits on ServerFault
A long-time moderator for the technical Q&A site ServerFault is stepping down after 15 years, citing the site's long-term decline and changing community dynamics. The author reflects on the evolution of online moderation, noting how cultural differences once fueled conflict and how the site has shifted from a vibrant hub to a quiet repository.
Why it matters
It provides a historical perspective on the lifecycle of early internet communities and the challenges of maintaining healthy online discourse.
It's time to be done after just over 15 years of moderator work. I was elected in the very first community election in January and February of 2011 , and by now I'm quite possibly in the top five for longest serving community moderators on the original trilogy sites of StackOverflow, ServerFault, and SuperUser. I could check, but I'm not motivated. SF has always been the one I worked with and for. 15 years, and I've learned so much about moderation and online technical communities.
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