It's time.

For many reasons, some of which I can't really go into right now, I find it necessary to resign my position as an Administrator of BZPower, effective after this week. I hasten to add this is not due to any dissatisfaction or disagreement with the site, fellow staff, or members - you're all excellent... well, most of you, anyway .

No, it's not April Fool's, this is on the level.

The last couple of months as chief geek and server-burper have been very stressful, as you might imagine. I've spent far more time massaging code, keeping the site going, and generally geeking than I'd ever anticipated. Now that the site's in a much more manageable position (new server and all), I don't feel like I'm abandoning you guys or throwing the staff to the wolves.

For the last several years, BZP has been one of my chief priorities. I've invested a lot of time, emotion, skull sweat, money, and energy into not only keeping the site pumping along, but also in adding features and updates whenever possible. So stepping away as Administrator is not something I do lightly. I have a big emotional investment in the site, and probably will always have an attachment. And I'm certainly not going away completely, I'll maintain my blog and continue posting. But after this week, I won't be an actual staff member any more.

Part of the impetus for resigning now involves some adjustments in my personal life. I've been trying to balance working full time, working on BZP, being a father and husband, as well as doing other fan stuff (like LEGOFan, GPLR, etc.) but it all takes its toll. Also, I'm starting a new job next week which includes quite a bit of traveling (more web stuff), making my commitment to BZP that much more difficult to maintain. There are a few other factors, but you get the idea.

So what does this mean for you?

Well, hopefully not much. I've been careful in grooming our newest full Administrator, Black Six, to be able to perform a lot of the day-to-day tasks. (BTW, everybody join me in congratulating B6 on his advancement to full Admin! You can't get any higher than that.) I'm crossing my fingers that our new server will eliminate the more in-depth maintenance activities I've had to perform over the last few years. But at any rate, I'll be available to the staff for advice and suggestions of a technical nature.

I will not be answering technical or geek PMs about BZPower from members after this Friday. So if you have a request, comment, or suggestion about the site, it should go to Black Six. I'll update my sig this weekend, if I have time.

Despite the long hours and stress of being responsible for keeping 35,000+ members online and able to post, I've enjoyed the last several years, and feel that I've made some long-lasting friendships. It's been a real experience and education for me to be part of the BZPower admin team. It's also been very humbling to see the fervor which so many members show in not only Bionicle but in this modest site. Being with BZP has provided me some really nifty opportunities which I wouldn't have been able to get elsewhere (such as being able to interview the makers of the Bionicle movies in Los Angeles, or visiting with Traveler's Tales in the UK).

I guess it goes to show that good things come to you when you do something you love.

Kelly McKiernan, aka Binkmeister