Retiring Writers

[Puckish Fiend]

To all of you retired writers here; When you retired, what is the process you went through? When you stated your intentions to retire, did you lose your writing privileges immediately or did you have time to finish a last few questions and get things squared away? I'm sure it is a little different on a case by case basis, but I would like to know your experiences.

-Puckish Fiend

[Dragon Lady]

I considered retiring for months and months and months. But just never did it. Then they started tightening the number of questions answered policy (we're supposed to answer 8 per week and there was a huge slack in that, resulting in LOTS of overhours questions and unhappy readers). If you consistently went under, they'd retire you. I went under a coupla times (I was pregnant, seriously sick, and still trying to work full time) and kept getting warned, but I didn't want to essentially get fired, so I kicked it up a notch and barely made the 8 minimum. Also, I was a little prideful and didn't want to leave when everyone else was leaving. (For what it's worth, I don't think anyone got fired, but a lot of writers who were consistently not writing decided that would be a good time to finally retire.) I wanted my retirement to be just me. But that really cinched it for me that I did, indeed, need to retire.

Also playing into it were stats. Humble Master and I had been in a bit of a stats war since I got back from Jerusalem. I wanted to make sure I got far enough above him that it'd take him a very long time after I retired to catch up. (Which he eventually did and surpassed me.) Once I got to that point, I'd realize that I was only 50 away from passing the next writer, so I'd decide to just pass that one. Then there'd be one only 10 above me, etc. Finally I got to the point that only LJ, Katya and Uffish were above me, and let's be honest, there's no way I'd pass any of them. The closest one was at least 1000 questions more than me. That put me in 4th and I figured that'd mean I'd stay in the top 10 for quite awhile. And that's when I decided to officially retire. (For what it's worth, I'm currently #8, but the next active writer is Rating Pending at 289 questions below me.)

I lost my writing privileges when I officially decided I was done. I finished up my questions, I wrote up my retirement answer, and I told them I was officially done.

I'm pretty sure it's about the same with most writers. If you choose to retire, you can finish stuff up. The only difference would be if someone just disappeared and the editors retired them. It has happened. At least a coupla times. But the editors aren't nazis (is there a way to say that without being all discriminatory and such?) about it. Generally the editors are on good terms with all the writers and want their retirement to be something special and not just cut off.

[krebscout]

In my case...both times, I think...I finished up a couple questions the day or day after I announced (behind the scenes) that I was retiring, then maybe there were one or two questions that I asked to be let go of. Perhaps I've had an answer post after I retired? Maybe that was somebody else. It's been a while.

This last time I retired, I still had access to everything because Sauron and I used the same account. That was a bad move. I still spent too much time reading all the new questions and aching to answer some of them. I was still addicted, but I was pregnant with my second kid and needed to unplug myself from the computer to get back to my first kid, and the rest of my life. These days I don't read the Board at all unless someone here points out something interesting, but that's more because of lack of time - and avoiding the temptation to get addicted again - than lack of interest.

I can think of one probie who got "fired" because he wasn't making quota, and full-fledged writers can get demoted (either to probie status or into hiatus) because of not making quota.

[Katya]

I was technically on "hiatus" for my last semester, so I wasn't answering a lot of questions, anyway, so I announced my intention to retire behind the scenes, then wrote a "good-bye" post a few days (?) later. Then it turned out that the other editors were going to be too busy to approve questions during the next week (which was right before Christmas), so I said I'd stick around and make sure that the questions still posted. Then I couldn't resist answering one more question, which was, in retrospect, a very bad move, because it confused everyone and made it look like I wasn't really retiring.. If I had it to do over, I would have answered that question with a throwaway 'nym.

I don't think that my account was "demoted" to alumni status until months later, but I think that's pretty unusual.

[Dragon Lady]

I was technically on "hiatus" for my last semester, so I wasn't answering a lot of questions, anyway, so I announced my intention to retire behind the scenes, then wrote a "good-bye" post a few days (?) later. Then it turned out that the other editors were going to be too busy to approve questions during the next week (which was right before Christmas), so I said I'd stick around and make sure that the questions still posted. Then I couldn't resist answering one more question, which was, in retrospect, a very bad move, because it confused everyone and made it look like I wasn't really retiring.. If I had it to do over, I would have answered that question with a throwaway 'nym.

I remember that! In fact, I think I remember teasing you about how you never would actually retire. Because then after you really did retire, you spent months with an editor account so you could go through and put in all the written Q&As so we could have a complete archive.

I don't think that my account was "demoted" to alumni status until months later, but I think that's pretty unusual.

Katya, with you, everything is unusual. I mean, let's be honest. You've been sainted. On a Mormon forum.

[Craig Jessop]

Katya, with you, everything is unusual. I mean, let's be honest. You've been sainted. On a Mormon forum.

Oh yes, I often pray to Katya. (just kidding.)

[Humble Master]

I knew for awhile that retirement was looming. Life had just gotten a little too hectic with Lil' Master being a small child and the Mrs. and I both writing dissertations. Dragon Lady knew my writer days were dwindling and was a driving force in hatching the Harry Potter challenge. The exact number of questions she was planning to ask varied as the exact date of my retirement shifted (at first there was a gap on her end which made me remain a writer longer than I intended, then I asked her to add more questions because I wanted to be a writer longer...it's hard to retire).

I submitted the question that was to become my final answer around the same time Dragon Lady submitted what was supposed to be the final Harry Potter question for the challenge, however my last answer was rather intense and went WAY, WAY over hours. In the interim, Queen Alice answered the last HP question because it was similarly flying way past the 100 Hour limit.

I contacted the editors when my retirement announcement was going over hours to apologize, and they said not to worry and that I could keep answering questions until it posted (which I did). When I submitted the question which became my retirement announcement that's when most of the other writers and editors found out I was retiring.

A day or two after my retirement announcement posted I was switched over to alumni status, which isn't very different from regular reader status. I have a button for "My Answers" under "My Favorites" and I can see an "Alumni Updates" section of the writers forum, but that's about all that's different from a reader's account.

[Katya]

Katya, with you, everything is unusual. I mean, let's be honest. You've been sainted. On a Mormon forum.

Oh yes, I often pray to Katya. (just kidding.)

Let's face it, if I can't even get my own comments to post, you're probably better off praying for the intercession of someone with a bit more influence.

[Dragon Lady]

Katya, with you, everything is unusual. I mean, let's be honest. You've been sainted. On a Mormon forum.

Oh yes, I often pray to Katya. (just kidding.)

Let's face it, if I can't even get my own comments to post, you're probably better off praying for the intercession of someone with a bit more influence.

Do you sign your nym on them? Because if not, the editors may not know that they are angering their patron saint.

[Katya]

Do you sign your nym on them? Because if not, the editors may not know that they are angering their patron saint.

I do! I haven't submitted that many, though, and I think my success rate is as good as anyone's (if you don't count Daryl Gibson ).

[Paperback_Writer]

As you all know, my retirement just posted today. And I guess I'm the odd one out because I submitted my retirement announcement to the Board one night, went back the next day and had already been changed to retired status. So technically, I've been retired for a few days now. It kind of makes me sad now that I know you all had a few days to wrap things up...

[Dragon Lady]

Well, when I officially said I was retiring, I was retired immediately. I had a few days to wrap things up because I waited until I was all done to officially retire.

[Dragon Lady]

Also, we will miss you!

[Paperback_Writer]

Ah, got it. That makes me feel better I didn't have anything I wanted to do, so it's not like I feel jipped or like I missed an opportunity. And thank you! I'm sure the Board will be fine without me, but I did have fun during my four months helping out.

[Dead Cat]

You will be sorely missed, Paperback Writer! Every time a writer retires, a little piece of my soul rips off. You just made me able to make a horcrux.

[Dragon Lady]

You will be sorely missed, Paperback Writer! Every time a writer retires, a little piece of my soul rips off. You just made me able to make a horcrux.

Wait, are you saying you murdered her?

[Dead Cat]

No, she forced a bit of my soul away that may end up in a magical object. Thanks to her, a new way of creating a horcrux without murder has been discovered. The cost, however, is just as high: loss of a great writer.

[Dragon Lady]

Ah, got it. That makes me feel better I didn't have anything I wanted to do, so it's not like I feel jipped or like I missed an opportunity. And thank you! I'm sure the Board will be fine without me, but I did have fun during my four months helping out.

Glad I could help you feel better!

[NerdGirl]

I'll miss you, Paperback Writer! You were a good writer.

[Craig Jessop]

I'm going to miss her too. She had the potential to be an awesome long-termer, but life gets in the way I guess. So she'll have to be an awesome short-termer. Hopefully you can come back someday, P-dub!