NEWS: I'm declaring official retirement. FFnet just doesn't seem like a pleasant place to coexist anymore. Several years back, it was fun. I had fun. It was great, and I'm grateful for all the favourites, alerts and reviews. But all good things must come to an end, so that's what's happening.

I have come across many wonderful people, but what speaks louder is the obnoxious community. Everyone here is a writer, perhaps a little loopy, perhaps with different tastes. But we are all writers, so I can't excuse the arrogance. It is one thing to hold your own opinion, and hold it firmly, but a completely different thing to impose it on others. Respect, please. Your judgement could very well be vastly different from mine, but I'll never stop you because of one of my silly little opinions.

The way some people speak, behave and impose here do not sit well with me, and while the number is not large, it is growing. Mushrooming. And I feel constrained, restricted, by the way I'm being held down by the fear of confronting one of these very intimidating people.

They are still people.

And I will respect that.

But for now, FFnet is a different place from what it used to be. The reason I decided to attempt a stint at writing is fast disappearing down the drain. Things change, I know, and perhaps I'm being naive about it, or maybe I'm just running away from it, but for once I'd like to think I'm walking away as the bigger person from this place.

It's been a totally awesome four years, but the trunk is packed, and I don't regret a thing.