@Gargron i feel you <3

@Gargron it must be a stressful time for you. Know that I and many many others appreciate your work!

@Gargron I’m incredibly appreciative of your leadership and all that you have done to build Mastodon ❤️

You’ve built something amazing. That is an accomplishment in itself.

@Gargron I’m sorry. And I’m also in awe, and thankful for all that you have enabled here. Working with teams, and all the things that it entails has been amazing.

If there is anything us great unwashed masses can do to help, just say.

@Gargron I’m sorry to hear that. You have given so many of us an online life we easily could have lost completely. I hope you can find the support, and the joy, you richly deserve.

@Gargron hang in there, man. Find the time to enjoy the things that matter. It’s the only way you’ll survive the rest.

@Gargron I think this is called the "Zeigarnik" effect. :ablobcatbongo:

@Gargron

we love you. wish we could all find a way to share the load.

@Gargron holy shit, I can barely imagine. Mastodon has gotten me through the year tbh. I can’t imagine the pressure it’s put on you personally. I hope you can find a way to distribute it out to a team or something, just to stay sane. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done ❤️ hope you can take a break

@Gargron Thank you for making this wonderful place possible!

@Gargron I appreciate your work.

@Gargron ❤️

@Gargron
I guarantee you will look back in 10 years' time and feel differently. What you are accomplishing here is world changing.
I understand your frustration, too. But you can reach out to this community. We are willing to help.

@Gargron Hopefully it brings you some peace knowing just many people’s lives you’ve touched. I for one am so, so much happier being here than where I was before. Thank you. Health and family before work, though!

@Gargron I will acknowledge how you feel and also tell you - I like this place. You have made my year better.

@Gargron But you did a great job. These things, I think, are never meant to be "finished". Thank you for the opportunity we get with a free #fediverse !

@Gargron real

@Gargron Remember to rest in between, buddy! :bunhdheart:

@Gargron

Not meaning to woman-splain here but...

Something to remember: you can never keep up with the needs and demands of others. There is no way to do it all. No one can.

So, it's important to pace yourself, and do what you can do and still breath.

Part of this is opening up to help and collaboration, to trust and love. Yes, building tech can be full of pure love for one's fellow being.

You can do this.

@Gargron
And that's OK. You and your team are doing an awesome job and, without exaggeration, making the world a better place. Look after yourself, rest, delegate and keep on!

@Gargron FWIW, I ❤️ Mastodon 🐘.

@Gargron breath

@Gargron I jumped on here the day they killed my Tweetbot and it’s been home ever since. You’ve done something important. I can’t make you feel accomplished—only you can feel that—but I thought I should say thanks.

It’s hard to accept, but you won’t do all those things; you will forget them, and so will everyone else. Don’t dig in, burn-out is not a fun place.

“All you have is now” is a cliche, but it can be liberating to truly embrace it. The neat thing is, it’s true.

@Gargron I’m not surprised. I can’t imagine how it feels. I hope you have some support from family and friends.

@Gargron

I know it may not feel like it, but you have done something remarkable here. Sometimes we don't feel that about things we are in the middle of creating. That is perfectly okay. There is always more to do. I don't think we ever get over that feeling of never doing enough.

I won't tell you to be happy. But what I will say is that always remember that you are not alone in all of this.

I hope you get a chance for some rest and to take care of yourself.

@Gargron Thank you and your team for all your hard work to make Mastodon a truly special place.

@Gargron You've done extraordinarily amazing things this year, people all around the world are thankful for you. Take some time to just be you, relax, take some pictures of your wife and cats, breathe and recuperate. Rest, then go again when you're ready. 💙

@Gargron Take a deep breath and review the impact of the positives!

@Gargron hope the next one is pay off!
That being said, maybe there's a version of joy in a bit of stress and chaos as long as it doesn't overstay it's welcome; at least that's how I like to view these parts of my job :)

@Gargron Don’t burn out. Your health should always come first.

@Gargron Sorry to hear this. Thank you all that you do ❤️

@Gargron Thank you for your service!

@Gargron you offered a place to social media migrants chief. A place like no other social media place

@Gargron I deeply empathize with you on this and share a similar state of mind. I wish you an opportunity for self care as I do for myself as well…. 🙏🏼

https://mastodon.social/@zombieobject/111575976876296622

@Gargron I’ve felt that my entire working life so far! It’s a rough way to be.

@Gargron Right there with you 🫂

Everyone, pay attention. If we burn out the key developers of the libre technologies we use, we will lose those we have, we will deter others; and we'll be left with nothing but the greedy, devious, exploitative market.

You don't have to think @Gargron is a perfect individual, but if you choose to use his work you ought to show some gratitude, respect and support.

Thank you, @Gargron, for this vibrant, chaotic, evolving platform you (and others) have given us.

@Gargron Success can be much harder than failure. When you are successful, a million people will want you to do more or to do what you do differently. When you fail, folk just walk away and let you rest.

Mastodon has grown tremendously. It has been successful. You should be proud of what you've built. But, the price of success can be very high.

Take a day off. Relax. We'll all still be here when you get back.

@Gargron Chill bro. This is supposed to be fun.

@gargron Thanks for all the good work you've done for us! May Christmas be a time of relaxation and healing.

@Gargron

🤗 Thank you and all your team! Rest mind and body fully!

@Gargron Thanks for making the cool place I get to hang out. Take care of yourself.

@Gargron has depression and anxiety been a factor in your life prior to the development of Mastodon?

@Gargron I was (am) in a similar place. Too much to do and little time to do it, the others were not caring about me, all they care about is what they need, only you can pace yourself. It's not a flaw to go slower.

For 2024 I took the resolution to be more aware of my wellbeing and pace myself. Let others realise that we can only do enough, that we would like to do faster but it's impossible. Others need to understand the urgency they feel will not affect us and all comes in due time.

@Gargron after using mastodon for a while: it works phenomenally!

But the idea of 10xing (at least) the user count by federating with threads is putting us deep in EEE territory.

It’s not that we should start to be xenophobic all of the sudden but we need to steer and limit the influx of people.

They’re not refugees, they’re still foreign nationals, on vacation (to stay with the analogy).

We have no way of moderating this so I‘m blocking threads until we have.

@Gargron
This was a terrible fucking year, but you've got this, bro!

You are one of the reasons it's palatable, for so much people.

Hang in there!

@Gargron If you were to feel less stressful and more accomplishment, what would likely need to change for you?

@Gargron It's hard to imagine that a long bear hug from a random guy far away could do you any good, but I offer it anyway. Maybe you're just short on hugs. Stress is a killer, and make our minds wiggle the wrong way. Hugs counteract all that.

One step at a time. One urgently overdue item at a time. Sure, the world might be better if you got it all done right now. But that's not gonna happen. You're a human being, not a perpetual motion machine. Get some rest and keep on keepin' on. 💙

@Gargron

You've done something good, made people's lives better.

@Gargron 💜💜💜

@Gargron
Just
Keep
Swimming...

@Gargron I know that feel and will say clearly: take care of yourself. It may not be worth risking your health - whatever it is. Prioritise well-being, whenever you can. … is the way I try to implement as much as possible.

@Gargron You are doing a great work. Think a bout the millions who are enjoying using Mastodon all around the world.
👍💪✌️

@Gargron
Thank you for all you’ve created and shared with this community.

@Gargron you need to take a good long break - the fediverse will be okay without you for a while ;)

@Gargron I hope you can manage to catch a break over the holidays and get a chance to reflect on having been on Decoder with Nilay Patel this year. You know, that show where CEOs and executives of big/notable companies talk about big ideas and other problems 🙂

@Gargron

It has been progress. Rome was not built in a day.

@Gargron ❤️ Take care of yourself and try not to focus too much on the work! You don’t owe us anything, if anything we all owe you and the team tremendously. Thank you for building this place!

Like they say on airplanes, put on your own oxygen mask before helping the people around you with theirs

@Gargron What you have already achieved is amazing and this community would not exist without that.

Why not write just a few things down that you are trying to hold in your head, preferably as issues so someone else could work on them?

Don't worry about the forgotten things. If they are important, someone will think of them again.

@Gargron I hope you find a way to make things less stressful, a different approach to the new challenges now in front of you. Adapt to reduce the negative.

@Gargron I feel you. Thank you for what you do! 🙏

@Gargron We appreciate you, Eugen. Really. Thank you, in spite of all our critiques of Mastodon, for all you've done to step it up to fill the void the nazi bar left when its bird flew the coop. Really. You're a good one—and probably VERY overdue for a vacation?

Please go be a proper European, and take a few weeks to yourself. Away from tootsville. We're not going anywhere. xoxo!

@Gargron You are doing great! Don't the theoretical possibility of doing even better distract you from that fact.

@Gargron I’m so full of appreciation for everything you do, you’ve had an amazing year! Hope you get the chance to recharge and relax over the break, and can find a way to bring in more help next year. Maybe dial up the fundraising.

@Gargron We do the best we can with what we have. You're doing pretty good.

@Gargron I’m impressed what you built and appreciate your ethics.

@Gargron Thank you for creating this wonderful place.

@Gargron
Have you ever considered a Hypnotist to help you with your restless thoughts?

@Gargron 💪♥️

@Gargron Please find time to relax and recharge! We will still be here, and it may become easier to se which things in those millions actually matter and which are noise once you have rested.

@Gargron I've used a LOT of different project management tools over the years, all fancy in their own way. Also used notepads with coloured priority stickers.

The best decision I ever made was to scrap them off and just use a txt file. As soon as I know something needs doing, I add it to the file, most urgent at the top. Nothing gets forgotten, amends are easy, and you only have to pay attention to the top.

Fancy systems put too much focus on what you haven't done, and how tight deadlines are.

@Gargron @ninavizz
The work will never be done. But one day you will be done. So, set to work at a pace that doesn't overburden you — and maybe *enjoy*.

We are all Sisyphus.

I appreciate what you have done.

@Gargron I told friends a few times last year that I admire the fact how you stuck and developed an idea over a long period of time, during which everyone (including me) joined centralized platforms and neglected ideas that may seemed a tiny bit harder for the sake of convenience. Honestly: I find it very inspirational to believe in something like you did and push it forward. While this doesn't take away the stress from you, maybe it helps to hear from time to time that people are grateful.

@Gargron

Sending some ❤ your direction.

Also a fun picture of Stitch. My dog and best friend.

He doesn't have a mastodon account.

Yet.

@Gargron It reminds me of the life of an academic... every time you complete something, all you can think about is the never-ending to-do list 😅

But, come on, Mastodon has achieved a lot of things this year, and you have a great part of the credit! Hang in there!

@Gargron

Delegate!

@Gargron

The W3C, to name just one other world-changing org, made the fediverse their primary social media platform. Mastodon & friends are making history. That means, so are you! Breathe and rest up, 2024 will be a great year for the social web <3

@Gargron Let me join the vast chorus of people saying you have done AMAZING things this year! Take a break, pay yourself on the back. Thank you!

@Gargron Do you have a therapist to talk to? It is great you are making the world a better place, but your first responsibility is to be happy.

Always remember that an empty to-do list is an illusion. Going through life trying to empty your to-do list is like playing tennis, hoping the ball stops coming back.

@Gargron
Sounds like being an academic but often less rewarding. Loved the merchandise idea BTW. I have lots. Thank you ☺️

@Gargron Sending hugs! 🤗

@Gargron I hope you'll take good care of yourself and get more rest over the holiday season. Anyone would feel overwhelmed after doing what you did this year in order to scale up. Thank you for everything.

I hope you'll find ways to delegate the overload so you can have a more peaceful 2024.

@Gargron What you accomplished is amazing, just look at this whole thread ❤️ don't let any task make you forget that 🤗

@Gargron This is the year that Masto & the Fediverse have proved that Another World is Possible - we're not forced to live our online socials in the court of the oligarchs.

That is a huge achievement - both in terms of the millions of people that your work has directly impacted (& the impact has been overwhelmingly positive) & in terms of showing what is possible

Ignore the inner voice that says that it's never enough. It will never be silent, so all the more reason to start ignoring it now

@Gargron thank you for Mastodon Eugen, you're doing incredible work! I hope you can take some time off this winter and find ways to make next year's workload manageable.

@Gargron you put saving free, open and safe Internet on your back. It’s too much for just one person, but you’re doing it amazing!!!!

@Gargron How can we help?

@Gargron I can relate to this. At the start of this year I started writing, for motivation, 'RIP all those opportunities we missed last year through inaction' at the top of every daily diary entry, and now I'm feeling depressingly morbid.

@Gargron you got this chief, take breaks if and when you need them. You already do so much for the community ❤

@Gargron You have achieved something that no one before has made. Getting a critical mass of users on decentralized social media. So much that it shakes up Big Tech. This will be written in history books.

This accomplishment is locked, the game state saved. There is no turning back.

@tjolsen @Gargron this year has been bad.

@Gargron que no que no,lo estás haciendo genial .
Gracias por tu gran trabajo.

@Gargron Thank you for all your work.

@Gargron

You have done something revolutionary. You deserve admiration.

You will continue to have my admiration if you DON'T get into bed with Meta.

If you decide to take a step back for your own peace of mind and mental health, I hope those that take the helm will continue to steer clear of corporate predators.

@Gargron take care of yourself in whatever way you can. Most of us do something useful every day. Even if it's just reply to an email, talk to a colleague about something or take the dog for a walk. You may never get to the bottom of the to-do list. But life isn't a to-do list it's just 'existing' at the end of the day. Seems like you've done a lot already. Hope you find a way to mitigate or reduce the stress and feel better about it soon. Also please ask for help if you can if needed.

@Gargron For an ambitious person, there will always be a million things to do. We'll wait while you recharge.

We believe in you! And unicorns. But mostly you!

@Gargron Thank you for all you've done and all you continue to do!

@Gargron You may not always hear the thanks, or sense the gratitude, but you've built something great here, and it's growing.

Yes, it's been a stressful year, even years. I can relate to that. I stop and reminds myself: I've been thru "the fire" many times, as have others.

@Gargron 😔 Your job is impossible. No one could be doing it better. Your work will never be done. Such is the nature of this thing. Do your best. Take care of yourself. Enjoy life. What gets done gets done. Thanks for the hard work.