Sinbad's retirement

[sinbad]

I realise this will come as a shock to some of you, but I'm announcing my retirement from the role of OGRE Project Lead with immediate effect. The primary reason is health related - if you like you can get the low down on the detail of this from my personal blog.

You'll note from my badge that I've still kept myself as 'OGRE Team Member' - this reflects that fact that I fully intend to still be around, contributing code, giving advice, etc. I'll also look after the site, and I'll be setting up an OGRE Foundation to handle the funding / donations side of things fairly soon. So I'm not disappearing off into the sunset. But in stepping down as project lead, I'll no longer be the one who implicitly the buck stops with, or necessarily always the first point of contact, or the person who has the final word on everything - instead, that'll be for the OGRE team as a whole. We pretty much operate on this basis already - we have a great team with a blend of skills and strengths - but I'm now making this official. I'm still the founder of OGRE, and it will always be my 'baby', but I do think that it's transitioned into a wider community ownership at this stage in any case - something that I hope our new MIT license and the change to Mercurial helps with going forward by empowering the community further.

I'd like to take a moment to say that I've thoroughly enjoyed leading the OGRE project for the last 10 years, taking it from a little fun project on my home machine to the internet phenomenon it is today. I dearly wish that I could carry on for another 10 years in the same vein, but the reality is that my health situation dictates that I can no longer fit the responsibilities (time & stress) required to lead an open source project in addition to what I need to do to make a regular living too. It sucks because I love to do it, and I know I'll miss it, but the time has come for me to reluctantly admit that it's now untenable and the only sensible thing to do is to step down and fade into the background a bit.

I have absolute faith that because of both the strength of the OGRE Team as a whole, and our ever-active community from which new developers constantly emerge, that the project will be just fine without me at the helm. I'll sit in port relaying tales of OGRE's adventures, offering old-salt wisdom when asked, and pitching my oar in when I think I can help (ok, enough with the seafaring references). It may seem weird at first to think that you don't have to consult Sinbad about everything, but trust me, you'll be fine. I wasn't doing as much as you thought anyway

[spacegaier]

Hey sinbad,

sad to hear that, but totally understandable. Health and real life goes first and if “leaving” Ogre is needed for that, it’s okay. As long as you still stay with us a bit, it’ll be fine…

I am also sorry that hear, that there can’t be much done for getting rid of tha pain exept the life style changes that you have mainly done already. Really hope for you, that it will stay as it is or even get better

So long and all the best!
spacegaier

[AWM Mars]

I have only just become a member here on the Ogre forums, despite using Ogre graphics for some years.

You will be sorely missed as the leader of Ogre. Knowing you are still in the side wings, will lessen the shock to a lot of people. What is also very important to all here is, that you look after yourself first. Life is not a rehearsal.

Good luck to you.

[Wolfmanfx]

Thank you for all the hours where you build this monster!

I wish you the best and a pain free life!

[vitefalcon]

I'm really sorry to hear that. But it's a wise decision to leave atleast now before things goes worse than it already is. Thanks for founding this great project and still sticking around to help us in a pinch! I hope some miracle happens to make you get well soon
Good Luck!

[Pyritie]

D: noooo

[mkultra333]

Wow, that is a surprise. Though I've read your blog a few times and knew there were some issues, I still hadn't expected this.

As a relative newcomer to Ogre, I'll just say thanks for the time and effort you've put into creating the Ogre system. I admit, the idea of Ogre's future without a single, strong lead does worry me a little. While benign dictatorship is bad in politics, it's great for an open source project if you have the right guy at the top. Which we certainly had in Sinbad.

Best of luck with whatever future projects you undertake, computer related or otherwise.

[DanielSefton]

Sad news, but completely understandable. I wish you well, and thanks for being such an awesome project lead for all this time!

Long live Ogre!

[^DJ_Link^]

It's totally understandle, health comes first. I read your blog frequently and noticed that you complaining about that problem often but I never thought it could be that bad. I hope you manage to get well soon and be able to pursuit your hopes and projects. Good luck

[Devil N]

Wow, that is... I won't say surprising, because your continuing back problems meant this day was inevitable. But it is definitely a shocker. I am certain it is the best decision you could've made in your situation, which is why I'm not entirely surprised, and I fully sympathize with it. On the other hand, I've always wondered what will happen to Ogre if you were to step down from your leadership. I guess now, we will find out.

Last but not least, let me just say thank you for all the time and effort you have invested in this project, as well as all the sacrifices you've made over the last 10 years. You have made Ogre into one of the greatest and most inspiring software projects I have ever seen.

[volca]

Surprise it is! I wish you plenty of days free of back problems. Ogre will go on just fine - the baby has already grown up I'd say

[mirlix]

Im pretty sure Ogre3D will continue to exist and with all the great Users Ogre will continue to take over the world.
Are there any plans how submitted patches will be dealt with, are they discussed in the community or are the other team members to integrate them?
And a big thanks to Sinbad for his great work up until now and future work what will surly exist.

[sinbad]

Thanks for all the kind words.

@mirlix: anyone with developer privileges on the main repository can process patches, and indeed other team members already do. I'll probably pick off some on occasion too, like I say I'm not going away entirely, I'll just be a more occasional contributor.

[wacom]

Oh. Now I feel extra bad for nagging you about this stupid little problems with PSSM shadows I had.

[tuan kuranes]

Thanks for all the incredible years given !

Bravo for the courageous decision and thanks the very generous Ogre Foundation decision !

And as Ogre is here to stay and evolve thanks to you, Elders advice is indeed still needed

Imho, that where your new badge doesn't fit, Ogre do need an "Old mariners port", "Council of Elder", "Supreme court", that would be the last resort, and the badge should reflect that. Once the "Ogre Foundation" is set, why not a "Ogre Founders" (maybe too attracting for fist hand seeking people) or "Ogre foundation Member" (more neutral) badge ?

[Calder]

Thanks for everything Sinbad! You've really managed to make Ogre into one of the most fun and beautiful open-source projects out there, and for that your constant guidance will be sorely missed. That said, Ogre and the team surrounding it has indeed reached the point of self-sufficiency that you'd associate with a grown child, and I have no doubt the community will "live long and prosper" in the words of Spock. I'm sure this has been a hard decision for you, but I'm glad you made the right (and only sustainable) choice. Real life must come before the 'nets.

[stoneCold]

Now if that isn't the "WTF" moment of my day

...but I also read about your health related issues at your blog numerous times and you've made the right decision, health comes first
I wish you the best for your convalescence, enjoy your newly gained free time with your family & friends, I guess they will appreciate this change in your life as well.
Last but not least, I want to thank you for all the time and effort that you have put into this project. Tbh, I've learned so much by reading through Ogre's code from my very beginnings in this community, my knowledge of C++ and OOP as of today wouldn't be anywhere as good, if it weren't for you and Ogre.

Now, before I start overreacting even more (in the "Halle Berry 2002" kind of way) ....

I wish you and your family the best of luck and I'm looking forward to seeing you here at the forum
stoneCold

[spookyboo]

Unfortunately that you had to take this choice, but health is the most important. As a positive note, I can imagine that since you don't have the burden of project lead anymore, you can your head clear and surprise us with some new additions to Ogre.

[Noman]

We salute you!

[GantZ]

Thanks for all the hard work you have done for ogre. When health issue arise, it should become your top priority. You are really an example to follow for every open source project leader given the amount of time and dedication you have put on ogre.

[pratty70]

Sat there reading your words on my iPhone, as I log in to type my response, I see the person above me beat me to it. We salute you sir. Your "baby" has grown and given us all something to cherish with our passion for programming and 3D.
Personally, along with all the others, I thank you for starting this journey. I've been using it since 2003 and still on the road.
Many thanks, best wishes and a happy and healthy future watching Ogre grow from the sidelines!
Cheers

[Assaf Raman]

personally this is a sad day for me. Really.
Sinbad always seemed like a superman to me, writing 20 long posts in an hour without a single typo or a logical error, reviewing patches and always getting to the point of thing before I even moved from the commit result window, the the amazing thing of all - it all seems effortless, and always always he is the most polite person ever.

Finding out once more that superman is human - is hard.

This is dark hour for our superman, but it is also a time for us as a community raise to the occasion - and with our combined effort keep this small boat floating, keep the dream alive, prove that this project is not a one men show but a family.

I love the project. I will do my best to help out and continue the work.

Get better man, you are my personal hero, and will always be.

[PolyVox]

As people have already said, you've made a great contribution to the world of open source, and put a powerful graphics engine in the hands of people who otherwise might not have had a chance to explore the field.

Thanks for all your work, and I'm sure that Ogre will live long into the future!

[reptor]

If there was a voting who is the most popular member here at this forum I have no doubt Sinbad would easily come first.

Thank You Sinbad for giving birth to Ogre3D and for all of your forum posts clearly written with a lot of patience.



Once upon a time I was an administrator at a website dedicated around a commercial game. I worked as an engineer full-time at the same time. My work as an engineer got so intensive that it became really hard to be an administrator at the website so eventually I had to give up the position I had been promoted to just a few months earlier. I just found it practically impossible to be at work to 6 PM and then, already feeling exhausted after a hard day at work, try to find the time to do my job as the administrator of a website. It was incredibly demanding - it was like a full-time job! Other people at the website who apparently did either not have jobs at all or didn't have to work as much as I had to were not quite understanding why I could not spend the whole evening administrating the website... they did understand after I explained it to them properly but at first I felt like they thought I would have to put in a lot more hours every day which was impossible given that I had a full-time job already elsewhere in which I was getting paid.

So yes, I do see it is not an easy position to be an Ogre3D lead developer and at the same time try to take care of your main source of income at the same time. There is a point where we just have to put our hands up and say 'enough', even more so if there is such a problem as serious back pain which can pretty much paralyse you. Then if you take the painkillers those can put you to sleep or almost to sleep so no work can be carried out - I know this too from personal experience!

Again, thanks. And I wish to get to see you post here because your posts are the best here and I think most people would agree to that!

[jacmoe]

Even if I knew it would happen, this is still a shock.

This must have been a tough decision, but I am sure that it will lead to great things - once the shock waves have settled.

Looking back, I am struck with awe by the super-human efforts put into Ogre by our former Project Lead.

If anyone can write a book entitled 'How to Become a Hero in Less than 10 Years', it would be Steve 'Sinbad' Streeting.

Please, get well.


Looking forward to seeing what the next 10 years of OGRE will bring.