If I do break away it'll be total and complete, I'm not going to linger around and try to direct things from behind or have some partial involvement. What happens after I'm gone is not going to be something I concern myself with. I'll be in Hunan teaching English.
I think the biggest take away from my post is that I am okay with whatever happens. When I get back from my vacation around July 1st I'm going to try to implement ideas to stabilize the site and architecture its future but I'm fine with it not working. I have an exit strategy ready to go, but it requires a true exit and not some a partial one.
What I'm not going to do is pass along the name or the site as it exists. If the site goes down, it will be available in a downloadable format without user data. My only request is that no one call their copies of the site the "Kiwi Farms", and that users do not patronize any site pretending to be the "Kiwi Farms". I don't even care if it's called "Not Kiwi Farms", but not "Kiwi Farms 2".
First off, I feel obliged to say thank you for creating the site. It's been nothing but fun.
Second, we live in weird times. The current politics are probably causing you some anxiety. Take some time off and really think about this before you make any decisions. Don't let current affairs pressure you to do something one way or the other.
Third, I had a niche site in the early 2000s that built up a large user base and a lot of traffic. It was great at first, then became a lot of headaches and interfered with my personal life. Walked away from it, did a clean break like you are talking about.
Have always regretted the decision to close it down. Still look at myself as the op and wish I'd kept it going.
My experiences have nothing to do with your life's journey. Do what's right for you, but make sure you are good with whatever decision you make before you do it.
Fourth, the odds of you finding someone to settle down and be happy with are about 50 / 50. Even if you get married and have kids, there's a good chance it ends in divorce. It's best to find someone when you are on top, not on the bottom. Start looking now, online dating sites make it very efficient to find someone with a small investment of time and effort. It's best if your experiences overlap and you have a nice place to land if one or the other goes south.
Fifth, make sure you have multiple guns, plenty of ammo, and a go bag in case the world turns to shit. Have a plan for where you are going to go, preferably Africa. Get the money together now and transform assets - like this site - into cash if you need it. There's about a 30% chance the US is going to be in a Civil War come November, the best place to be during it is away. Importing a wife is almost always better than the lazy bitches we have here these days. If you can, make your way to Russia. They will make you give up your US citizenship, but the women are mostly clean and have traditional values. That's where I'd go if I was in your shoes.
Good luck. Sorry for pissing you off so much over the years.
