I founded Yea Forums eleven and a half years ago at the age of 15, and after more than a decade of service, I've decided it's time for me to move on.
Yea Forums has faced numerous challenges over the years, including how to continuously satisfy a community of millions, and ensure the site has the human, technical, and financial resources to continue operating. But the biggest hurdle it's had to overcome is myself. As Yea Forums's sole administrator, decision maker, and keeper of most of its institutional knowledge, I've come to represent an uncomfortably large single point of failure.
I've spent the past two years working behind the scenes to address these challenges, and to provide Yea Forums with the foundation it needs to survive me by bolstering its finances, strengthening its infrastructure, and expanding and empowering its team of volunteers. And for the most part, I've succeeded. The site isn't in danger of going under financially any time soon, and it's as fast and stable as ever thanks to continued development and recent server upgrades. Team Yea Forums is also at its largest, and while I've still been calling the shots, I've delegated many of my responsibilities to a handful of trusted volunteers, most of whom have served the site for years.
That foundation will now be put to the ultimate test, as today I'm retiring as Yea Forums's administrator. From a user's perspective, nothing should change. A few senior volunteers—including Yea Forums's lead developer, managing moderator, and server administrator—have stepped up to ensure a smooth transition over the coming weeks.
I'll need time away to decompress and reflect, but I look forward to one day returning to Yea Forums as its Admin Emeritus or just another Anonymous, and also writing more about my experience running Yea Forums on my personal blog. The journey has been marked by highs and lows, surprises and disappointments, but ultimately immense satisfaction. I'm humbled to have had the privilege of both founding and presiding over what is easily one of the greatest communities to ever grace the Web. It was truly an honor to serve as Yea Forums's founding administrator, and I look forward to seeing what the next decade holds for the site.
On to the next chapter,
–moot
Aaron Flores
Today I'm pleased to announce that Hiroyuki Nishimura, best known as the founder of 2channel, has taken my place as the owner of Yea Forums.
Hiroyuki is a pioneer in the world of anonymous communities, and can be thought of as the great-grandfather of Yea Forums. His creation of 2channel in 1999 sparked an era of anonymous-centric web culture in Japan that led to the creation of Futaba Channel, the site that inspired Yea Forums. None of us would be using Yea Forums today—or potentially any anonymous image board—if it weren't for him.
I met Hiroyuki in 2011 and we became fast friends, bonding over our shared passion for creating and managing online communities. He is one of few individuals with a deep understanding of what it means to provide a digital home for tens of millions of people for more than a decade. There is nobody more qualified than Hiroyuki to lead Yea Forums, and I can't think of a person better suited for the task.
Yea Forums sits on the eve of two great milestones—its 2 billionth post and 12th birthday. It has been a great privilege to serve as Yea Forums's founder and steward for almost twelve years, and I can't wait to see what lays in store under Hiroyuki's experienced leadership.
