5/21/2018. A day that will live on in infamy for all IRIX enthusiasts.
Exactly three years ago, we lost one of the greatest assets and a pillar of the IRIX community. For those of you unaware, that was Nekochan.net. Always, where the original heart of the community was. On this day I want to say a few words. Losing Nekochan took a toll on me emotionally. That may sound melodramatic, but it's the truth. Overnight the community's future plopped in my lap. IRIXNet was nowhere near ready to replace Nekochan, and neither I nor Praetor positioned it as a replacement. We lost so much, especially of our history. The reality is that I was unprepared, and I was already in a high stress job, one that was already hurting me healthwise. My mistakes have no excuse or explanation that will make it any easier. I'm not here to beat myself up, or blame anyone for our shortcomings.
I'm grateful that I found people I could trust to help me uphold the future of the community. In truth, I was suffering and in 2019 I was ready to pull the plug a few times especially. Ironically, 2020 was better, and 2021 is even better. I am proud of our accomplishments and moving forward we should focus on that. For those who've helped us get this far, thank you. To my critics, even those who hate me, I do want to say this: Even though your words tore me down once, I feel I was made a better leader even so. Today, we remember Nekochan. I can't speak for all of you, but it'll always hold a place in my heart. Thank you, Nekonoko. Thank you for the 5 years I had of Nekochan. Things will get better. I will see to it one way or the other. --Raion.