[Martin Schaefer]

Hi folks,

I've been thinking a while about my personal engagement for Director and its community.
Maybe you'll say it's never been easy for all of us. Yes, that's damn true and it's Adobe's fault
that the situation hasn't improved at all over the last couple of years.

Well, I'll try to get to the point of this announcement:

From 2010 I will stop my engagement with Adobe as an Adobe User Group manager and shutdown the current Directorforum websites.

Main reasons for this being:

1. No visible improvement of the product, at least not in a way that I could further support.
2. Complete ignorance by Adobe, communication with the community dropped to zero. This is some disrespectful behavior that I won't support or tolerate in any way.
3. Product marketing not offering any form of support or interest in community activities.
4. Seems like I'm on a black list now, since I'm not even part of the Shockwave Player beta or any other "behind the scenes activities", if they do actually exist.

These above reasons make me believe my efforts for the community are not welcome by Adobe and it looks like I have to accept and end my engagement rather sooner than later.

If someone else wants to save and re-publish the content e.g. from the Collaboration Wiki
or other Directorforum resources, don't hesitate to get in contact with me to see how we
can do that.

It's been a wild ride over the last roughly 15 years and I now realize it's time to move on.
I will miss all of you guys who had (and some still have) faith in Director and those who
really fought to their limits for Director's survival. You guys are a community, a software manufacturer should be endlessly proud of.

I'm tired, I'm finally done with this part of Adobe.

Cheers,
Martin

[Rob]

Sorry to see you leave Martin. This site was/is a good resource!


/Rob

[bollili]

I fully understand your feelings, Martin.
It's a shame how Adobe forced you to give up.
Thanks for the years of effort.

Cheers,
bollili

[Alain_]

It’s not funny to read this, but I agree with you.

I hope a new upgrade with a great possibility will appear very soon but...

The big problem is the Evangelist, he can’t answer at anybody a simple question.

He make a big mess in the Director community.

Allen if you don’t like your job quit immediately please.

[Andreas Rv]

Very bad news Martin!
So we have to call our regulars' table "Director`s Cut" now...

Andreas

[mal]

Hi Martin,

I'll be sorry to see you leave, you have done an enormous amount for the Director developer community ( both on this site, and on the fourms ) through both the Macromedia and now Adobe years.

I can only hope that something will happen pre the 2010 deadline that will change your mind. In the meantime, I wish you the best for the future...
Mal

[Matthew Woods]

Very sorry to hear this, but completely understand it.
I've come to value this site a lot in the 4 years or so I've been using Director.
Sorry I only got to know Director and this community in its twilight era.

Thanks for all your hard work, and best of luck,

-Matt

[Ilya Lad]

I am sorry to you are going to leave, Martin. I have got a very valuable help from you directly and from the people on the forum you are managing. Thank you very very much!

I also think that many things could be felt as disrespectful by you. (Having no any knowledge, I am not sure about the "black list", though). I would be very happy if you could change you mind sometime in the future.

I like so much your - Cheers - at the end of your messages!

[Martin Schaefer]

Yeah, I love that too.
It always reminds me of Tom Higgins, who did such a terrific job for the community
(in the bounds of his limited non-executive possibilities) for many years.

Cheers,
Martin

[Chunick]

I completely understand your position and respect you for taking that stand. You have, more than anyone, done a great amount of work in the last few years to push the development team and Adobe toward building a better product and better ties with the community - and so I think you deserve the right to criticize it, both good and bad.

I am saddened every time a major developer leaves the community because it makes me begin the process of questioning Director and it's place in my own toolbox all over again.