[Bf-committers] Withdrawal

[Gavin Howard]

All,

This is going to be a pretty weird email, but whatever.

I've been using Blender for several years now, after being introduced
to it while at version 2.49. I used it a little, then set it aside for
a while. A year later, I came back to a wonderful 2.5x series. I was
excited, and because I /thought/ I could program, I wanted to help.

I was /completely/ wrong about my skill.

I bombed GSoC 2013, and as a result, I got super frustrated at myself
and went into "hiding". After a while, and more education, I decided
to do something a little more humble: the Release Notes.

As you all know from last week's Developers' Meeting, I did the
Release Notes wrong, especially on the Bug Fixes page. I went back
through and tried to fix the problems, but my judgment is lacking, and
I'm sure that I didn't quite fix them. Quite frankly, I am frustrated
with my ineptitude yet again.

I know that the Blender Foundation doesn't need my help, and at this
point, I am pretty sure my "help" is a burden in several ways. So I
really wonder if it would be better without me.

I sincerely hope it hasn't been a burden in /every/ way. Regardless of
if I have or not, I think it's time I call it quits. I'm just not
competent enough to help out, even in a non-development role.

I will finish out this release, but once 2.72 (and any 'a' or other
subsequent bugfix release) is out, I will not "help" out anymore. I'll
still be a user; Blender (and Cycles!) helped me secure a spot in
BYU's Animation Emphasis for the Computer Science major, and I don't
intend to stop using it. But my role in its development will
disappear.

Sorry, Campbell; I know you don't like doing those Release Notes.

Thanks for everything.

God Bless,
Gavin Howard