As you noticed, I don't have a top hat near my name anymore, meaning I'm no longer staff. The primary reason why I stepped down was for school. I'm in my last semesters and I need to focus on that.
But, there is another reason. Since I've never felt that I really "fit" in with the whole community, I have been able to get an outsider perspective on it. In my observations, I feel like the community has become too closed off to the public, and is not as open as it was when I first joined. I'm not certain on what has prompted this change. It be either specific members, the TF2 community as a whole changing or me just being really silly. I don't have a solution for this, though, but I urge you to step back and look at the community as if you were someone visiting for the first time. Is this a place where I'll be able to get my questions answered, then in turn help someone else? Can I easily learn? Maybe you'll see nothing wrong with it, which is fine. If you feel maybe there is something wrong, then try and be more open to members. Help out new members, and help them understand what they are asking, be helpful.
But, there is another reason. Since I've never felt that I really "fit" in with the whole community, I have been able to get an outsider perspective on it. In my observations, I feel like the community has become too closed off to the public, and is not as open as it was when I first joined. I'm not certain on what has prompted this change. It be either specific members, the TF2 community as a whole changing or me just being really silly. I don't have a solution for this, though, but I urge you to step back and look at the community as if you were someone visiting for the first time. Is this a place where I'll be able to get my questions answered, then in turn help someone else? Can I easily learn? Maybe you'll see nothing wrong with it, which is fine. If you feel maybe there is something wrong, then try and be more open to members. Help out new members, and help them understand what they are asking, be helpful.