Departure from the Michigan Photography Network

I recently stepped down as admin of the Michigan Photography Network Facebook group. 

Back in 2017 I was trying to find ways to network with other Michigan photographers. I tried joining several groups, like the Rising Tide Society, but most wouldn’t let me join due to my rural location. I decided to create my own group for networking with local photographers called the Michigan Photography Network. During the first two years I coordinated a few in person meetups. The group continued to grow to over 9000 members by the beginning of 2024. From 2017 till early 2024 I was the sole admin. I approved new members, removed spam, and dealt with people’s complaints and conflicts. These are things I dealt with on a daily basis from 2017 early 2024. I’d also had a few photographers from the group who wanted to meet in person whom I met with. These meetings were always pleasant. In the beginning of 2024 I realized this group was taking up way too much of my time. I asked for assistance with the admin duties and several individuals came forward, which I was thankful for. Last week posts in the group got increasingly contentious to the point that threats of lawsuits were being made and admins were banning each other from the group. I shared with several admins that I wanted to delete the group at this point. After sleeping on it, I decided to step down as an admin and leave the group in other people’s hands. I’d like to thank those who privately messaged me and thanked me for the work I did in the group.