Reflections of the Newcomer
First, I hope that after reading this, you do not think of me as a self-centered, greedy person. To think so would be a misinterpretation. But, I got to thinking about it the past few days. I have developed alot in the EB community. Maybe it's not interesting to you, but it really got me to dig a little deeper. Why is it that others do not hang around the site longer and develop into at least known members in the community? Did those who are today staffers and the best of starmen.net once where I was?
I came to this site March 18th, 2002. I guess it really hasn't been so long in comparison with people like reid and Tomato, etc. who have been here since the beginning and will be here to the end, if and when it should ever come. But in this span of about 6 months, I have developed alot at the site.
When I first came here, under the name EB-bballin-cig dude, I just kinda registered to see what the forums were all about. I had never registered on any forum before, and I was bored of checking out stuff around the site, so I figured, "Eh, why not." I'm sure glad I did though. I just kinda got hooked to the forums, if not yet the site in general. I had always liked EB, but never really took in the community aspect of this site. It was interesting to find that not everything on the forums was EB related, it was instead a place where you could really post about anything and everything, whether it be voicing your opinion, asking a question, or jt posting something completely insane. I started out as quite a n00b, but I wasn't an idiot. I recall posting a topic about "What do you really think of n00bs?" for which I geuss I was somewhat criticized for, but now that i look back on it, these things just come with the aspects of being a n00b.
In the following weeks, I still stuck mainly to the forums, stopping even to check out the flukes, etc. anymore. I was officially hooked. I began posting daily in every topic where I could add something at least somewhat worthwhile. I of course had my newby moments, mistaking mods for new comers, etc. the normal sort of things. Here in this time period I began developing a good friendship with my good friend, klo125. I guess me and klo kinda became best buds by accident. We just tended to both post a whole lot for newbies, and had both came onto the site at the generally same time. (I believe klo was here a month before me as far as the forums go) As a few weeks past, me and klo would post alot in the same topics, and thus were always arguing or agreeing with each other's various statements. One day we just start talking to each other on AIM, and since then, klo is still my main homie at sm.net and our friendship continues to stay strong. We can always make fun of each other or annoy the crap out of each other, and still know we're still tight.
After the forum switch, I decided to change my forum name to Arad, because my old name was just sort of, eh, unappealing. I decided Arad would be a neat name, it is my actual name, backwards. I found it interesting that my name actually sounds kinda cool backwards, heh. I started making the decision to be a more active member in the community. Over the next few weeks, I began making flukes, trying my hand at poetry, and some other small contributions to the site. I really liked the fluke section, so I decided to give as much as I could to the section, and submitted a fluke making guide to Wampa. Things were cool, I even won third place in my very first AoE entry, which was a fluke.
On the site, however, I realized people still didn't really see me as a member of the community. I wanted to be known! To be able to have people say, "Oh, I know him." I set out to try and earn some badges. As i looked into what each badge stood for, I really wanted to get my own piece of glory and accomplishment that lie in badges. I was able to earn a M3 petition badge and a green donor badge. You can't believe how excited I was to find them next to my name when I posted for the first time with them. It was great.
And so that brings me here, to today, now. I have only been here 6 months, but I feel proud of my accomplishments here. Perhaps they are minuscule, and perhaps most of them have gone unnoticed, which is cool, but they are important to me. Today, I still post daily and hold 4 badges now. I have since developed an even better relationship with my good buddy klo, who has done alot for me as a true friend. I mean come-on, he burned me a copy of Rock Candy! What more could you ask for?! Besides that, I have made a few more good friends. Artemis, Poetrader, Leah, StarmanDeluxe, and quite a few more which I am too braindead at this time to remember right now, but you guys know who you are. To these friends there are no replacement. I have also contributed many more flukes and some poems as well.. My few articles so far are pretty good, or at least I think so. I have placed quite a few times in AoE and always try to submit to whichever contests I can. I hope someday I can become even more active in the EB community. Perhaps perfect my html, learn how to pk-hack, who knows. The possibilities are infinite. I would like to think the greater part of community likes having me around, although I'm sure some people would beg to differ. Of course, some people dislike me, and that's cool. I just sort of appeal to some people and don't appeal to others.
Which brings me to my point of this article. I am proud of my accomplishments at starmen.net, all be them small, they hold significance to me. I take pride in the fact I am carrying on a tradition here at sm.net. But what I really wanted to do is to get you, the reader thinking. what has your journey to today at this site been like? Have you enjoyed it? Are you just starting a journey of your own? Have you changed alot, have you done alot? What's to come for you? I believe that is important and fun to ask ourselves sometimes, "where have I been, where am I now, and where am I going..."
Peace.
First, I hope that after reading this, you do not think of me as a self-centered, greedy person. To think so would be a misinterpretation. But, I got to thinking about it the past few days. I have developed alot in the EB community. Maybe it's not interesting to you, but it really got me to dig a little deeper. Why is it that others do not hang around the site longer and develop into at least known members in the community? Did those who are today staffers and the best of starmen.net once where I was?
I came to this site March 18th, 2002. I guess it really hasn't been so long in comparison with people like reid and Tomato, etc. who have been here since the beginning and will be here to the end, if and when it should ever come. But in this span of about 6 months, I have developed alot at the site.
When I first came here, under the name EB-bballin-cig dude, I just kinda registered to see what the forums were all about. I had never registered on any forum before, and I was bored of checking out stuff around the site, so I figured, "Eh, why not." I'm sure glad I did though. I just kinda got hooked to the forums, if not yet the site in general. I had always liked EB, but never really took in the community aspect of this site. It was interesting to find that not everything on the forums was EB related, it was instead a place where you could really post about anything and everything, whether it be voicing your opinion, asking a question, or jt posting something completely insane. I started out as quite a n00b, but I wasn't an idiot. I recall posting a topic about "What do you really think of n00bs?" for which I geuss I was somewhat criticized for, but now that i look back on it, these things just come with the aspects of being a n00b.
In the following weeks, I still stuck mainly to the forums, stopping even to check out the flukes, etc. anymore. I was officially hooked. I began posting daily in every topic where I could add something at least somewhat worthwhile. I of course had my newby moments, mistaking mods for new comers, etc. the normal sort of things. Here in this time period I began developing a good friendship with my good friend, klo125. I guess me and klo kinda became best buds by accident. We just tended to both post a whole lot for newbies, and had both came onto the site at the generally same time. (I believe klo was here a month before me as far as the forums go) As a few weeks past, me and klo would post alot in the same topics, and thus were always arguing or agreeing with each other's various statements. One day we just start talking to each other on AIM, and since then, klo is still my main homie at sm.net and our friendship continues to stay strong. We can always make fun of each other or annoy the crap out of each other, and still know we're still tight.
After the forum switch, I decided to change my forum name to Arad, because my old name was just sort of, eh, unappealing. I decided Arad would be a neat name, it is my actual name, backwards. I found it interesting that my name actually sounds kinda cool backwards, heh. I started making the decision to be a more active member in the community. Over the next few weeks, I began making flukes, trying my hand at poetry, and some other small contributions to the site. I really liked the fluke section, so I decided to give as much as I could to the section, and submitted a fluke making guide to Wampa. Things were cool, I even won third place in my very first AoE entry, which was a fluke.
On the site, however, I realized people still didn't really see me as a member of the community. I wanted to be known! To be able to have people say, "Oh, I know him." I set out to try and earn some badges. As i looked into what each badge stood for, I really wanted to get my own piece of glory and accomplishment that lie in badges. I was able to earn a M3 petition badge and a green donor badge. You can't believe how excited I was to find them next to my name when I posted for the first time with them. It was great.
And so that brings me here, to today, now. I have only been here 6 months, but I feel proud of my accomplishments here. Perhaps they are minuscule, and perhaps most of them have gone unnoticed, which is cool, but they are important to me. Today, I still post daily and hold 4 badges now. I have since developed an even better relationship with my good buddy klo, who has done alot for me as a true friend. I mean come-on, he burned me a copy of Rock Candy! What more could you ask for?! Besides that, I have made a few more good friends. Artemis, Poetrader, Leah, StarmanDeluxe, and quite a few more which I am too braindead at this time to remember right now, but you guys know who you are. To these friends there are no replacement. I have also contributed many more flukes and some poems as well.. My few articles so far are pretty good, or at least I think so. I have placed quite a few times in AoE and always try to submit to whichever contests I can. I hope someday I can become even more active in the EB community. Perhaps perfect my html, learn how to pk-hack, who knows. The possibilities are infinite. I would like to think the greater part of community likes having me around, although I'm sure some people would beg to differ. Of course, some people dislike me, and that's cool. I just sort of appeal to some people and don't appeal to others.
Which brings me to my point of this article. I am proud of my accomplishments at starmen.net, all be them small, they hold significance to me. I take pride in the fact I am carrying on a tradition here at sm.net. But what I really wanted to do is to get you, the reader thinking. what has your journey to today at this site been like? Have you enjoyed it? Are you just starting a journey of your own? Have you changed alot, have you done alot? What's to come for you? I believe that is important and fun to ask ourselves sometimes, "where have I been, where am I now, and where am I going..."
Peace.
