I'm slightly hungover and tired, and need something to do to procrastinate from my 1.5k word essay, so writing my history (even though we've had so many nostalgic threads to the point we can now be nostalgic about nostalgic threads!) sounds like a great idea!
I started getting involved in online communities around about 1998, when I was 9 years old. First it was a chat site called Chatropolis, then I started using Microsoft Comic Chat. I didn't join a forum until early 2000 on a site called PDark.com - a site obviously dedicated to the Nintendo 64 FPS, Perfect Dark! I was only posting on there for a couple of months, but my interest in the game was winding down as the Pokemon fad in Australia was hitting a peak. I loved the anime, I was obsessed with collecting all the original cards and I was a master at Pokemon Yellow; though, I didn't have it on Gameboy but already knew how to use ROM's.
I started trying to make fake cards to trade at school, and I think that's how I stumbled on the site in about September 2000. But I was taken away at all the different areas the site had to offer, that it instantly made its way into my Internet Explorer 5 favourites. I stole much of its content, as well as the ROMs, and attempted to sell CD's at $5 a piece at the local market; I was not successful.
I found the chat pretty soon after, and tried to talk about some Pokemon. I recall thinking the bot, Carrots, was a real person until some point after. I remember people like Onix11 and that dude that owned Carrots, and of course Aeriana and firepokemon. Firepokemon was an AOp and kicked me out a few times for, presumably, retardation, and I was highly apologetic for things I couldn't comprehend, but I definitely feared him.
I noticed the forums but didn't join for a month after. I really liked the poster, Flying Destiny, and thought Kasumi was really sweet. I was astonished at Ash_300's number of posts in such a short time, I thought Little_Pikachu was some hip young 20's chick that couldn't care for the rules, and Hyrelian_Genius was a bit of an asshole. There are so many members of the past that I can still recall, but to name them would take too much time.
One of my first posts involved posting in the Gold and Silver forum that they have already released the #252 Pokemon; it got closed pretty fast. I remember the forum was down and I thought I got banned, so I emailed Kasumi and she told me not to worry. I felt so privileged to talk to PokeChamp - who was an admin at the time - on ICQ, making me feel I have some worth in these new forums. Pretty early on I desired to be a moderator. I befriended Vidgamergbc in Other Pokemon Games after we had a fight, and decided to just become friends.
The day I found out Flying Destiny was the same person as firepokemon really blew me away. On the one hand, I really liked and respected Flying Destiny on the forums, yet I feared and was beginning to dislike firepokemon on the chat. Needless to say I didn't know what was up and what was down.
I, along with many other members during those days, had the perception that postcount = a higher self worth. And the higher your self worth is, the more chance you have to being a moderator! I was posting in most topics and making my own, and I was becoming obsessed with the forums. I would wake up as 12 druing the summer holidays and just go onto TPM to see all the new activity. It felt very special. Master_Pokemon H and I were in some form of posting competition - well, that's at least how I perceived it is. I was making more friends with Australian's, with the likes of totodile_girl, Bronze_Umbreon and cool_daddy_47 (all of whom I still talk to on an occassional basis). The forum Polls & Clubs was recently created, and H_G and LuGiA007 were made admins, so I tried my best to get noticed. When Vidgamer was modded there, as well as LIIIF, I was pretty jealous to say the least. I started making polls almost daily, and was getting rather known for my "originality" in polls.
I recall the [glow] features and everyone using them, including yours truly. They were so abused that a rule was set in place that they could only be used in signatures, for people started using it as font.
I had my first e-girlfriend with Chikoslavia's Revenge - who turned out to be a pretty attractive girl - but at the same time, the Malasyian chick silverMaurari or whomever also wanted me. It was my first taste and being a manwhore.
There was a mod spot in the now Polls, Clubs & Games forum, and I was worried it would go to squirtle_flame. I went into #pokemasterspbs - which I was beginning to frequent more - and I was complaining how my internet for the past few days had not allowed me to go into TPM. LuGiA007 then said that then I hadn't realised I had been modded. I was in total shock. I couldn't believe it. So I went to check and it was working finally, and I noticed my new found position and a congratulations topic! I went running around the house screaming with sheer excitement, jumping up and down and proud to tell my mother.
A month or so after being moderated my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer; my world had been turned upside down. So, I was not active for a fair few weeks and people knew why, but TPM became a huge distraction for me when she was sick and after she had passed on. Not only was it my online home, but it had become a much needed distraction. I would think of it when at school, the current politics and the friendships I had made there.
I was extremely excited when the forums upgraded to UBB6; it was a fresh makeover. Unfortunately, the servers couldn’t handle it and it went back to UBB5 pretty soon after. A second attempt occurred and things all worked well. While there wasn’t enough addons, and it took awhile for things to be normal, there were many new exciting elements. The first, of course, was the name change ability. I straight away went from pokemastershazza2000 to shazza, but soon enough it became pretty common to change your name to whatever you felt at the time.
I got modded in UBB Help, mainly due to my mascerade that I knew what I was talking about when it came to UBB 6. And I guess, in a way, I did, as my EZBoard, Shazza’s Spooky Slide, was recently upgraded to an illegal copy of UBB 6. I was now modding two forums, and felt pretty sweet.
In December 2001, Little_Pikachu was made into an administrator – and has remained as such for over nine years. I remember I was very jealous about this, as my next desire was to be made an admin. I recall it was Orientation Day at school and I was in P.E playing Baseball, but all I could think of was her current promotion and how that made me feel.
Kevin was having server troubles or something and we were forced to become an EzBoard in about March-April 2002. The future of TPM was uncertain. Staff were quitting – kurai/H_G, for instance, stepped down as administrator. I think this was also when nick/blastoise_boy also quit being a TCG moderator – who was quite known to be kurai’s lapdog. The enthusiasm and enjoyment I got out of moderating was already fading away, and becoming an EZBoard was the final nail in the coffin, so I quit. I remember Suzie saying that if I ever wish to resume my position, then I should. Nearly eight years on, and I’m still waiting!
What are your happiest memories associated with TPM?
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Re: What are your happiest memories associated with TPM?
Originally Posted by Zak
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