TPM Memories

[firepokemon]

awww how sweet.

[Crystal Mew]

ok I was just wondering.

and hi jay!

[FAT sweetgirl 16]

Hi Samantha.

How's Neopets? Rofl.

[Kirby]

sup comrade

[FAT sweetgirl 16]

Hi Bonnie.

Remember the time Zak tried to be cool like us and spammed Kanye West's Gold Digger lyrics in IRC? That was hilarious.

[Kirby]

Yeah, some people just don't know when to quit. It's quite sad.

http://b2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/0...40384882_l.jpg

I forgive him though, because he's such a hottie.

[Clark]

oh man. hahaha
That picture definitely shows the ladies Zak means business!

[Zak]

hahaha that picture does bring back memories.

[Blademaster]

This topic is starting to look at GameFAQs.

IGen, is that you?!

[Roy Karrde]

Edit: DragoKnight I will respond to you later (most likely on my next account since Roy thinks he's cool), I'm running low on sleep.

Yep it is going to be on his next account, or in a few accounts from now. Hopefully we will have a Registration ban soon to fix this problem.

[Crystal Mew]

Hi Samantha.

How's Neopets? Rofl.

lol well, once I bought a lab ray I stopped going there as often.

LOL @ Zak's pic. I remember you posting that pic, didnt you say your shoes were nikes cause of the N? iirc, yes hahaha.

[Knight of Time]

Hey, one big memory I had is, does anyone remember that collage that has various TPMers on it?

Doesn't anyone think it may be time for a new one someday?

[firepokemon]

^ Can't say I do. Anyway posted something at PC (pokecommunity) in a post about your forum life. Obviously most of it is about TPM so meh I'll post it here. Its just stuff I typed up, no one should get upset about it. Its just merely some thoughts I had as I was typing it.

-----

In 1999 my family got dialup Internet, which, back then was quite adequate for foruming and chatting. Now days, well I wouldn't like to know how difficult it is to use the Internet using dialup. Initially I was more into the wrestling sites, as I was a huge fan of wrestling back then (now days I barely watch the show or keep up and I should so sell my wrestling collection as I could probably fetch a few dollars).

In 2000 I began looking at pokemon websites, I was never a gamer but I adored the anime and one day I happened to found pokemasters. Back then, there still wasn't a forum, but I enjoyed the reports, which I read promptly including the back issues, and I also joined the chat room there. It was a great time; I became more and more interesting in the site and then one day Pokemaster Kevin (Webmaster) announced that there would be a new feature coming in the next few days. That would happen to be the message board, back then the bug message boards were all Ultimate Bulletin Boards. It just happened that I joined the first day March 24th 2000 (although being in New Zealand it was the 25th here). This would ultimately be a journey, an interesting one at that.

I loved the message board, back then nothing was organised, there wasn't a miscellaneous forum, people were just thinking about gold and silver, it hadn't yet been released outside of Japan. It was a time where one didn't have avatars and features were pretty basic. But it was also a time where one could make their own identity, create their own niche in the Internet. I mainly hung round General Discussion, which at the time was where you’d post misc-related posts. The anime forum was popular so I would post a bit there. Like most people who initially join the forums, I did some newbie stuff. Posting asking for ROMs and emulators in Pokemon Stadium, and Red, Blue & Yellow forums. Posting crappy red, blue, yellow teams (I had never played the game, the only real sources of information was some crappy pokemon book my brother had and the website albeit. I ignored most of what was on the site), thus posting teams with Blastoise in it and having such moves as Skull Bash and that type of stuff.

There was so much Spam and so many trolls and huge piles of flames that seemed to increase with the addition of Miscellaneous forums and Pokemon Snap & something else forum. Miscellaneous forum didn’t even have any moderators at the time. In General Discussion Pokemaster Kevin asked if someone would like to be a General Discussion moderator, I put my name down but didn’t get it. My opportunity would come as there was soon an opportunity to mod the Miscellaneous Discussion forum. Back then if you wanted to moderate, you had to treat it like a Presidential campaign. Many of us would post some type of pledge saying what we would bring to the forum and what rules we would have and the stuff. It sounds crazy now, but back then it was perfectly acceptable as there were no things such as Infractions or anything like that. Eventually Pokemaster Kevin decided the only way to go would be to hold some type of vote. This didn’t stop us campaigning but only meant we would campaign some more. Eventually, one guy Too Cool Scyther had a huge lead and was in. While, myself, ThunderTheTalkingRaichu and PokeMasterMisty were the other three selected as we had the most votes after TCS. Back then we were not even allowed in the Team-meeting discussion, eventually, we’d be allowed in.

I was at that time, quite a strict moderator; hell I would edit people’s posts and fix their spelling and grammar (this seems funny now as my writing was pretty **** then and is pretty **** now). I became a top poster, posting more replies and making new posts than almost anyone else. I can’t say what quality some of them were, but I always made an effort to post decently at less. I became involved in many discussions, often providing advice for those that required it. I became heavily involved in anti-Christian rants (I was really anti-religion back then). I made up a bunch of lies, some being that I was sexually abused, hooked on drugs, contemplated having sex, making out I had a child and stuff like that. So pathetic but I was lonely and wanting attention. I also got into a fight with Too Cool Scyther and Takeshi (Real Slim Shady and another name I think) over how Miscellaneous should be modded. They came from UPN, which, at the time was far more liberal and less strict than one could find at TPM. I remember posting a topic saying how I’m thinking of quitting. Half of my posts in those days were real attention seeking. I also happened to find the fanfic discussion board and there was a post asking for fanfic raters for the site. I put my name down saying I was in some made-up course to do with literature criticism or something like that. I along with reeb was made a fanfic rater. These were great times, I guess I was a memorable member in those times, well liked, if I worked hard I really believe that I would have been administrator.

Unfortunately, someone had gained access to our ISP and the login and password and thus was using our account to access the Internet. Thus my parents got a bill that was at least 200 dollars but probably more like 500 dollars and thus they decided to get rid of the internet for a while, while, it was all sorted out. Panicking knowing I would be away for a while I decided to make a post saying my mother had been in a car accident and that I wouldn’t be on the internet for a while. Eventually a week later, I posted saying that she had died. Over the time I was away, some more people were made moderators, some stuff happened. One such incident was with an administrator named Dodrio who was being what I saw as abusive towards other users. A bunch of people from UPN (Upnetwork) came over to cause havoc on the forums. Many people became upset, but I didn’t have the Internet at the time so couldn’t exactly help.

During my time away I was quite the mess and gave my parents hell, I was a moody bastard then I’m a moody bastard now. So I would throw and destroy the house to bits. My Internet addiction was literally that bad. Anyway I was away from the Internet and so I came up with a bunch of things the board needed, new mods, new rules, a constitution one might call it. I also made up a few fanfics and stuff I wanted to post on the board. And then one day, my parents said we could have the Internet back.

Having the Internet back was great, but things had changed at TPM while I was away. New people, who were solely newbies, became more prolific. Dodrio had become one bitter bastard and major cliques were starting to appear. I came back, posted the rules and stuff I wanted to see in the Constitution, made up some posts in Misc, one of those being what the members would be like in 10 years. I miss those posts. Nobody gave a though to archiving in those days. I noticed one particular post in General Discussion made by reeb about Dodrio and how he was using his admin powers wrongly. I somehow became involved in this and soon was well on the path to a war with Dodrio and his friends. I guess part of me believed in standing up for what was right and that kind of stuff.

Anyway Dodrio kept deleting me several times; Pokemaster Kevin would keep adding me back. But the war with Dodrio and my constant lies were becoming a strain. My lies became more audacious and more pathetic. Suddenly I was supposedly some rich person, with lots of money and that kind of stuff, I’d pretend to be depressed and posting topics about me being sexually abused. Basically a lot of things came to the fore. Eventually, I pushed my luck way too far, and after one night where I just couldn’t sleep, I decided to plan some grand post saying how my dad was dead. I became fully into the role, and started initially in the chat, panicking saying he was dead and eventually made a post about it. Of course people wouldn’t be that dumb, and one person called me out and others called me out and eventually I had to admit it was a lie. Dodrio happened to be away at that time, which was probably a good thing. Basically I had to make up some excuse so said that I made up my dad dying and that I did it for attention and because I’m not happy with myself being bisexual and all, eventually, I just said I was gay. And yet this did not stop me from maintaining the lies of my mother being dad and other stuff as well.

Eventually Dodrio came back and we got into the wars again, these people now had more ammunition to attack me. Dodrio and his friends would invite me to some group chat on MSN and well I was attacked constantly. I remained a mod, although Dodrio and I got into the wars more and more, he kept deleting me and I kept being put back in due to back-ups and the like. One day Kevin decided to upgrade the board, but this upgrade eventually caused havoc with many people being deleted. I remember something strange happened with my account, it said I was admin or something. Regardless Dodrio deleted me. Things got sorted out, although TCS was demodded by Dodrio and PokeChamp a major suck-up was made a mod of Misc.

One day after someone had made a topic asking what people’s star signs were, I had enough. I closed the thread saying, this poll had been done many times. He argued about it and I got upset so I quit as Misc mod. The minute that happened, Dodrio and his friends group-chatted with me, we argued and I was deleted again. I had earlier joined up at Upnetwork.net, Bulbagarden and Pokemon Adobe, the three main other message boards at the time so I needed time away from TPM and thus posted more at UPN. But two members Bill51 and PokeChamp posted over at UPN saying how I was a liar and I was trouble and the stuff. I was still a fanfic rater but no longer a mod at TPM. Eventually my account was banned and thus for a few good months I would evade my bans even though I was IP banned using proxies and the likes. Basically creating havoc at the boards, using multiple usernames some of those being crazefire, firecraze, flying destinty, firepokemonmaster and the like. I kept getting banned, but then one day Dodrio and I seemingly got over it. Dodrio I suspect became upset with PokeChamp who was seriously kissing Kevin’s ass and Dodrio was moving on. Dodrio announced he was leaving he deleted his own account and eventually PokeChamp became the admin.

One would think this would stop the drama, but I didn’t think much of PokeChamp. I certainly didn’t believe he should be admin, and thus the wars I had with Dodrio I now had with PC. We would fight over everything, he didn’t deserve to be admin, I still believe that now and it’s been nearly eight years. But stuff happens and he was admin. Eventually, I once a pretty liked member became something of a nuisance. I became hooked on the history of the board and had at that time I great memory. And I would post TPMs history and the like. Things on the chat room were also good, I somehow began a relationship with Ninetales3001 and I became an aop in the chat. I didn’t stop having fights, these continued for ages. I became obsessed with flaming people who I thought were spammers namely Ash_300. Boards change in many ways, and I guess one of the major changes at TPM was a bunch of members from Great Britain who had their own clique of sorts. PokeChamp was dumb and well gave Karma Chameleon his password, thus causing havoc on the boards. And two more members, one being Hyrulian_Genius who went from one day disliking Dodrio to basically kissing his ass and someone who was made a moderator far later than anyone and another guy Lugia007 also friends with Dodrio became administrators as well.

I’m not sure this helped the board, as well there wasn’t much communication with PokeChamp deciding his own rules and the other two deciding theirs. For some reason after this, most memories seemingly stop. I am sure I was a complete ass and there was one member, Little_Pikachu creating quite a name for herself at the boards. Eventually she would kiss Kevin’s ass and be made an admin one day, which she was. Everyone saw that one day she would be admin, everyone knew it would one day happen. Sometimes I think Kevin was a shitbag, the amount of people that would kiss his ass. TPM had its troubles with server costs and the likes. At one stage things were so bad that we had to be on Ezboard for a while. Eventually things came back, although the site was never the same again, the board came back, many new members came.

I find it funny, that my memories of 2000 are far fresher than my memories of 2001, 2002 etc. I continued posting at the forums, but by then I was an ass, merely there to annoy some people. I guess I got a reputation as a good flamer, the funny thing is now days I can’t see to flame it just comes out as pathetic. I continued posting at UPN for many years, although it was never my board, it could never be my board. I was just too attached to TPM. I also posted at Bulbagarden but that disappeared, as did UPN eventually, Jaxel selling the domain name for money. A refuge board was set up, eventually someone brought the domain upnetwork.net but they were never the same again. I don’t know what happened to Pokemon Adobe when its site closed. I was far too busy at TPM to notice. Bulbagarden went through troubles and that eventually disappeared as well, only for Archaic and others to build a site back up. Things on the Internet had changed a lot. The once big sites were all faltering.

Sometime in June 2003 while living in Christchurch where I live still today. My computer blew up. This was a blessing in one way, as it meant I wouldn’t be on the Internet as much. But you also miss out on a lot of things as well. During the time away I found my partner who I still live with today. That’s been a blessing, but part of me always missed the Internet. I would continue posting at TPM but those days became less and less and less. The only real time I would go on the Internet was when I’d go home for the Christmas holidays. Which explains why I was a member at this board PokeCommunity and the new Bulbagarden and the like. But for five years almost the Internet life was gone.

Finally in 2008 after many years without a computer, my partner happened to find a computer at the dumb (disgusting I know). I don’t know what I was expecting to find, having the Internet again. But clearly this wasn’t 2000-2002 any more. I posted at TPM, which survives to this day, although its far more inactive than one remembers. I eventually joined up again at Serebii although I became so disgusting by one thread and thus trolled and am currently banned till next month. I came back to Bulbagarden and am quite enjoying it there and of course there’s pokecommunity. I’m very nostalgic, always looking back at those so called golden times of pokemon message boards. Things have changed since I first joined the Internet. Serebii was a minor site and serebii himself was a lonely figure with a small chat room with a few of his friends. And of course there’s pokecommunity. TPM seems such a small memory in the pokemon world today, which I for one find a sad thing.

To be perfectly honest, the five years where I had no Internet was a lonely existence, and having the Internet is surprisingly lonely. I have people on my AIM but I don’t exactly talk to them, I have a few on MSN but don’t talk to them. I still post at TPM but its like a kick to the face, the way the board is now, it has life to it and yet there’s a smell of death in the air. I complain constantly about boards such as Serebii and Pokecommunity, which I really shouldn’t.

There’s nothing wrong with such boards, they’re not the boards of old and perhaps that’s one reason I struggle seemingly to post that much. People should be proud of the communities they’re in and its lovely that today people tend to archive more things and things seem more secure.

I miss UBBs; there was something magical to them that I don’t think Vbulletin can deliver. I’m now days a bitter 24 year old, joining pokemon chat rooms and joining and posting at message boards trying to find something that doesn’t exist anymore. 2000-2002 were for me my magic years. I have memories and know people from that time that I will probably continue to know for many years. If you were around in those days, you knew how magical they were. The days where forums were disorganised, flame wars were plentiful, where lists of rules didn’t populate everywhere. It was just a time of magic, a magic that can never be recreated. Part of me is hoping one day I can move fully on from the pokemon community.

I’m, not sure how others see me. But I’m sure I’m an annoying person that if you see me in a chat room I am probably complaining about how people don’t post decently and the like. I got into a fight with someone on a chat room; he used my age against me. Which, for some reason really upset me I guess it was the fact that my age was mentioned. Everyone has his or her glory days. The time on the internet where everything just seems great, for some of us, its when the boards we joined were brand new and where we built a real community from the ground up. For others it’s when they first join a message board, and are somehow able to find a niche, a place in the community that they can enjoy and love. And for many of us, we’re probably trying to find that golden place again. IT doesn’t exist. You have choices, one is to move on which will do you a lot of good, the other is to keep reminiscing, its dangerous but you get on with it.

As for me, well I don’t know what the future holds; I’m at least attempting to stop being so nostalgic and reminiscing about everything. It’s difficult, but necessary. There is something comfortable however, about the pokemon community. Its large its all over the place. But there’s a certain comfort that I don’t know exists in other communities.

[shazza]

That made me shed a tear.

[Blademaster]

tl;dr

[Clark]

fuck if im reading that shit. postcount++

[shazza]

Fuck you motherfucker it was an entertaining read and I would read it again.

[Andrew]

Ace and Blademaster, be warned, please don't do that again.

[firepokemon]

Yeah and Ace I DEMAND THAT YOU GET OFF YOUR ARSE AND READ IT YOU BASTAD. Actually I'm not that happy with what I posted their. It needs to be at least three times the size really I'll review it one day. AND what is tl;dr? Am I missing something with what that is meant to mean?

[shazza]

Too long; didn't read.

Blademaster was trying to make a funny.

[Zak]

I remember a time when people would be banned instantly for posting tl;dr. For some reason it shocks me that fp didn't know of it by now, but well there you go.

And it does indeed look like Blademaster was trying to impress someone...

[Blademaster]

I wasn't trying to be funny or impress anyone. I was just amping up my Karma a bit.

[Clark]

I remember a time when people would be banned instantly for posting tl;dr. For some reason it shocks me that fp didn't know of it by now, but well there you go.

And it does indeed look like Blademaster was trying to impress someone...

Thats the first time I've ever seen it on TPM..

[firepokemon]

I've never been one to know what half the internet language people type means. LOL, ^_^, and are about it for me.

[Zak]

It's not that it's internet lingo, it's just the fact that I'm pretty sure a year or two ago on TPM there was a huge issue with people being banned for posting that, and if there's anyone that events like that would attract their attention it's you, but guess not this time.

[firepokemon]

Hmm well anything post 2002ish I don't remember that well. Hell half the time I barely remember 2002.