Four years on this website.

[Dark]

Four years and eight days, to be precise. I seem to have, again, missed my anniversary of joining this website. In any case, these four years have been quite the thrill - I was cornered into making a Skype (which turned out to be extremely useful), I gained a deep disrespect for people who play Yugioh (only kidding, of course), and I made a few friends from not only around the country, but from around the world (yet I'm sadly lacking Russian friends).

Parenthetical phrases aside, this forum has truly made an impact on my life. Whether or not that impact has been beneficial is still unknown, and it may never be known, but the knowledge I've gained from just [i]reading[/i] threads, let alone posting in them, has been immense. As sad as it may sound I honed my debating skills here, and to my surprise met a whole host of, for lack of a better word, smart people. I cemented my knowledge of competitive Pokemon battling, an obscure hobby which has led me to pursue chess (how one ties competitive battling to chess evades me, though). I met member upon member who taught me about video game music (most notably Clair - she's probably the only "shout-out" I'll make in this thread), a genre which has since dominated my music library. I could go on - I learned the art of trolling (even though I was never particularly good at it), I remember nights where friends and I would just have massive Skype calls, I... there is just too much. Too much nostalgia, too much to remember, and too much to post.

As I enter my senior year of high school (yes, I'm not yet in college - to those who believed I was, apologies for the blatant lie), I can't expect to forget these memories. It's embarrassing, almost frowned upon to say I was ever part of a Yugioh forum. The first few [i]thousand[/i] posts I made on this forum were incriminating and stupid, and unfortunately didn't define me as a person. But despite how much I hide this forum under the covers, despite how much I try to forget about this place, it always creeps up. When I'm in the middle of a heated debate, or when I'm using iTunes to make a playlist, or even when I log onto Skype... YCM is there. I will always remember. (I would make a cheesy "Remember, Remember the Third of September" joke, but so few people would get it.)

And though I've made it sound like I'm leaving, I'm not. I never left - it was just a period of inactivity. I still lurk the forums in my free time, and I'm ready to pounce if I see an interesting thread (Trayvon Martin comes to mind... and that stupid Math thread). Though most of my friends have since left this forum, I still want to thank everyone for making the past four years (and eight days) an enjoyable experience. And I hope that somehow I've affected your life in an equally profound way.
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[b]AND NOW FOR THE "LEGITIMATE TOPIC" PART BECAUSE GENERAL RULES WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO POST THIS UNLESS I POSE A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION[/b]

To the veteran members: how has YCM affected your life? What have you gained from spending time here and where do you expect it to get you in the future?

To the newer members: what do you expect YCM to give you? How would you like it to impact your life and what outcome would justify your being here?

[Aerion Brightflame]

I don't know if i count as a veteran member, well I know i don't, but I didn't expect to get much out of the forum in the first place. So, I'll answer the first part.

I was always the nerdy kid who played card games, or all the other nerdy things, and this place just gave me... Not a home, but somewhere where I didn't have to be embarresed of my hobbies. That, and I've made 1 maybe 2 decent friends from the site, and hopefuly some more until this place fades away into nothingness.

I've meet people who always help sort out problems, expand my knowledge of things, and are very very intresting. And its nice to know that even in the darker part of life I managed to find one decent part of it, where I could be myself. And its kinda help boost my self confidence. So yeah.

[.Rai]

Strangely, YCM has had a weird profound effect on my life. But it's very narrow.

YCM introduced me to graphics and digital art. And now I have the option of becoming a freelance artist sometime. So that's nice.

That's all, folks!

[Tourmaline]

I wouldn't know if you'd consider my age as a "veteran" or "new," but I'll answer how I please.

YCM allowed me to meet several people who have significantly changed me or may in several years. Though it's annoying to type while my thumb is still hurt from my dermatophagia, what I've gained here warrants it. Coming out to my mother during February, I was able to gain support from people in here, which really helped while I was at a point that still crushes my will and psyche today, no matter how stoic I may [i]try[/i] to appear. For a while, I've been considering leaving YCM out of some sort of false despair, but it doesn't really matter, considering I still gain from this site today.

Anyway....
I'll wait for the topic to progress. I still have much to say like this site being the second entity to let me know I may have a level of remarkable intelligence, which was denied by TC despite his incredible lack of a sincere knowledge of the judged person, but that really has no relevance.

This site helped me transition from the child I was on GameFAQs who had terribly flawed English, ignorant, sheeplike and cowardly to whoever I may be now, which is a huge improvement if what several people tell me I'm like in private. I thank the site for helping me realize what I should have a resolve for and not let me remain in stasis as a blind child. Because of this site, I was capable of improving myself in terms of education and was able to keep my mind in balance through the sort of experiences my mother forced me through.

[Smesh]

am i cool enough to b a veteren

YCM definitely gives me a place to go and be stupid away from all of my real friends and real life and blah blah. I've made friends, and kinda connected with a few. So yeah. YCM, you're cool.

NOT YOU YCMAKER GO BACK TO YOUR ROOM.

[Blake]

It... gave me the most important thing in my life. It let me gain a little bit of confidence, actually be a part of something. I can't really put it all into words... It's done a lot of good for me, surprisingly, though that well's run dry now.

[Simping For Hina]

I got into graphics because of this site. It has led me to the ability to web design. I met some really cool people that I got to know a lot, some I really can call true friends.
All in all, I am not into the site, I only come to talk to those people if I can't talk to them on any other site.
That might be why I haven't posted much in so long though.

[Catman25]

Besides introduction to graphics, YCM was pretty much a gateway to the internet for me. Plus I feel I can easily measure a difference in maturity from my time here, something I can't say I would've been able to do.

But most important, it's been the simple good times, and wasting away my life.

[Bull3tM0nk3y]

YCM introduced me forums, having online friendships, and how to debate, and to what the internet is really capable of.

It had changed my life a good chunk.

[Nathanael D. Striker]

In the early years, it gave me more crap than it helped me mainly since I gave a lot of crap. Over the last few months, I have finally opened up to people and gained friends. I have learned a bit about the game, but more about friendship and trust. Just wish I could have realized this sooner, since I could have used the support system I have now. Sadly, I feel that I don't have any true friends here. Well, maybe a few.

[DARKPLANT RISING]

As stupid as this may seem, YCM gave me my principle philosophy of life. It's a really stupid philosophy, you know, but I learnt it from looking at the countless losers of the internet that I encountered in here, and it's helped me a lot.

It's a philosophy that in any society, the key to success is to be humorous in a way that is both unique and fitting with the atmosphere of the group. You know, this works hella amazing in schools. I was sorta popular there from before joining, but after learning here what-looks-noobish/immature, I grew up faster than most people in the class. Right now I'm one of the most popular guys in the school, believe it or not. That's the main thing I'll never forget about it.

Oh, and I became competitive at the game enough to be a consistent local-topper.

[Northern Sage]

It greatly improved my card making, deck building and overall TCG knowledge.
It also improved my English a great deal.

[Marisa Kirisame-ze]

I've been here for around 4 and a half years. Holy what. I mean sure, I'm barely active here anymore, but to know that I still sign on sometimes and think of you crazy people, that's insane.

I started YCM when I was in 6th grade, I'm now in 11th, and the people I've met on here definitely broadened my horizons for the universal respect of the online world. I came on here naive, young, and rather incompetent without a backbone, and now I'm rather wise, admired for my words and compassion for others, older, and doing exactly what I want to do in life. Is it because of this site? Well, it definitely was there as I grew.

I have to give it up to the community that was taking place when I signed up though. Many of them taught me how to RP, create forum websites, design GFX, and they were there for me as friends through thick and thin. Coming home every day during middle school was so great, seeing as though I left my school friends, and would be surrounded by my online friends. I was never lonely and I lived both parts of my life in a balanced and fun fashion. Now I'm all over what I do irl, not really caring too much about the online world, but it still effected me in the long run.

I still sometimes miss those people who now left this site and YCM really isn't the same anymore or as great as it was before, but I continued to meet great online friends nevertheless.

Also, Larxene.

I don't know about you, but he was a major thing this site had to offer, not gonna lie.

But anyways, yeah, YCM did help me grow and effected my life when growth was really needed. Knowing people from all over the world was really essential to broaden my knowledge of different lifestyles and become more in touch with what's going on on different end's of the computer. It's brought me to where I am now and hell, I'm living such an amazing life in a way that I really love.

Yay YCM.

[Mehmani]

I too will reach the four year mark in November, and I have consistently remained active for all that time. Throughout this time I have been banned for two months for negging a moderator, gone crazy and posted weird stuff several times and finally, got made a moderator. Possibly the strangest thing yet, that it. I still love it.

[Sunshine Jesse]

Member Since 11 Aug 2007

Geez, time flies

Met a few good people here but overall YCM hasn't done much for me.

[The Warden]

Hmmm, what to say? I suppose YCM has allowed me to harness my creativity in functional ways, and I've met a few good people that helped to shape my life. I'm not going to me schmaltzy, so that's all I'll say on this matter.

[Flame Dragon]

I hit 5 years not that long ago. For the impact all my time here has had I think the biggest is it made me smarter. In general I think I can think better and its because I was interacting with other intelligent people here that that happened. Side from that I got a lot better at thinking about yugioh, a skill that really helped when I jumped to MTG.

[Kodamλ]

I probably still act like a noob but I joined on 14/2/08 (old account) so I've been here for a while. Anyway I think of YCM as a second life where I seem to relate to people more. I also take pride in the fact that I've been here so long yet I'm still unknown which seems to make it better, in my opinion.

[Night]

The site itself was merely a gateway to graphic design for me, because of that single section I've learned so much and improved greatly these last 4 years.
I've also met some of the most talented and skillful people along the way that I know will go far in life, and I am proud to call them my friends.

This site is nothing but an address to me, but showcase will always be a home of mine.

[Synchronized]

I've been here for what, five and a half years? Made some cool friends, only one or two that I still actually talk to and consider a "friend", but my activity here has dwindled significantly, to the point where I just hang around Fan-Fic and TCG occasionally, since I still play the game and it's nice to get updates on new cards/releases and such.

[Tentacruel]

For me it's pretty much just been a time sink...

I think it's been almost three years now. I suppose it has helped me polish my grammar, but that's about it. Regardless, it's been fun.




[quote name='Dark' timestamp='1346696146' post='6018578']
As I enter my senior year of high school (yes, I'm not yet in college - to those who believed I was, apologies for the blatant lie)
[/quote]

[img]http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/357/026/2ff.gif[/img]

[BehindTheMask]

5 years in Feburary.

Ive met a few good posters and made a few good friends.


Also whoever wouldnt get the 3rd of the september reference is a newfriend. Also, just because you've been here(not anyone in particular) a long time, doesnt mean you are cool or special. Post count doesnt matter, its all about quality posts. unfortunately most people have high post counts and low quality. w/e.

Dark is a pretty kool gai. eH fights aleins and doesnt afraid of anything though.

[Gαr]

I think I'll be the first real newb to post something here. YCM really taught me nothing. Besides that there is some good in the dark corners of the the internet. I had no life lessons that I learned on my short stay here, but I'm sure time will make something of itself. Like most everybody, I made two or three real friends and the rest are all just real good acquaintances.

I have no story to tell. Its high time I make one.

[.Leo]

YCM I feel has made me a better person. I am not as active as I used to be (due to a lack of my friends being on this site anymore) but I still post every so often, more so now because I am not as busy.

I do miss the competitive pokemon community though most of them left /;

[Lt. Colonel Remo]

I'm not even kidding when I say anime in its entirety

Like, before YCM, I hardly watched Naruto and didn't even know of the existence of manga (Yeah -.- I know how illogical that sounds)

But now, compared to all of the people I know irl, I've kind of become a source of anime reviews (quite possibly even a minor league otaku)

But all that aside, it's actually heart warming to see some people who make 3 years look like a joke and show that no matter what your post count is, you will always be a newb in your heart if let people judge that wa-WAIT

WHEN THIS TURN INTO A SOAPY ANIME MONOLOG-*shot*

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I can't imagine who I would be if it weren't for YCM

It has legitimately contributed to my development as human being and despite how sad that sounds, it turned out to be one of the greatest things a person could ask for

I would hate to see such a site die