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I don't think I've changed a whole lot. I joined this place to use chat mostly, and still come here for that reason. I liked Final Fantasy more back then, I guess, and was less inclined to hang out with people and enjoy life. Then college rolled around, and I had a blast, met a girl I'm absolutely crazy about, and life's been good.

My friends on CoN certainly have changed, but that's another story for another time.

i stopped talking like a five year old playing WoW and now talk like a five year old with a larger vocabulary that simply refuses to capitalize anything. i would think that im more mature. im a tad ( ) more pissy and i dont post for posts sake. ive become more interested in the classic games, and resent most of the newer ones. i still never use contractions. i (well kinda) observe things before i start telling people why what they think is cool sucks (my friend...in one day...bought a 500 MB, 1.6 Mhz computer when his previous one was 2 GB, 2.6, then went out and was going to try and buy an Xbox Elite. the biggest waste of money money can buy. i told him that he could just buy an external hard drive like my cousin, but no. he complained that he wanted a black Xbox instead of his White one....i told him about customizable face plates and he said the i was lying and that face plates dont exist.....havent spoken to him since). i have a girlfriend that is crazy...literally. i was grounded from the end of may until july and she sent me 15 emails...even though she knew i couldnt respond...even asking things like what did you do today?....because i have a date book where i write everything i do at every single second of the day /sarcasm. and im obsessed with games i shouldnt be obsessed with at 15.....like Pokemon...

and i also write novels here apparantly



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Aujourdhui a commence avec toi.

Yeah Iv'e changed alot, I joined CoN as a Freshman in High School, now I'm done with it, I used to be a bit immature, make silly posts, and used a lot of Smilies.

This post has been edited by GamblingCat on 7th July 2007 14:57

As much as I hate to admit it I have lost interest in video games compared to when I joined CON a few years ago... I still have a few that I play alot but not like I used to... I actually have a future set up for myself now and I'm about to move to South Korea to be an English teacher. Soon you'll have a member in Korea haha.

Moderator Edit

We already do. -R51

This post has been edited by Rangers51 on 9th July 2007 12:05

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Climhazzard is the timeless evil robot who runs some of the cool stuff at CoN (mostly logging chat, since there are no quizzes at the moment), all the while watching and waiting for his moment to take over the world. -Tiddles

I used to be pretty idiotic with my posts. Irritating mods, claiming my knowledge of what ever I posted was gold and 100% correct just for a few. Now being a member for close to four years I've grown up a lot, learned all I ever wanted about FFT , even corrected a few typos. I hope we continue to grow as CoN does .

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A hero is somone who steps up when everyone else backs down.

Your greatest adversary hides inside your mirror.

I Havent really changed at all because i just joined the forum a week ago.

So much it's not even funny. I was a freshman in high school that loved video games, and I was pretty shy. It wasn't until I played JV basketball my soph year that I changed. By senior year I was the class clown. My taste in music when I was younger? Man, that was bad.


Now I'm going into my senior year in college, sigh. I'm not looking forward to it ending. There's one thing that hasn't changed though:

Go Cubbies! Go Bears!

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The clouds ran away, opened up the sky
And one by one I watched every constellation die
And there I was frozen, standing in my backyard
Face to face, eye to eye, staring at the last star
I should've known, walked all the way home
To find that she wasn't here, I'm still all alone

-Atmosphere "Always Coming Back Home to You"

A lot actually... I joined here over a year ago, posted 5-6 times, then had a lot of things come up. I learned the hard way to cut WAY back on my drinking, found out probation stinks, and accrued a $20k accident debt. I also went back to school and obtained a certification in massage. Besides that I actually settled down (some) and moved out of my parents house.

The biggest change, though, is that I have a kid now, and instead of dreaming of alternate storylines to FFVI, I now dream of when my daughter is old enough for me to teach her how to play all my old favorite games, and to help her write up her first D&D (2nd edition) character sheet.

That said, its nice to be back!

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think you're a true rp dork - try it live action shifted lands

Quote (r_c_cola2001 @ 30th July 2007 22:03)

A lot actually... I joined here over a year ago, posted 5-6 times, then had a lot of things come up. I learned the hard way to cut WAY back on my drinking, found out probation stinks, and accrued a $20k accident debt. I also went back to school and obtained a certification in massage. Besides that I actually settled down (some) and moved out of my parents house.

The biggest change, though, is that I have a kid now, and instead of dreaming of alternate storylines to FFVI, I now dream of when my daughter is old enough for me to teach her how to play all my old favorite games, and to help her write up her first D&D (2nd edition) character sheet.

That said, its nice to be back!

Wow man, that's a busy year. There's more in there than I've had my entire life. Good to see you made it back though, and in one piece.

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The clouds ran away, opened up the sky
And one by one I watched every constellation die
And there I was frozen, standing in my backyard
Face to face, eye to eye, staring at the last star
I should've known, walked all the way home
To find that she wasn't here, I'm still all alone

-Atmosphere "Always Coming Back Home to You"

I was sifting through old topics, and I stumbled on this old topic. Anyway, reading over my old entry made it blatantly obvious to me how much I've changed over the years; a quick search revealed the topic you see before you.

As for me, of the 8 entries into my Personal Tournament (DCW, Programming, AD&D, Anime, Soccer/Futbol, Final Fantasy Tactics, Tae Kwon Do, Grey's Anatomy), I can't a single one takes up a prominent space in my life today.

Dented Canvas Wrestling is probably the coolest job I've ever had, but in the end it isn't what I want, and I didn't (and still don't) have time for it.

Programming is not something I have the patience for, and though I would love to say I'll finish my old Final Fantasy Tactics-style game, there's little to no chance of that happening (RPGMaker will have to suffice for this guy).

I still watch Cowboy Bebop and Full Metal Alchemist, but if I didn't have DVR, I likely wouldn't watch even those (well, I own Bebop, so that's not true, but you get the idea: beyond a rare fix, anime just isn't the same for me).

My soccer/futbol intake has been drastically reduced, from bi-weekly to quarterly. And while I occasionally miss it, the truth is that I could easily play more often (my friend still runs a well-attended pickup game every week, and it's only a 6-7 minute drive away); I simply don't have the same love for the game that I used to.

While I still occasionally watch Grey's Anatomy when it comes on, it was only in the original because I had nothing going on in my life, and I think I only continue to watch it out of some sort of OCD habit. (That said, who wouldn't nail the younger Dr. Grey? And maybe that's part of the real reason I still watch it.)

I do love me some Final Fantasy Tactics, but the truth is that I haven't played FFT in almost 4 years; in fact, I gave away my game systems about 3 years ago, and outside the occasional Mario Kart tournament at a friend's house, I don't play any games these days.

I still love me some (A)D&D (and other role-playing games, particularly Ars Magica--who else loves Ars' magic system?), but I haven't played in years. That said, it's still far more of a presence in my life than any of the others since I still make an attempt to get a game going with my old group (my brother and our two best friends (also brothers)), that's more about hanging out with people I don't get to hang out with very often (since we live in different places and work at different times). [Some day we'll finish Dragon Mountain!]

I'm actually surprised looking back on the tournament: taekwondo won? I haven't practiced it in years and had a falling out with the individual who got me into the studio I ended up working at. Beyond the occasional tkd workout, and showing off a couple kicks now and again, tkd is a thing of the past.


So, where does that leave me these days? Well, I'm working as an editor for the time being, and I'm headed back to Korea, not for taekwondo, but for language study at a Korean Uni. I'm writing quite a bit more now than I was then, and though I have no pretensions toward literary stardom, I have been paid for my writing (piddly sums at this stage, but supplemental income is never bad, right?), so that's always nice.

I like to think that I've grown up quite a bit, but who knows? I definitely have a more measured stance on things (I was amazed by how naive some of my earlier posts were), and even though I moved back in with my parents, I did so for financial reasons: I realized I needed to go back to school. I finished my degree and am currently looking into graduate schools. I think the major difference in my life is that I'm happy with the man I've become: sure, I'm still incredibly nerdy, and still naive from time to time, but I know when and where to act nerdy, and I'm trying to eradicate my naivete.

So, as the title suggest, how much have you changed since joining the site (or since the last time you posted)?

This post has been edited by Kane on 28th July 2011 01:18

This thread necromancy thing has made this thread very pertinent. For one, I prbably never used that word. But my writing is not the only thing that's changed. Since that time in 2006, I've had some personal losses (my grandmother in 2008, and my uncle this year), and those have had some significant effects on my life. I've expanded my taste in music, drastically changed my political opinions (in fact, when I first started, I had no political opinion whatsoever). These two changes have reshaped my opinion on FFVI and the other FF games. For instance, noticing socialist messages in FFVI and FFIX. Much has changed since the that time.

BTW: I'm glad we brought back this topic.

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Praise Be To Helix!

Well, I can sympathize with the guys who were embarrased about their past activity on here, and that's why I gave myself a new alias. So yeah, that's certainly changed.

When we talk about embarrassing ancient activity, I think my own tale at CoN takes the cake. A lot of these necro-posts have revealed just how insufferable I actually was. I have no idea how Josh and the other old-timers have been able to stomach me for so long. I can't put into words the differences between who I was and who I am. I came here in 2001, a hyperactive, attention seeking 15 year old know-it-all who wanted desperately to be the bad boy on the block. I'd spam and troll and attempt to be 'random' because I thought I was hilarious. I'd write godawful angsty poetry and brag about the music I listened to because no one else probably ever heard of them.
In short, I was a little s**t.

I'd be lying if I said I've grown up a whole lot since then, but I have learned a lot. Some of it, shockingly, has been through this very community. Especially CoNchat, which I think is responsible for influencing many a member here. Usually for the worst. Now that I think of it, I still love music, (most of which you still probably will have never heard of) I still love video games, and I still love getting under the skin of my favorite CoN members in chat. I guess I haven't changed all that much after all.

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Okay, but there was a goat!

Well, I was like... 11 when I first started coming here. I thought I was the shit, opinionated and a know it all. Granted I'm still like that I can just use a bit more tact. CoNchat was given the delightful experience of meeting me right before I started my angsty phase and I stayed there throughout the whole thing. Sorry 'bout that. I'm much more of a grammar nazi now than I was back then when I'd say things like cuz and I wouldn't even say 'cuz just cuz. Ugggh. And my crappy writing and poetry attempts are significantly better than the shit I used to submit. I remember one time I submitted the most god awful picture of a moogle ever drawn to be fanart. You missed out Josh.

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

I also stopped trying to give out links to warez and stuff on the forums. Hahahahahaha

I've changed a lot though, definitely not for the better in some cases. It's weird knowing that an internet community has actually had a profound effect on who I am. More specifically the chatroom though, man, there's this guy in there named R51, he's a total hard-ass and we need to end his system of suppression. But I've met some of my best friends here and you guys have simultaneously made me an adult and a terrible, terrible person.

This post has been edited by Zero_Hawk on 28th July 2011 07:41

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This one time I punched a bear in the forehead TO DEATH! I still have the scars on my chest. I am the manliest man that ever did man.

League: Z3roHawk
Steam: Zero_Hawk
Wii U: Zero_Hawk
FF14 - Goblin - Zero Hawk <Fiend>

Let's see...four years...hmm...

Nope, still the same.

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Arts

Farts

Twarts

I've mainly changed for the worse since my last post, if I'm honest.

I love my family, especially as it's soon to grow a bit further, and I know that objectively I should be exceptionally happy with how my life has turned out so far, but at the same time it's hard for me to find nearly as much raw happiness as I did when the forums opened, or even four years ago, when I last posted in this thread. I think a lot of that is simply due to the pressures of steadily growing older and/or growing up.

I think I have less of a sense of humor now than I did back then, largely due to being surrounded by different types of people. Perhaps the sense of humor is still there, but it's mutated significantly in a way that I think my acquaintances tend to like less.

While I made a lot more money than I did four years ago, I somehow feel less successful now than I did back then, like I've plateaued in my career far too early and the rest of my thirty years of work will either be bland and unfulfilling or fulfilling and poorly paid.

All of this really makes it sound like I'm one morose bastard, and a lot of the time that's not far off. I have little doubt that I'm a lot less fun to be around nowadays, and to some extent I actually blame a decrease in activity around CoN on that.

All told, though, I think I'm really the same guy I was four years ago, maybe just a little more bitter. And for all the fortune that's shined upon me since my last post in this thread, I think it's a pretty good trade, by and large.

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"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN? Or perhaps buying a really good looking shirt?

Quote (Zero_Hawk @ 28th July 2011 03:39)

...It's weird knowing that an internet community has actually had a profound effect on who I am. More specifically the chatroom though, man, there's this guy in there named R51, he's a total hard-ass and we need to end his system of suppression. But I've met some of my best friends here and you guys have simultaneously made me an adult and a terrible, terrible person.

Jav also mentioned something to about CoN chat changing his life, and I just want to echo the sentiment, too. I'm not as present as I used to be back in the before times of long long ago, but I did used to spend a hellofalot of time there (as evidenced by my still being in the top overall chatters, all these years later). In ways, that chat and this forum raised me, which makes me chuckle, since it places Josh in the position of some kind of creepy internets uncle.

See, even though my tone, content, and style have changed drastically both online and off, I have to think I'm still the hate-ridden ball of jackassery I was. I've definitely "grown-up", as they say, but I feel sometimes that "growing up", at least in regards to myself, simply means "getting better at getting away with being childish".

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If you've been mod-o-fied,
It's an illusion, and you're in-between.
Don't you be tarot-fied,
It's just alot of nothing, so what can it mean?
~Frank Zappa

Sins exist only for people who are on the Way or approaching the Way

I'm a lot happier than I used to be when I started out here. Before I was negative, didn't really know how to react to things and was always trying to prove something. It seems like a lot of people here were in the same situation so I suppose it counts for me too. However I get the impression that some people are a bit self-loathing about their past selves. I look back and realise I don't like my old self, I'm glad I've grown out of, or at least tempered, a lot of my worse traits, but I also realise why I was the way I was. I was frustrated, angry, and bored. I think, perhaps wrongly, that anyone in the same situation would turn out the same and be a bit of an arse. That's not to justify or excuse how I acted but it gives me less to regret.

There's no doubt in my mind that I'm a completely different person from when I started here. I look different, I act differently, I'm brighter in every way, and I have a lot more to look forward to. Just about every opinion I used to have has either changed completely or been modernised I suppose you could say. I'm not a person who wishes I could go back and do things differently, actually if someone said I could go back 5 years I'd refuse without much thought. The biggest thing that's changed for me is how lucky I've been in finding a number of truly great friends. I've been able to share in a lot of good times and be supported (or support) in the bad. It means a lot to me. Thank you, World of Warcraft.

Just to be clear, I've also picked up a lot of bad traits in the past 5 years and retained some from before that I unfortunately like about myself and probably can't change. It's hard when I don't know what a good or bad trait is, e.g. being categorically honest.

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Scepticism, that dry rot of the intellect, had not left one entire idea in his mind.

Me on the Starcraft.

It's been seven years since I joined CoN. I've started and completed a university degree, spent a year running a fraternity, met a girl that stuck around for the last four years and worked a multitude of jobs for two years, all with that Djibriel persona waiting for me when I turned on that computer.

Two years ago I decided I wanted a radically different career than what I had always wanted, and have spent a lot of time and effort pursuing that goal. I was succesful in that endeavor, so professionally that really sets me apart from who I was seven years ago.

I do feel that at the core, I'm still the same guy though. A bit older and maybe a bit wiser, but certainly not very different.

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The Collapse of Heaven and Earth

Oh wow, comparing 15 year old me to 22 year old me! Haha.

I'm definitely less naive and sweet, and probably less bubbly! I mean, I was 15 and had been pretty sheltered. On the forums, I always remember being nice to everyone, but not really showing my sense of humor. Which, if you know me in real life, is a huge part of me. In a weird way, I was shy about it, although I talked a lot. Now, I'm more able to joke with you guys Upgrade! Even away from the computer, I show my sense of humor more, really.

I'm a lot the same as I was then, at the core. I still like the arts, I still speak up about as much as I used to (from what I can tell). I remember always befriending any CoNster who'd let me, because I just always assumed I'd like everyone. Innocent until proven guilty, really. I still give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and stay as nice as possible to people who I first meet until I decide I don't like them (which is much, much sooner than it was, haha).

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You're telling me that there's no hope.

I'm telling you you're wrong.

Quote (TheEvilEye @ 6th July 2007 19:45)

I don't think I've changed a whole lot. I joined this place to use chat mostly, and still come here for that reason. I liked Final Fantasy more back then, I guess, and was less inclined to hang out with people and enjoy life. Then college rolled around, and I had a blast, met a girl I'm absolutely crazy about, and life's been good.

My friends on CoN certainly have changed, but that's another story for another time.

Well, it turned out *that* girl was a horrible, horrible person! And it makes me cringe to know I said this years ago. HAH! Ohhh man, couldn't be more wrong.

Man, I didn't even remember I posted on this. Well, it's been almost nine years since I've joined. In that time, I've lived in several places, moved to Virginia and back, graduated with a business degree, racked up a *ton* of student loan debt, and thought I had met the love of my life (hence the previous post) but in truth really dodged a bullet there.

I'd say my crowning achievement is making the big leap back to NY after graduating and living a truly independent life, completely on my own, paying full expenses, no roommate so I get to do whatever I want, when I want. And I have a good and close circle of friends here in NY, something I had been lacking from when I first joined.

As for the person I am? Ever the nerd, playing video games from my childhood and picking up new ones, but now I'm more comfortable with sharing that with other people and care a whole lot less what people think. That's probably the most important change I feel between then and now. The rest I don't think has changed a terrible lot.

I think I have changed mcuh at first.

Not only by my skills, English language, IT and economic knowledge, but also a bit by my character. I realize today how much impact the internet had on me, something hard to guess if you don't use it at all.

If I just reflect what I have learned at wikipedia only, that's a large amount of knowledge of all kinds. Also of politicial and historical things, I which I am meanwhile way more interested in than before I got internet.

I was always pretty shy, especially after a specific time peroid in my life which changed me forever I guess, but it got way better the past few years. I found it way easier to talk about it with time passed. I might tell you in the chat room one day, feel free to remind me doing so, I might just simple forget. I would define myself as pretty open meanwhile.

I haven't even been here all that long compared to a lot of people that have posted in this thread, but I certainly have changed quite a bit since I joined.

First of all, I apparently learned basic grammar. Some of my early posts are... well, rather pathetic. I'm not nearly as argumentative anymore either which is, again, a bit of a relief. It's very clear that I've matured since I first joined, though thankfully it looks like I did most of my maturing rather early on in my time here at CoN.

In the last year or so especially, I've spent considerably less time gaming simply because I've become much more busy with school. That said, I still continue playing games when the time arises, and I still love RPGs, FFX and CoN.

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Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!

Haha, wow, I started this thread four years ago, and I was 14 then. I have been here a long time....

Anyway, I've been through all of high school since starting this, and I think it's safe to say that I've changed a whole lot. I have a greater appreciation of just about everything, and I'm starting to enjoy life and all the things I do a lot more.

I guess the only downside to all these changes is my being a whole lot less mature when I'm around my friends. High school makes you do stupid things... Oh well.

I still can't believe I joined CoN so long ago!

I went to jail for 1 and a 1/2 days since joining.

Other than that I'm still the same confused person who joined a few years ago.

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I treasure those who I love that love me in return. <3

I was a self-centered smartass. Now I'm a caring smartass. My (terrible) sense of humor has matured like a fine wine, and I haven't played as much Final Fantasy as I do Dragon Quest. I used to spam quite a bit, and I try not to anymore. I've gotten better control of my autism, and I do my best to not piss anybody off.

I dunno if anyone thinks I've changed, but I guess I do.

Edit: and I still have the tendency to reply to year old topics. dammit

This post has been edited by Chell172 on 29th June 2013 18:23

Heh, a fitting topic for my first post in forever.

Holy hell have I changed. I read over the first posts I made (when I was a hormone-addled cocky brat in secondary school) and I cringe. Sometimes I reflect on some of the things I did and said back then and wish I could punch my younger self in the grill repeatedly.

I graduated, got a diploma from a technical college, served in the military and am now a year into university. I'm far more level-headed and less impulsive than I was back then. I'm also far more cynical, which might not be all that great. I'm working on it.

I am, however, a far kinder person now than I was before despite that. Whereas I used to be a self-righteous jerk, I think my brushes with reality have actually made me more genuinely compassionate and more sympathetic towards others. Funny how that works.

This post has been edited by MarquisElmdor on 10th September 2013 07:29

Try channeling the entirety of the 40's, 50's, 60's, and 70's for 20 years straight.

You won't remember who the real you is anymore.

That is all.



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X is blue.

It's hard to believe I've been a member here since May 2005. Longer than that when you consider my original "KefkaLives" persona.

Since then I moved across the country from New York to LA, attended and graduated law school, passed the CA bar exam, practiced as an attorney for almost four years, got a literary agent, met and dated a girl for seven years to whom I'm now engaged. Pretty eventful. Nonetheless, one of Josh's old posts in this thread eerily sums up how I feel about life:

Quote (Rangers51 @ 28th July 2011 05:58)

I've mainly changed for the worse since my last post, if I'm honest.

I love my family, especially as it's soon to grow a bit further, and I know that objectively I should be exceptionally happy with how my life has turned out so far, but at the same time it's hard for me to find nearly as much raw happiness as I did when the forums opened, or even four years ago, when I last posted in this thread. I think a lot of that is simply due to the pressures of steadily growing older and/or growing up.

...

While I made a lot more money than I did four years ago, I somehow feel less successful now than I did back then, like I've plateaued in my career far too early and the rest of my thirty years of work will either be bland and unfulfilling or fulfilling and poorly paid.

And yes, I do attribute this to getting older. When you're young, it seems you have all the time in the world, and endless opportunities are open to you. As you get older, you realize that life is finite, and those opportunities don't seem quite as open, forcing you to make tough decisions.

However, I would point out that "old" is also relative. I have friends who just turned 25 complaining about how old they are, and it just makes me laugh, even though I probably felt the same way as them at the 1/4 century mark. I'm sure people who are in their 50s feel the same way about 30-somethings complaining about their old age. :-)

I'm glad this forum is still around. It's meant a lot to me at different points in my life. Active membership has changed drastically over the years, the postings seem to have slowed down, and I've taken some extended leaves of absence myself. But I love the Final Fantasy games, and when I inevitably start playing them again (as I am now), there's no better online community to return to.

Oh, you're thinking about it all wrong.

The measure of your achievement in life isn't how much work you've done or how much money you've made.

It's how much awareness of the world around you and within you you've cultivated since you were born. How well do you know yourself? Do you know what you've achieved? Have you really taken stock and seen the good things you've done? Don't you realize that every person does some good in life, even if it's not obvious to them what good they've done?

Living long is a wonderful thing. You get to probe the untold depths of imagination and observance.

Stop judging yourself based on the shallow status quo, and look for what existence really is supposed to mean.

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X is blue.