The "Real" N

[Kablizzy]

The entire community is a clever ruse concocted in a basement.

Now I feel like I can't trust anyone here :'(


Say, while we're in clever ruse mode, and all decietingly jokeful, make me an admin, will ya?

Quite clearly, you can't. Even I'm an... How was it phrased? "Unreliable bastard"? Something along those lines.

[rocket_thumped]

Evil_Bob> jerrod: what was that all about?
<Evil_Bob> (I missed a bunch >.>)
<jerrod> I guess a bunch of notable mettanetters including blue_tetris and Borealis turned out to be lying about their lives.
<jerrod> So now everyone is running around like the sky is falling.
<Evil_Bob> really?
<jerrod> yeah.
<Evil_Bob> huh well blue_tetris always seemed like an asshole to me. Wouldn't have called borealis
<Evil_Bob> it /is/ the internet though
<jerrod> yeah.
<jerrod> I mean, yeah it's a bummer.
<Evil_Bob> what section of the forum was this?
<jerrod> But chill out.
<Evil_Bob> yeah
<jerrod> http://forum.droni.es/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4897
<Evil_Bob> (notes they could easily be lying about lying)

Evil_Bob> (notes they could easily be lying about lying)
<Evil_Bob> "recent announcement regarding Robotology"
<Evil_Bob> which is? o_o
<jerrod> Ohh, it's being postponed.
<jerrod> indefinitely.
<jerrod> They just wanted to start making other games I guess.
<Evil_Bob> huh
<Evil_Bob> lol

[SlappyMcGee]

There's a reason this sucks, guys, and if you don't get it, it's because you've never had a girlfriend cheat on you, or a parent lie to you, or a best friend reveal that he had a different first name, age and personal history. I'm not angry at Borealis, I'm angry at this community's inability to cultivate trust.

Also, I'm a little angry at Borealis, but he's a great dude.

[Spawn of Yanni]

*sigh* regarding (epigone), MuteMonk, rocket_thumped, and IRC discussion.


This isn't about a betrayal in the Metanet family. This isn't about five years of making us all think that these people were certain things, only for us to realise that everything is fake. The key point is, this isn't about *us*, in general.

This topic likely has little to no effect on quite a few of you, when it gets down to it. To start off with, I barely even knew about blue_tetris' statements to begin with. Now that I know they were lies, I am thinking "Oh that is odd." But, you know, okay whatever. That does not ring true with those who Skyp'd with him often, who TF2'd or L4D'd or Worms'd or Vent'd with the guy for 5 or so years, and got close enough to know him, only to realise that a lot of what they know was simply untrue. Now I don't know if that's actually how they feel and I'm pretty sure they're okay with it because it's not that big of a deal but the point still stands:

Borealis. Borealis was a really cool guy, and that's forum-wide. It wouldn't be surprising if everyone thought "huh, he's not old and bearded? Fuuuuuuuck me" because it was a pretty long and elaborate lie. But to find out that he hasn't played with the famous bands he's said he's played with, a lot of the wonderful music we credit to him isn't really his music, he isn't married, that wife never had a miscarriage, Italy? Pfft Italy. To find out that everything he told a select few people that he was close to was a lie is really a big deal to those select few people.

The point of this post? Please stop trying to take that away from those select few people. Borealis is already essentially back in the community as a 19-year-old English dude with a fantastic taste in music. There is no need for you to come around and spark shit up by saying "Man, what the fuck? It's the internet, why are you surprised people are lying, just move on" because first off FOR FUCK'S SAKE man it's not like these people need the back of your hand to recover from the taste of their own salty tears. They can deal with it sans you gyrating your "check-me-out-I-am-sufficiently-prepared-for-internet-ruses" wang.

Second, please stop assuming that the internet is something out of a Fox News special report. We can be here and be preeetty fucking close to some members of the community without being fat drooly socially-inept teenagers or whatever image it is that you seem to be getting into your head (to all the fat drooly socially-inept people out there, you're totally cool I love you). Yes, it is the internet, and maybe our daddies told us not to talk to people we didn't know online, but hey, that's not how it worked out.

Third, honestly, just fuck off a little bit. This isn't so much to epigone because I always knew him to be a cool dude but you're being douchebags and you kinda know it. Some people care, you don't. *You* let that go.

[aids]

Next thing you're gonna tell me is that Kablizzy's secretly Tupac.

It is my hope that Life247 does not have any false pretense as I have complete trust in him probably not the best idea but I am 98% sure I am not walking on thin ice. :)

You know, if it didn't cost me several thousand dollars to fly halfway around the globe to personally tell you that I'm legit, I would be doing it every weekend. Oh, and the jet lag would take quite a toll. :/

[Mute Monk]

Wow. Alright, first I want to clear something up...I said some pretty cynical and cruel things on IRC, most of them because I barely knew what the whole deal was. I guess it IS better to look before one leaps. I'm a dumbass most of the time, and an idiot the others, and only nice about it once and awhile. I'm sorry for trashing you guys...I mean that. It wasn't intentional.

[Kablizzy]

Next thing you're gonna tell me is that Kablizzy's secretly Tupac.

Yeah, about that...

[Amadeus]

Not many people care what I think, so I'll make it short. People were friends with Borealis's (and to a lesser extent, blue_tetris's) fake self, a lie, and when the truth came out, it's almost as if that friendship is a lie, as if it means less or is somehow "fake." In a way, it forces you to evaluate what makes you like a person, or value a member - who are in the real world or who they are on the internet.

And as far as Borealis's musical recommendations and stuff, that kinda tells you something about what we base our taste around.

[epigone]

Sorry I came across as a douche bag Yanni. I'm entitled to rant every once in while, and I rarely ever do, so please forgive me that one. I hope you see my point though - not that we shouldn't care about the people we talk with online every day for years on end (gosh has it really over 4 years!), its just that we shouldn't be surprised that some of the people aren't who they say they are. I earnestly believe most people on here are being genuine, because really, there's no reason not to. I hope that these recent revelations spur more people into confessing if they need to (ala the great multi-account confession), and for those who have been genuine, I thank you. Let's hope that our friendly community can move past this and continue to thrive in its own unique way.

[a happy song]

I think, with b_t, we all expected this kind of thing deep down. Hell, I didn't believe half the stuff the guy said simply for the fact that he was the one saying it! Guy just has that swagger about him. Doesn't change the fact that he's one of the more interesting characters in the community, nor how much he's contributed.

I think getting upset about this after laughing along with so many of his previous shenanigans would be a little silly.

[SlappyMcGee]

Solution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf3-YtUJJTQ

[smartalco]

I like Dave (b_t) because he is an entertaining guy to hang around (virtually). I didn't know almost any of that real-life stuff.
Similarly, I liked Dave (Borealis), because he had an awesome beard. Which is why I don't like him anymore, his beard is fake. :(

I don't hang around here because I'm involved with you guys personally, or because Dave has a lesbian sister who plays WoW. This isn't to say I wouldn't be sad if you all died, or be a little happier if you all won ten thousand dollars (actually, if it was everyone here but me, I might be a little sad). I hang around because this is a fun group of people to chat/argue/joke with.

I think that is what you are all forgetting. This community isn't awesome because of the secret lives we lead behind the username, this community is awesome because of what we reveal of our selves to it, whether that be real or not.

I don't think you understand. Everyone who was anyone here is complete bullshit. The entire community is a clever ruse concocted in a basement. v1.5 never happened. Robotology is canceled. Egg on Lenny's face never happened. It's egg on *Metanet's* face.

And I don't think you understand. Regardless of all this, I'll still think b_t is a cool dude as long as he continues to be a cool dude to chat with on IRC/vent/whatever. Assuming you also continue to at least troll IRC in an entertaining-over-douchebaggy way, I'll continue to think you're a cool dude even if it turns out you are some 68 year old transvestite who lives in an elementary school closet (alright, that last part would be a little creepy).

There's a reason these people concocted the ruse they did. To make themselves seem more interesting and likable to the community. And you know what, it fuckin' worked. This community may be based on a giant pile of lies, but it is an entertaining and engaging pile of lies.

We've grown big enough now as well that we aren't entirely propagated by those who got to the top by deception either. (Not that I believe mod of General Discussion is a particularly high position, but) I got to my position by generally not being a douche and occasionally actually having a bit of genuine wit in a post here and there. The same goes for the other mods, and half of the op list in IRC.

And even if 'everyone who is anyone here' got there by making shit up, they are still probably some of the more engaging people in our community without the made up bullshit. It takes an interesting person to concoct an interesting story. Somewhere behind the mask of bearded-Borealis is a dude who actually likes cool music.

For those of you who had somewhat personal connections with those who came out to be masterful BS'ers, there is probably some interesting dude in the shell of who you used to know. Take your time building trust again, I get it, its fine.

But don't act like because some dudes were spewing out a line of fantasy rhetoric for the past 4 years that this community is any less of a community than it was 2 days ago.

[Kablizzy]

It never *was* that community.

Wait, are you guys actually taking me seriously? I thought we were just trolling. Because that's what I'm doing. That's what we do, right? That's the community we are, right?

Edit: In either case, seriously, this really isn't a big deal. I'm just jumping onto it because *something* is happening around here. I wanted to throw a Pony Parade down today just because it's an opportunity to get people interested. Drama sells. It makes shit interesting. And I have to play up my over-the-top authoritarian persona, right? That's who I've become to you guys. Ask Dave what I'm like in real life. I'm shockingly chill and don't really give a shit about most things. But it's super Metanet pretend-time, right? Let's pretend!

[blue_tetris]

SlappyMcGee didn't tell this in the way that I wanted the community to find, in a large and hilarious--irony-ridden--expose of sorts.

It was my news to tell, I trusted Slappy as a friend with the information--like all of the others that I opened up to. And he told my news like it was his own. I'm genuinely hurt by that.

He also didn't emphasize the points I pushed to him. That elements of a fake identity were created five years prior, that those elements quickly became a liability to me. I expected not to use my persona for more than, say, six months. And so, I had fun with it. I'd been on plenty forums before and had really made good use of the Internet up to that point. This identity I concocted was one of long-time use. And yet, when I fully came to appreciate those here and other aspects of the situation, I wanted you guys to know the real me.

By the time The Real N comic was up and running, I wanted to work elements of my real life into this vast and confusing network of lies that I had effectively internalized--to the point where, at times, I thought the fiction was real. I am a mythomaniac, who is just sarcastic enough to realize that I'm not being true about it. Most of the time. All the relationship information, most of the big events in my life, they were all there--pasted as a metaphor in broad strokes onto the image that I presented to people.

And this overarching story-within-a-story could have been woven for you as tandem tapestries, for your amusement and to give me some of the saving grace that my ego well deserved. I committed more time and effort to this community than anyone here, save for maybe the Viking, and to have some bit of that usurped by a guy who I told information to--in confidence--is a real shitfest.

A guy that I stayed up watching Riki-Oh with. A guy that I drank an entire year of my life away with and bought the stupid water drop game with. Someone who might have been the closest friend to me for quite a while, and who was probably hurt--which may explain his betrayal--by the things I said.

The community was soon to find out information about me, but my wind was stolen. My tale was bereft of coolness, because the persona I created was mostly me instead of a bearded musician.

You kids stole five years of my life. If there's an inkling of why I vanished for no reason for the past few months, it has mostly to do with that.

Plus the fact that lying to my own roommate, while he was under the same roof as me, was actually harder than you could imagine. Even so, I pulled it off -exquisitely-. Exquisitely. And I probably could have maintained it forever, but I felt some Grinchian sense of remorse and this belief that I was on the wintry precipice of change, where the next chunk of my life could be a windsome slalom of rock-awesome.

In the aftermath, I think none of that has happened. I'd like, at some point, to be afforded the opportunity to tell each of you stuff about me. Correct wrongs told of me. And tell my own story, like I asked for the right to do, before.

Let it be known, for a time, that LV, then hooz, then Blizz knew of my true identity. And I spared telling a guy whose mental make-up was most similar to myself--one Jason Grenia--because I had a sneaking suspicion he'd not take the whole thing well. And at the time of revelation, he seemed well adjusted enough. But not enough to spare a good ol' fashioned five-years-in-the-making butterfly knife to the back, for 2 points (1 for the kill, 1 for the facestab). Anyhoo, it's not like I had it coming. I never did anything to the guy, save for lie to him for five years.

There's a lot more that I'm not only not telling you guys, but probably never will. The Internet is fun to me. It's a fun cavalcade of mystery, suspicion, and escapism. If any revelations on my part curtail my ability to be a hilarious person who is mostly being dis-genuine regardless, then all is lost. Nothing I ever said to anyone was meant in truth. No anger I ever expressed online was ever real. No fact about me, even where the entire metaphor was stripped away and left for its actual essence, was ever meant to let you "know who I was". It was all entertainment. Look in front of you. It's a screen, with words and pictures and colors and cats getting themselves into precarious and laughable situations.

I said, early on, that "it's all just text". It was a telling--though certainly not overly specific--view into the reality of the situation you're all in. You're all a bunch of sexies, know that. But you're also in the position not to have a serious life right here, in this medium. The only things I regret along the way were the occasions where I called people out, over and over, for doing just what I was doing. I was so consumed by my act that I felt real, and I made it a point to call out the liars around me. And it's that level of hypocrisy that can, and will, not end with me.

So, anyway, expect that all this just scratches the surface of a Tetris-stack of bluffery and fauxwangery that may be yet to come. I'm, deep down, an ethical guy. I try to help. I am the same individual you've all met. But I'm not real. In fact, I've never been real. In fact, I have so much social armor, comprised chiefly out of lies, that no one can really ever affect me in any way. And any grains of weakness still lodged in that fib-fabric can be easily drowned in alkey-moe-hol.

Somewhere at the very basin of who I am, there's a guy that has some way of getting his money that his roommate can only know shady slivers of info about. Some guy who hides a passionate side that he needs to occasionally use to yell at women, then contentedly slink back into revelry on the cartoon shoot-em-up game. Some guy who really wanted people, and really wants people, to know facts about him; but can only, instead, convey overtly candid information about how he feels, his political ideas, and what's wrong with everyone else. And that sucks. But he's a cool dude. He played iSketch with you. Like, for real. I didn't fake all those Wormsgasms. I didn't ask you to Quad me, just so I could "Quad you back sometime, you know I'm good for it, bro!" It was all legit.

Except me. I was the illegitimate factor in all of that. I was the lie. I was an actor. And it's never, ever going to change. Not ever. Jason sees me these days to escape myself and do goofy voices for a fake world of dragons and teal-colored bat-women. Blizz sees me stumble drunkenly in, sleep at all hours of the day, and make up emotions to have--because I direly want to have some--when I converse loudly with mah GF at 10 AM when he needs to get to work and not hear that shit, most likely. That's me.

So... you wanna hurt me? Go right ahead if it makes you feel any better. I'm an easy target. Yeah, you're right, I talk too much. I also listen too much. I could be a cold-hearted cynic like you... but I don't like to hurt people's feelings. Well, you think what you want about me; I'm not changing. I like... I like me. My wife likes me. My customers like me. Because I'm the real article. What you see is what you get.



(No hard feelings, Jason.)

[smartalco]

text

I am 100% against the idea of another pony parade if it forces me to withstand another pink banner. Otherwise, I will join the pony haters just because someone has to play pony's advocate.

Also, you mostly come off as a chill dude with the ability to actually debate passionately about the occasional topic (you can't tell me all of your towerposts have been for the sake of drama). And none of our admin's really seem authoritarian, not that you guys don't get shit done, but its more of a 'ruled by the coolest of the people' vibe rather than a 'ruled by a random power hungry guy' feel. I expect you to play the over-the-top authoritarian most of the time, in the sense that I expect the sun to rise tomorrow morning. As for what you actually do? As long as you aren't doing anything to actively sabotage the community at large, and aren't a douche, I'm not going to be particularly offended by any of your actions.


In post edit! (I was ninja'd)

The Internet is fun to me. It's a fun cavalcade of mystery, suspicion, and escapism. If any revelations on my part curtail my ability to be a hilarious person who is mostly being dis-genuine regardless, then all is lost. Nothing I ever said to anyone was meant in truth. No anger I ever expressed online was ever real. No fact about me, even where the entire metaphor was stripped away and left for its actual essence, was ever meant to let you "know who I was". It was all entertainment. Look in front of you. It's a screen, with words and pictures and colors and cats getting themselves into precarious and laughable situations.

And this is why I don't care that you have been hiding behind the facade, and why I have no hard feelings against you for your actions. You made a persona that was fun to know. Obviously, you enjoy entertaining people, and have a knack for it. An unfortunately rare combination of traits. As long as you continue to have fun with it, I don't care if I know the dude behind the mask isn't quite the same as what he seems, I'll continue going along for the ride.

[blue_tetris]

Oh, also, I slipped up 900 times over the years. No one caught me, and that's shame on you. All of you. I have well-documented in my memories all the instances where I could have left the community, and exposed everything. Where I could have been exposed by someone, and they were too intimidated(?) by my chutzpah to think too much of it.

But it was obvious that I was a grandiloquent bluffmeister. I assumed that's what everyone wanted. If I were to have changed at any point, I'd no longer be the media darling everyone had come to admire. I'd be the Brent Spiner behind all the Data--the carefully constructed Data, made not for my own amusement but for yours. Bear all that in mind.

[Kablizzy]

text

I am 100% against the idea of another pony parade if it forces me to withstand another pink banner. Otherwise, I will join the pony haters just because someone has to play pony's advocate.

Also, you mostly come off as a chill dude with the ability to actually debate passionately about the occasional topic (you can't tell me all of your towerposts have been for the sake of drama). And none of our admin's really seem authoritarian, not that you guys don't get shit done, but its more of a 'ruled by the coolest of the people' vibe rather than a 'ruled by a random power hungry guy' feel. I expect you to play the over-the-top authoritarian most of the time, in the sense that I expect the sun to rise tomorrow morning. As for what you actually do? As long as you aren't doing anything to actively sabotage the community at large, and aren't a douche, I'm not going to be particularly offended by any of your actions.

Naw, the towerposts were genuine. They still are. I'm passionate about this place. Whether I feel as strongly about being anti-4chan? Fuck no. I browse, have browsed, and will probably continue to browse from time to time. Do I care about spammers? No, not really. But telling you guys that would defeat the purpose of protecting you from it. I can't tell you guys not to do something when I do it myself. But I *hate* that I do it myself. That place is an obscene shithole. So why do I go there? Some of the small gems are funny when taken in moderation. And trolling those motherfuckers is *fun*. The porn there is sometimes good. It's also incredibly hit-and-miss. My prolix over-rambling extra-wordy deliciousness, though? That's all me. Do I give a shit about McP and TDL/Atra trolling us? Naw. If it makes them feel like big boys, then whatev. Good for them. They trolled a community full of trolls. We exacted our vengeance by not giving them any satisfaction. That shit was fun. What do I enjoy about this place most? Honestly? The power. The glory. It's not much, but it's *mine*. I was infallible here. No one could touch me or anything I did. That kind of shit, even for a small internet community of trolls, is empowering. And because of this place, I've gone on to succeed in many, many other places. This place gave me the confidence I needed to succeed at everything.

In the end, Metanet - for me - was an experiment. It was an experiment on myself. I showed you guys the awesome parts of me, the parts that I wanted you all to see, and hid the crazy, insecure bullshit. But over the course of five years, this place made me realize that I didn't have the crazy, insecure bullshit anymore. I *am* this much of a badass. I *am* heralded by a shitton of people who - no matter what I say or do - will support me. This place changed me, for the better. Good God, for the better. And now I live with Dave and I'm dating the woman who the rest of the community wants to date. I'm the valedictorian football star. I wasn't in High School, but I am here. I just had to prove it to myself that it was genuine. And you guys all helped me. You guys helped me through every last bit of my life - When my dad died, when my ex left me, even this latest bit where my mom's been homeless and roaming the country. And I've given it back to you guys in the grandest fashion that I could; I can't tell you how many of you have opened your hearts to me and done things for me that I never dreamed another human would do for me. But at the end of the day, the human spirit proved me right - There *are* good people out there.

And this little spat faltered that belief a bit. Not because Dave isn't as old as he says he is. He could be 35. He could have a Masters Degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Only he and I know. And I don't even know. But is he still a good person? Shit yes he is. Is Borealis? Well, we don't know, do we? But all the banter that didn't pertain to Noctambulant and/or where he lives - That was all him. Those were his views.

Why do I change my avatar and change my signature to rainbow-html LOL-spam? It's fun, it gets a rise out of you, it keeps you guys active. It gives you guys something to rally around / against. Because Metanet sure isn't gonna fucking entertain us. We - The Legacy Team, the Staff here, anyone who's followed in our footsteps... all of us who are "in the know" - Have known for some time now that v1.5 wasn't coming for a long time, and that Robotology was actually going poorly. We knew long ago the problems that there were with N+, so it was our task to keep the community going regardless. Do you realize how hard it was to keep a failed community project going? What did we have to offer? Raigan and the Horse-woman's nonexistent games? We've drug the Ninja Game shit out for five years, that's more than long enough. So, what else did we have? We had *community*. We had each other, as trite and silly as it might sound. Despite the lies, despite the falsehoods, we made some very real, very strong bonds here, and we continue to make them. Some of them stronger than others, some more fragile than we ever could have thought possible. But Dave and I stepping down and leaving the community as a whole for the most part? That was a direct result of not only this, but other things that have happened around the community. When KA, Dave, and I had the opportunity to all simultaneously hand the batons over to more active, more capable members who you guys were more in-tune with, who would get along better with your head admin, in light of... well, this, we all thought it was best to cut our losses. It had been a really, really great five-year run, and we wanted to end it on an extremely high-note. For the community, anyway. It was probably a low note for Dave and I, but for you guys, it was probably extremely good.

So for all my high-handed posturing, I'm the same Blizz I always was. Dave's the same Dave he always was. All those posts we made? Those were genuine to the community. They were relevant and they were our views. And sure, it sucks that people weren't entirely genuine, and sure it would've been nice if the community had been that "Best community in the internet" that we heralded it to be, but I got what I needed out of it, and then some. And I hope you all did too.

And the Name That Tune? That shit's all me. No, I don't know how I do it either.

[bobaganuesh_2]

And I don't think you understand. Regardless of all this, I'll still think b_t is a cool dude as long as he continues to be a cool dude to chat with on IRC/vent/whatever. Assuming you also continue to at least troll IRC in an entertaining-over-douchebaggy way, I'll continue to think you're a cool dude even if it turns out you are some 68 year old transvestite who lives in an elementary school closet (alright, that last part would be a little creepy).

There's a reason these people concocted the ruse they did. To make themselves seem more interesting and likable to the community. And you know what, it fuckin' worked. This community may be based on a giant pile of lies, but it is an entertaining and engaging pile of lies.

We've grown big enough now as well that we aren't entirely propagated by those who got to the top by deception either. (Not that I believe mod of General Discussion is a particularly high position, but) I got to my position by generally not being a douche and occasionally actually having a bit of genuine wit in a post here and there. The same goes for the other mods, and half of the op list in IRC.

And even if 'everyone who is anyone here' got there by making shit up, they are still probably some of the more engaging people in our community without the made up bullshit. It takes an interesting person to concoct an interesting story. Somewhere behind the mask of bearded-Borealis is a dude who actually likes cool music.

For those of you who had somewhat personal connections with those who came out to be masterful BS'ers, there is probably some interesting dude in the shell of who you used to know. Take your time building trust again, I get it, its fine.

But don't act like because some dudes were spewing out a line of fantasy rhetoric for the past 4 years that this community is any less of a community than it was 2 days ago.

well. this community has a knack for surprising me again and yet again. you know, I always thought that this place was a just a hangout for computer geeks and the atheist bastardos of the world. but this place has really opened up. I've met some really cool cats and interesting folk, and have recieved a fair share of scorn and punishment, because, lets all face it people, I am a self-righteous imbecile presenting myself with the guise of some fail Shakesperean lexicon. I think part of this embodiement is an accurate portrayal of my physical, soial self (in real-life), but for some reason, on the Internet, we all automatically begin acting differently, but some just take it farther than others. Metanet is, like whowasit, pointed out, a group of people that learn from each other and grow as people, which I have also done since discovering the devilish game in early 2006.

Yanni and Yahoozy are certainly correct concerning the bonds that have been formed over the years at Metanet and how these recent events have shredded them to pieces; and the noobies and those members that are ever-so distant from the central hub of the cummunity (IRC, Vent, anyhwere where either Kablizzy, blue_tetris, Tsukatu (more or less), or KinGAleX are residing the the moment) look at those people who have been here for the longest and scoff "why should I give a fuck?", or "you idiots!" because they don't quite understand what a close-relationship means, especially with these particular "phonies".

anyways, you're all getting really tired of my long-winded and semi-obvious speeches, so I'll just wrap it up and sayyyyy: I'm glad to see that this community is actually showing itself to be a community, and not just some noxious crowd of dictators that amuses themselves by pointing and laughing at the few uneducated people that come their way. I don't know blue_tetris too well, and probably the only time I've been in a conversation with Borealis is the debate I had with Tanner on masturbation over IRC, I have to argue that the aftermath of this such calamity has convinced me to stick around for a while, despite the vast change sweeping throughout this place -- because you guys are worth it.

[blue_tetris]

I may have railed too harshly against Jason. He did what he did, and he did it with kind words, and there was no vindictiveness there. I know how a secret can burn. I just told him that it was in confidence, my secret to tell, and it got out. His words were kind and, for that, I forgive the guy. So long as he forgives me.

Jason really is the Thaddeus to my Domingo. Maybe when Al Qadif is back from Broy, he gets my Silver Key of Kaedon, First City of Stark.



Also, to boba: blue_tetris, Blizz, LV, Suki, KA... none of us are the central hub of the community. I play the cartoon shooty game (and this awesome new social game that's like Mafia with guns, in Gmod), play D&D, and occasionally chat with close friends. Blizz Skypes with close friends he made in the community. The others I cannot account for; perhaps more evidence that we're not really essential here. You lads are. The sooner you start viewing that, showing your skills at making your own The Real N quality comics (ha! doubt it), and finding your own niches and positions of authority, the better.

That's what we did. We dicked Keron and Maniac right in the mouth to get where we are. Why don't you guys have the ballsy initiative that we do? In part, we handed a baton to a few folks, but they also reached out and grabbed it. We were waiting by the Gatorade cooler for the last two years, hands outstretched with the relay baton, waiting for someone to snatch it. So good on ya.

Find out who your friends are here, get to know 'em, and maybe get something out of this community. Don't just piddledick around on Metanet all the time. Create something lasting. Lord knows, I wish I had. Stop talking all subservient and shit. Be assholes. I'm tired of this churchmouse behavior that went on under the blue_tetris regime.

I only hope someone rockets their way to the top using comics, humor, and generally blue_tetris activity in the future, then comes to all the same life-changing epiphanies I did. Maybe that guy will realize he was better for all the ways he stayed the same, and not the ways he changed. Maybe that guy will emerge the humbled egotist, whose fear that everyone was getting a "fair deal" consumed him. This place taught me that ethics are unattainable--that only my self-indulgent egotism and utter lack of concern for others ended up in success. At every turn, I was rewarded for my arbitrary nature and penalized for guiding with a paternal hand.

And so, now, I'm me. Or at least as me as I began. Which, incidentally, is a kaleidoscope of awesome. I lived in this community for a time. I was on Ventrilo sixteen hours a day for a year or two, there. I had a problem. And I freed myself without ever being burdened to expose all the lies that had become inherent to me.

So, erm, on ther other hand, thanks, Jason Grenia. You're like the Griswald's Ophelia to my High Priestess Kelina's Lord Alamar. I would Rahuul you right in the Lady Asilia.

[Tunco]

This is pointless, you know. Arguing about your friends' totally lie persona won't make both of you feel better. I don't want to say this, but I really should. "Get over it."

[SlappyMcGee]

I think one of the biggest problems here is that there is a misconception between core members and what this community. It's a discrepancy cause by the word "core"- The "core" members aren't dudes most integral to the leading of the community. I mean, it seems that way because most of them were mods at one time or another, but it's important to understand that most of dudes are just dudes that the big four or five happen to like, to have connections. Kashkin, AF, Jiggerjaw, Clovic, GamingWolf; these guys are not your leaders nor for the most part your peers. Most of them have moved on to playing TF2 or hanging on IRC occasionally, but none of them are instrumental to the development of the community. Would I think of them as core members? Absolutely, and it's not because of the joy they've brought to the community, but rather the personal interactions I've had with all of them.

Which is why, for the most part, Dave and Fake Dave hit home for me. I mean, Dave, I've had a bit of time to digest, but what the fuck? I quit college briefly to drink with that dude. We are proud owners of i-Fluid, Lupin the Third, and hangovers because of this dude, to various degrees of awesome. It's very disconcerting to find out that, even though he claims that he was trying to ween out the lies, a lot of the shit he's told you in three years is completely false. And Fake Dave wasn't a core member, maybe, but he's been around for forever, and everybody liked him well enough. And everybody will still like both of them enough. But don't come into my thread and say "WHY ARE PEOPLE MAKING EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS THIS IS THE INTERNET". I don't try to make emotional connections on /b/ on even on Ultimate-Guitar.com (JayTheHalfling). Metanet is a great place where dudes will show you respect and if you become a little more awesome, you can hang out with some insanely interesting people, not just some insane internet personae.

[ADMINISTRATOR]

I wanted to add this:
I think the community has gotten very much stale because the N game itself has gotten stale. Probably all started when Mare and Raigan refused to clear up the highscore tables. People download the game and expect to see a highscores and use the userlevels, but no instead they see hacked up crap and are directed to a broken link for numa. People are likely not able to find the new numa sites. I think I was lucky to run into numa before it got moved because this is where I actually ran into the forums. When I did enter the forums soon after it was re-directed to another site therealn, then soon after again re-directed to easterviking, then again re-directed to ninjarobotyeti.

I'm not complaining but I'm just saying new members are likely having a hard time around all these changes. And honestly a forum community will not survive without new members because people are going to be signing away, but if new members are having a hard time finding the new sites they are going to give up and never sign in to numa and much less the forum and just move on.

Sorry if I steered off topic. Just needed to get this said.

[Kablizzy]

I'm not going to say anything bad about Mare or Raigan, because you guys still have that respect for them. But suffice to say that when we don't have a game release for five years, what *does* a community become?

And Pheidi, re: IRC comments - I'm torn too. I don't even know where we're headed. On the one hand, I did take this place extremely seriously. I called you people my family. You guys were gonna be at my wedding, remember? I don't think any corner of the internet could have been as pristine as this one was.

But on the other hand, was it really all that pristine? I guess not. Everyone here is just a trolly sack of shit, right? We *have* drawn out the ninja game enough. Five friggin' years? There's not much more we could do. In all honesty, staff ran out of ideas two years ago. I can only cover for so much of Metanet's lag before wondering what else I can do with my life. I don't work for Metanet. It's not my responsibility to make their games for them. It was my responsibility to keep you guys interested in the community until TNG dropped. That was my goal. Well, it's not here, it's not getting here, it's not coming, and I don't know if I can hold Raigan and the Horse-Woman in as high of a regard as I once did.

I've been saying these things to inner staff since '06 or so, I haven't said them publicly for very good reasons. Dave and I had lengthy discussions with staff here about what the community has become, and it was easily unanimous that - at least for us - the community wasn't and isn't about the ninja game anymore. To a lot of you, it might be. To a lot of you, you're just discovering the ninja game for the first time, and we didn't want to take that away from people. That's how we all started here - I wouldn't dream of taking that same amazing ambiance away from anyone.

But for those of us who did invest more into this place, who got to know people on a personal level, who call each other's cell phones, who visit each other, who live with each other, who fall in love and fight real life fights with one another... That shit's all real, and not at all attached to the ninja game. The "community" for a lot of us evolved from the forums to IRC to Google Talk to Vent to Skype to meeting in person to living together... Where do you go from there? I made some amazing relationships here... And perhaps the two most important relationships of my life; Dave and Ranny. And the reason I was able to make those (And at the same time salvage a life that was going down in flames) is *because* I put my trust in this community, and the people in it. To know that these things were / are not as they seem to be is probably harder for me to deal with than any of you know.

So I'm not saying that we need to move away. I'm saying that Metanet needs to drop a fucking game. It would have saved a large portion of the staff from leaving, and I don't know if a new game would bring any - or many - or us back. Sure, I'll play v1.5 and Robotology and Office Yeti. But at this point, I'm not going to enjoy them with that starry-eyed wonder that I had a few years ago.

We talked to Mare and Raigan, about getting the forums official and hosting them on the metanetsoftware.com server. They refused. They don't want this community. And I hate saying that, but look at how much time they spend here. They barely registered for the new forums. All the work we put in, all the support, all the... everything? Hell, even *they* don't see us as their community anymore. This was Dave, LV, KA, and Blizz's community. We were the four horsemen, and we made Space Pimp and Legacy and The Real N and The Sunday N and Vehemence and Another Day, and we *ran* this place. Day in, day out, we made this place. I don't even know where I'm going with this, but the bottom line is that when Dave revealed himself to me, I didn't flinch. When I found out that more than a dozen other people did it too, it smacked me in the balls. When I started thinking about the community at-large, where we've been, where we're going, and what it means to be in this community, I dunno. We'll just say it did a number on me.

Whether we survive this hinges upon you guys. There is no top-down leadership anymore. All us old-timers are gone. maximo's got a kid. I'm making my life real. Dave and I are both in good, stable relationships for the first time since our ex-fiancees. KA is livin' the dream. Sidke and LV are making a life for themselves. AND WHO KNOWS WHERE BRICKMAN IS???? Point being, all that "It's Your Legacy" stuff? This is what I was getting at. That one day, there wouldn't be a blue_tetris here to wow you with the newest game or sit on Vent for sixteen hours a day. The community would become stale and extremely fragile, and I wanted (and needed) a lot of you to step up and fill the holes. And for the most part, a lot of you did. But what I didn't take immediately into account was that we wouldn't have any new fodder from Metanet to fuel the community with. We're drifting, orphaned without parental figures. When's the next game coming? I don't know. But something needs to happen to get us there. Apologies for being overly dramatic. I've gotta run. Work and such.

[Spawn of Yanni]

*shrug* We have mapping competitions that people do enjoy going on left and right; we have imaging contests and events happening every so often; we have secret mappacks being developed (regardless of how on-track they are) and a good deal of members that do still enjoy playing and making levels for that one N game even if the recently-so-called "core" members do not; we have IRC games (incl. iSketch, Farragomate, etc.) taking place almost every night with everyone fully welcome to join in (the more the merrier); we have the coolest Tajikistani spambots on the entire internet - there are people doing shit for this community night after night, for weeks and months on end, and I think it would be criminally unfair to disregard what they're doing and say that this community is dying because you're not enjoying yourself like you did back in the day.

[Leaff]

I agree with Yanni, honestly. I don't think the community is really dying or anything. Sure, it's separating from the ninja game a fair bit for some people, but a fair bit of people still make levels and getting new highscores and stuff constantly. Plus, IRC is rarely ever inactive and there can be some cool discussions and 30 minute comics and iSketch and whatever. *shrug*

[/2cents]