EoFF in 10 years: a look back

Out of curiosity I looked all the way back on the first page of General Chat to see what was talked about back then. A topic brought up in one of the threads was "Where do you see EoFF a decade from now?". It's been (almost, in a few months) 10 years since that thread. I saw a lot of people who's names I don't even recognize saying "oh yeah i'll still be here". Here's some predictions from people who are still around:

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Originally Posted by Shlup

EoFF a decade from now... It'll probably be me and Sean posting pictures of our kids back and forth and everyone else'll get sick of it and run.

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Originally Posted by Del Murder

In a decade the site will still be here but I don't think the forums will be. The world will have a new fad by then.

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Originally Posted by Bert

They'll be here. I'll be sitting here posting in them. I have no life now I expect I won't have much of one then.

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It's interesting to see the wide variety of predictions. Some of us haven't been here for 10 years, so what I'd like to know is this:

How do you think the site has progressed since you started posting? What changes have been made that you like? What is something that's long gone that you miss? Really anything along those lines. If you're a new member, maybe you can talk about all the things you saw or found here that you weren't expecting to see when you joined.

One thing I really like about my own progression from then to now is maturity. I just want to face palm every time I look back on a lot of posts from 14 year old me.

I miss the wiki. You can still find it but I remember back when it was an active thing people were going to so they could leave little notes for/about people. Again, here is a classic example of people posting when they're young:

Eyes on Final Fantasy: memberlist:lone_wolf_leonhart

I liked user notes as well. We have visitor messages now, obviously. Maybe it's just the nostalgia of going back and reading some of the old ones.

I also liked the EoFF shop. As a young teenager I never had the money to buy anything, but I liked the concept.

I like how Bert knew what will actually happen.

Anyway, I have to say that EoFF has gone a long way since I had joined. I miss the friends I had made back then, and I wish I were closer to them. I guess here's to the next ten years then?

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Originally Posted by Agent Proto

I like how Bert knew what will actually happen.

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Well, Del was right that there'd be new fads, but he underestimated out crotchety resistance to change.

I didn't think I would be around, but I learned to appreciate a small, tight community like this over the years. It has helped that I have mellowed overall over the years.

I don't think I ever considered if I'd be around or not.

I miss the feeling of being a part of a community larger than it is now. I miss the different cliques and I miss the closeness that the EoFF LJ community had.

Growing up, having the internet and being able to access the forums was "a privilege" and I got in trouble an awful lot for being online. My mom started grounding me when she discovered I was talking to people online. Having EoFF at my fingertips now and the abudance of technology like being able to take pictures, videos and voice recordings to share I think makes it a little bit less special, in a way, because I remember what a big deal back then it was to be able to talk to people on the phone or see a photo of the person you were talking to. We sent letters instead of texts! But of course, I'm glad we have the technology to engage eachother as we do, absolutely. I just think it makes our interactions with eachother along the lines of a taken-for-granted sort of mentality now.

Of course the site has changed now that we're all older. I think that everyone being students in school at the same time and dealing with parents, etc gave a lot of cause for conversation and topics of interest because it was something we all had in common. Now we're all adults and going along our own ways of life and conversation is less because we have less in common than we once did. The Final Fantasy games have changed in the last few years, too, and I do think that this affects our site because it's initially why we're all here.

Since just a couple of years after this community was started, people have said it was in the decline. I am skeptical about if the forums will be here in another ten years, but I think I might be surprised.

Bert confirmed for clairvoyant. You should start investing in futures. Should I buy pork bellies or crude oil?

EoFF got a lot better after I joined, and after a little dive year, it continues to go from strength to strength.

I'm not saying I'm the cause, or anything, I'm just saying that's a little too coincidental.

Before it felt like a fun after school club with friends and assholes and now it is my internet house c:

It's like, before there were people I liked and people I always wish would get themselves banned, but now it's like family, I care about everyone here, even people who occasionally rub me the wrong way, just because they're a part of EoFF.

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Originally Posted by Quint Eastwood

EoFF got a lot better after I joined, and after a little dive year, it continues to go from strength to strength.

I'm not saying I'm the cause, or anything, I'm just saying that's a little too coincidental.

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How do you know if it got better after you joined, nerd? You wouldn't have been around to judge beforehand!

A lot of people got banned in 2006.

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Originally Posted by I Took the Red Pill

Bert confirmed for clairvoyant. You should start investing in futures. Should I buy pork bellies or crude oil?

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7.62mm ammunition.



Lulz. I can't believe I posted that (yes I can). and wow teenage posting :(

Ten years ago I had just gotten married and wasn't as active anymore I think, except to play and beat everyone at the arcade.

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Originally Posted by Bert

Lulz. I can't believe I posted that (yes I can). and wow teenage posting :(

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Some of my old posts make me cringe.

I wonder if that thread would have had a lot more activity if someone other than PG had created it...

The FF forums used to be a lot more active, I guess the slowdown in releases had some to do with that.

Blogs are cool! There's people I interacted with there I probably otherwise wouldn't have, even just talking about games.

EoEO is still a pit of intolerance and immaturity, and likely always will be. Except for the personal life threads, those are still really great and meaningful.

I've always come here to talk about games, and the tone of the arguments has definitely changed. It used to be so much fun going back and forth with novel-length responses over insignificant plot points or game mechanics. Maybe I just grew up but now the discussions are more cynical, the arguments sometimes cruel, and even when we talk about nostalgic childhood topics a few devolve into an almost passive-aggressive pissing contest. I still enjoy talking to a lot of people here so don't take it the wrong way, I've just noticed some people take things a tad too seriously.

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Originally Posted by Bolivar

EoEO is still a pit of intolerance and immaturity, and likely always will be. Except for the personal life threads, those are still really great and meaningful.

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You forgot ignorance. Tremendous ignorance. It's a lot of fun, except for all the boring personal life threads which are easy to skip.

EoFF will still exist in 10 years because even if everyone else quits using it, there will be a desperate few who refuse to give up even as it decays around them. Not that it won't necessarily be thriving, too. There's just very little chance of total disappearance. I guess if the page views got low enough, the owners could just shut it down regardless, though.

If EoFF has a failing it is that it isn't very tolerant of 'differentness' from the collective ideal of what an EoFF poster should be and what they should post about. I don't pay that much attention anymore, but it's always been present in things like the strict adherence to rules about double posts, or the interpretation of a post as being "trolling" when it's not, or the complete non-acceptance of anything that even resembles a person attack even when it isn't, in fact, a personal attack. There are plenty more ways in which it's demonstrated, as well.

Now, there's nothing wrong with that in principle - but it creates a very "inbred" (I mean that in a non-offensive way, I guess sort of isolationist) environment in which people who aren't like other people here are driven away, unless they've got extremely thick skin in some regards. Even then, they tend to eventually get bored and leave, which leaves a community that thinks a lot alike (trivial surface differences and a few outlier members notwithstanding).

Endless, what was your name when you joined?

Master Vivi (btw, you can see previous names in profiles ;))

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Originally Posted by Endless

Master Vivi (btw, you can see previous names in profiles ;))

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Ah I see that now, thanks. And I do remember you!

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Originally Posted by Spuuky

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Originally Posted by Bolivar

EoEO is still a pit of intolerance and immaturity, and likely always will be. Except for the personal life threads, those are still really great and meaningful.

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You forgot ignorance. Tremendous ignorance. It's a lot of fun, except for all the boring personal life threads which are easy to skip.

EoFF will still exist in 10 years because even if everyone else quits using it, there will be a desperate few who refuse to give up even as it decays around them. Not that it won't necessarily be thriving, too. There's just very little chance of total disappearance. I guess if the page views got low enough, the owners could just shut it down regardless, though.

If EoFF has a failing it is that it isn't very tolerant of 'differentness' from the collective ideal of what an EoFF poster should be and what they should post about. I don't pay that much attention anymore, but it's always been present in things like the strict adherence to rules about double posts, or the interpretation of a post as being "trolling" when it's not, or the complete non-acceptance of anything that even resembles a person attack even when it isn't, in fact, a personal attack. There are plenty more ways in which it's demonstrated, as well.

Now, there's nothing wrong with that in principle - but it creates a very "inbred" (I mean that in a non-offensive way, I guess sort of isolationist) environment in which people who aren't like other people here are driven away, unless they've got extremely thick skin in some regards. Even then, they tend to eventually get bored and leave, which leaves a community that thinks a lot alike (trivial surface differences and a few outlier members notwithstanding).

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Are we visiting the same website? Cause.... I don't...... see that... I mean maybe if you go into EoEO yah but everyone knows not to go in there. Otherwise I think we have actually improved and have become more open and welcoming.

The rest of this discussion has been moved here: http://home.eyesonff.com/feedback-fo...er-thread.html ~Shlup

wait, a 10 year old thread was on the last/first (however you want to put it, chronologically, etc) page of GC? but that would have been 4 years after the forum was created, i am confuse

such prune

*snip* (comment moved)

As for where EoFF will be in ten years: I dunno, it can see it either way, really. We're a holdout for sure, but with the way the internet and communication is so rapidly changing, who knows.

Back on track of the actual topic:

I think eoff will be around in some way in ten years. I have this feeling Final Fantasy will make a comeback! Then we'll get more people and activity. But look how much the internet has changed in ten years. The way we communicate on it is different. EoFF may be here but not the same way it has been.

If EoFF is still around in another 10 years then it will be almost entirely the same as it is now: full of semantic debates, exclusionary injokes, nostalgic oldbies, eager newbies, imperfect (but, y'know, satisfactory) staffing, weird ads, and countless threads about EoFFers.

In another 10 years, we will have our very first EoFF murder mystery because one of you will kill the other in real life at this rate!

(SPOILER)It turns out to be Del Murder. We really should have seen it coming.

I want to play EoFF CSI again.

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Originally Posted by Vivi22

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Originally Posted by Agent Proto

I like how Bert knew what will actually happen.

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Well, Del was right that there'd be new fads, but he underestimated out crotchety resistance to change.

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I guess I did. I won't make that mistake again!

In ten years EoFF will still be around unless the internet implodes upon itself. Then we will go back to this thread and wonder why we were bickering over forum rules in a ten-year outlook thread. Also Spuuky will be President of the United States.

Another past event I found interesting was when I logged on and everyone had their name switched to a different gender.

I noticed my name was Angel Wing Heartilly and I had a Rinoa avatar. Looking back I can't remember what the point was. If there was a point. I like the things that throw people off of their regular mindset for a bit. Like all these Dearly Departed titles.

To gaze into the future of others can be a terrible thing at times: an offhanded comment can find its way to leave others emotionally battered, bruised, and beaten.

I prefer to keep thoughts of what I think will happen in ten years to myself. I don't think that I would have been able to foresee this point ten years ago, but if I had, who would have believed me, anyway? Likewise, I don't want to say anything about what will happen ten years from now. There are some who will make it and many who will not, but the journey is everything -- that's what matters and that's what's important, not who stays or who goes; experience it for yourselves and I'll see you 'round, someday, should we make that journey together.

Ah, this thread looks much better now. Ya'll let this nice little topic get f'd in the a.

Now to do my part in keeping my word:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...Quack/malo.jpg

What the hell is she supposed to be?

Did you dress your baby up as Elrond?

She's Malo! From Twilight Princess!

http://the-games-master.com/game-fil...ncess-Malo.png

How many people actually got that with no explanation?

I was going to ask if her eyebrows are supposed to be like that...

But other than that, that is a pretty baby!

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Originally Posted by Del Murder

How many people actually got that with no explanation?

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We dress our baby for our own amusement! BJ's brother got it, at least. The eyebrows were worth it.

i got it, but only because I am currently playing twilight princess.

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Originally Posted by Del Murder

How many people actually got that with no explanation?

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I didn't get it because Twilight Princess was boring and I didn't finish it.

Did anyone else enjoy how Shlup cleaned the thread up after it went off topic and then promptly launched it off topic again?

In ten years that pumpkin Elrond will be the same age I was when I played my first FF game.

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Originally Posted by Psychotic

Did anyone else enjoy how Shlup cleaned the thread up after it went off topic and then promptly launched it off topic again?

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Her post is completely related to the OP :monster:

Nice timing, by the way. You got the timeline correct for posting baby pictures 10 years later, Shlup. :D

Thank smurf they're not real eyebrows because I doubt I'd be able to not comment on them if they were.

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Originally Posted by Psychotic

that pumpkin Elrond

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In 10 years Amanda's child will be the same age as Raistlin was when he started posting here.

The cycle begins anew.

Someday all of our kids will be posting together.

I've thought about making Parker an account as a joke. Haha

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Originally Posted by Del Murder

In 10 years Amanda's child will be the same age as Raistlin was when he started posting here.

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http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/...42/614/817.png

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Originally Posted by Del Murder

In 10 years Amanda's child will be the same age as Raistlin was when he started posting here.

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http://f.i.bol.com.br/entretenimento...y-3d_f_019.jpg

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Originally Posted by Lone Wolf Leonhart

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Originally Posted by Psychotic

Did anyone else enjoy how Shlup cleaned the thread up after it went off topic and then promptly launched it off topic again?

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Her post is completely related to the OP :monster:

Nice timing, by the way. You got the timeline correct for posting baby pictures 10 years later, Shlup. :D

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Yeah, way to not pay attention to anything ever, Psy.

this is what the site was like 7 years ago

http://snowy-day.net/stuff/others/copypasteduh.png

still steeped in nostalgia

That's actually pretty accurate.

What do you mean, "bring back"? There are people who don't use Ed's Technicolor Nightmare?

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Originally Posted by Agent Proto

That's actually pretty accurate.

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Cram it, Proto.

Nobody listens to Proto!

That's so true. That explains why i have so few friends. :(

I really liked Ed's technicolor nightmare. That was probably the worst thing about the move to vB4.

THE IRONY OF THIS THREAD! ESPECIALLY BY SOMEONE THAT IS STILL AROUND!

LWL did you always type in brown and also why

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Originally Posted by Spuuky

EoFF will still exist in 10 years because even if everyone else quits using it, there will be a desperate few who refuse to give up even as it decays around them.

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Also, lol, Spuuky fully came at future me ten years ago. Got me smurfen dead to rights xD

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Originally Posted by A Pint of Quinness

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Originally Posted by Spuuky

EoFF will still exist in 10 years because even if everyone else quits using it, there will be a desperate few who refuse to give up even as it decays around them.

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Also, lol, Spuuky fully came at future me ten years ago. Got me smurfen dead to rights xD

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OMG, make Spuuky a staff or RM or something! He sees the future!

Where are all the kids of members that are supposed to post here? :(

We should come back to this thread next year!

I wonder if Spuuky will still be posting next year, thus becoming one of those desperate few he mentioned. One of us!

It's almost Shakespearean.

even if he doesn't post here, he'll be in the discord high level trolling a lot of people, which is just as sweet

Christmas reviving my old threads is like russian roulette. There's a one in six chance that reading posts from my younger self will induce a level of cringe and anxiety that I can't recover from.

Fortunately, this was one of the good ones.

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Originally Posted by A Pint of Quinness

LWL did you always type in brown and also why

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This must have been around the time we had an Easter egg hunt. There were various prizes for finding eggs like you could get a colored title or temporarily switch usernames with another member.

At the time I had switched usernames with Agrias, so I adopted her posting color, as well.

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Originally Posted by Loony BoB

I wonder if Spuuky will still be posting next year, thus becoming one of those desperate few he mentioned. One of us!

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I solemnly vow to post at least one time in 2023.