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Hi rainbowfirestorm, welcome to the forums! It's great to hear that there are still people searching for forums to join, what with them not being as popular as other social media. MLPF has a precious community and I'm certain you will make lots of friends here.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about the forum and I'll be happy to help out! Hope you have a lot of fun here.

I have fond memories of Cleverbot, and it's fascinating how far the technology has come between that and GPT-4. I wonder if AGI will have awoken when I check this post 12 years from now.

"What are your feelings about Chicken McNuggets?"

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Despite my introversion, the concept of being the only person alive fills me with an overwhelming and pervasive existential dread rivaled by few other ideas. I've always felt this way, as pondering this now mirrors my childhood response to the first time I saw Time Enough at Last.

Beyond loneliness and the accompanying despair, which would be undoubtedly immense, there lies a deeper madness in considering the definitions underlying reality itself.

From my limited and inaccurate human perception, everything seems paradoxically defined in relation to something else. Joy is defined in relation to despair, good is defined in relation to evil, presence is defined in relation to absence, life is defined in relation to death, and so on. Even the colors we physically perceive have comparable relations to each other.

My identity and overall perception of self is defined through innumerable perceived relations to others and my environment. If my environment were wholly absent of others, even so far as to be absent in memory: if I perceived myself as being the only human being, I would no longer have or understand any recognizable definition of human, identity, or self. I cannot comprehend let alone describe what existence or awareness would "be like" in the absence of such fundamental relative definitions.

Surely I would be alive, and surely I would either build a new schema from my abandoned environment or die. I simply cannot visualize what such a schema would be beyond "I am not" as relative to that which I perceived around me: but where would that chain lead?

I'm trying to grow my hair out as long as I can, but it's a slow process I've been working on for a few years now. It curls naturally and I don't care about style beyond keeping it long, so I just shower and brush it with a detangling brush to keep it presentable.

I have yet to discover a flavor or preparation variant of coffee or tea that I don't enjoy. I love some more than others, but I absolutely love both coffee and tea.

When I'm trying to watch calories, I can drink coffee black and tea plain. When I do this I prefer a black medium roast, but can imbibe dark roast if I'm in need of an extra jolt. For tea I prefer plain green tea.

When I want a treat, I love vanilla and mocha lattes, lemonade/ice tea (Arnold Palmer style) and all things chai.

I usually avoid cold brew but can drink it in a pinch. Favorite cold brew was Death Wish as a result of both its strength and surprisingly smooth taste but my local grocery store stopped carrying it.

Finding quiet solitude in nature wherever it can be found. If you're in the city, finding a large or less-traveled park or a walking trail is paramount. Silence your phone and other devices, go alone (but during the day, keeping safety in mind). Don't try to force yourself not to think about anything: let thoughts come and go as they please, but gently redirect your focus to the sounds of nature around you. Whether it be a babbling brook, swaying and sifting leaves in the trees, any myriad of unknown yet comforting animal sounds. Simply being present in the moment and experiencing the sensations of nature is an indescribable, irreplaceable and ultimately sublime experience that cannot be replicated by any purchased good or service.

My self-defense urban carry is a Glock 48. Its primary utility is its compactness and subsequent ease of concealed carry.

I don't regularly carry knives anymore, but when I do I prefer concealable sheathed fixed blade knives for both self-defense and general outdoor utility.

Assuming that smoke inhalation is cheating, I would far rather die by water. I simply cannot imagine the all-consuming agony of burning alive, and while drowning is terrifying that would undoubtedly be a less painful (and potentially faster) way to go. And while I would rather not find out the hard way, I presume that drowning may reach a point of tranquility before burning: a point at which the brain checks out and lapses into unconsciousness. Sort of poetic in a way, dying by water as the majority of our substance is of water.

All that being said, both ways are awful and I would rather die of natural causes after living a long life.

How's it going? Hope US folks had a good Thanksgiving.

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Morning!

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Our fields alight
Is this a dream?
Glowing inferno
Reborn, red dawn
Searing, auric chariot
With karmic wheels, they burn again
The karmic wheels, turning again

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I've lived in both, and I can say I definitely prefer small town life. As with all things though, both have their upsides and their downsides.

While all places and lived experiences will differ, my time in large cities has consistently met with a higher density of suffering. Crime, poverty, homelessness, drug addiction are rampant and integrated into your daily experience. I have been in the vicinity of stabbings, assaults and most common of all, car crashes. I frequently travel through an intersection with an ever-growing collection of crosses memorializing those who died.

I also experience a sensation of "energetic imprint" that differs across spaces and feels stronger the more people there are living and passing through. For example, when I visited San Francisco I felt a pervading sense of despair and tragedy soaking into the very fiber of my being as if I were standing on the shore buffeted by wave after crashing wave. This was not simply a reaction to the personal tragedy I witnessed there, of which there was no end. But even walking through the oddly silent streets at midnight, past businesses boarded up and scaling the inclined sidewalks I felt the tsunami of grief reverberating throughout all, punctuated only by the wail of ambulance sirens every quarter of an hour.

Conversely, when I visited Las Vegas I felt physically ill in a distinctive way the moment I stepped foot off of the airplane and first made contact with the earth. It felt as if I had immediately been plugged into a circuit of tar and sludge, dragging down every movement with intensifying gravitational pull. I was not actually sick, but that's the closest analogy I can use to describe the feeling I had there that I have never in my life experienced before or since. The air and earth surrounding me felt infected by an innate sense of wrongness that threatened to swallow me whole at any moment. Again, I witnessed and reacted to an array of varied human suffering, but this sensation was all-pervading.

But as with all things, nothing is ever just one way or the other. I visited a beach in San Francisco holding one of the most beautiful harbor scenes I have witnessed in my life. I meditated on the calming waves gently lapping at the shore, and absorbed the sunset gently cascading. In Las Vegas I witnessed monumental feats of architecture and engineering, with green-infused spaces and water features inspiring genuine delight. We will always shine a light in the darkest of places, and this duality of being bears a grounding exhaustion with a joy afloat.

Small towns are not by any stretch of the imagination exempt or disconnected from the matrices of suffering. If anything, I find rest in these emptier urban environments and in nature alike from the emotional quietude compared to large urban environments. The "energy" (for lack of a more accurate term) feels quieter, emptier -- all imperfect analogies for a nonphysical sensation -- allowing for more introspection, and for more of simply existing without as much parsing of sensory input or connected implication. You will witness joy and suffering alike, but it will be less often and in smaller quantities.

Within the silence I find a door connecting both inward and outward in a sea of liminal tranquility.

Really happy to see this being implemented! This was always one of my favorite new major additions from v4 of Invision Community and has a lot of fun applications for a forum such as this with so many different interest groups, both within and outside of the MLP fandom. Excited to see what clubs people come up with.

Exhausted and drained, but pervadingly calm in the sense of anxiety being ubiquitous to the point of being mundane and losing its former sting.

So many memories of my Nintendo DSi in particular. I didn't own very many home consoles as a kid, but I had a PC and a DSi. I absolutely loved both, but the latter takes a  particularly special place in my heart by virtue of taking it with me on memorable road trips and vacations.

I remember plugging in my headphones in the car with my DSi and listening to DragonForce and Disturbed, deriving great enjoyment from the very low quality lossy audio capable of being played back on that device. Got me started on my passion for metal that has expanded quite a bit over the years.

I remember playing my DSi in the hotel room at night while visiting my grandma, sinking into the comfortable armchair while running through some Phantom Hourglass dungeons. Those memories evoke a particular sense of comfort and calm that is difficult to grasp anymore.

I voted for both as in general I would love to see a careful balance between continuing to represent and support G4 for those who loved it with equally representing and supporting G5 for those who love it.

I definitely far prefer G4, and many older users may feel the same. And it is definitely essential to support and engage older / longtime community members.

But it is equally essential to embrace the newer G5: many newer community members may get their start in the fandom with G5 and we want them to feel equally welcome, safeguarding and growing this community well into the future.

Reactions being an integral component of forum engagement should offer as wide a range of options as is plausible in order to maximize engagement for all.

Aha, I'm fashionably late to my own welcome thread!  In all seriousness, I'm sorry and meant to post here way sooner than this. Work has been hell this past week with some extra long hours to finish some projects and deal with some urgent situations.

Thank you everyone so much for the warm welcome -- I truly and deeply appreciate the kindness and friendship everyone is showing me. I haven't been active here in years, and I definitely didn't expect anywhere near as many people as there are to remember me and still care about me. It is incredibly kind to not only welcome me back to the community, but to give me the opportunity to contribute as a member of the staff once again even after my extended period of absence and inactivity. That means a very great deal to me and underscores one of the countless reasons why I love this community so dearly, and why I came back: the kindness, empathy and generosity shared here is immeasurable. I always have and always will cherish this dear community.

For some context for those who don't know me, or don't know all the pertinent details: I joined MLPF back in 2013, and I was an active member of the community before eventually joining the staff. I started out as a Tech Support assistant, progressed to Moderator and eventually Admin. The bulk of my work and experience in the staff, even as an Admin was focused on moderation, and later managing moderation & escalated safety incidents + appeals. I have almost no experience working event coordination, as from my memory that was largely handled by Jeric, Artemis and probably others during my time. So I might have a bit of a slow start getting up to speed with this team and learning the ropes, but I'm really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and learn new ways to give back to this community.

I ended up leaving many years ago in part due to some personal struggles in life, but honestly I don't really know why it took me so long to properly return. I've just been caught up in various life situations and professional challenges, and as part of that I lost sight of some of the things that bring me joy in life, including the MLPF community and all the wonderful friends I made here. I checked in on MLPF several times over the years, often without logging in: but I've now come to realize how many years I've missed this community even without actively focusing on it.

I deeply regret being gone for so long and I apologize for anyone who felt abandoned or in any way saddened by my departure. I neglected all of my friends here and I wish I could go back and make a lot of different and better decisions. I've learned a lot and grown significantly in life during my absence, so now the best I can do is return to full activity and contribute here with a higher degree of quality than I was capable of in the past.

I deeply appreciate everyone's kind welcomes, but I wanted to respond to a few specifically in particular:

@Sir Hugsalot -- Thank you, from the bottom of my heart for your kindness. I am truly honored and touched that you were the one to post this. When I think back on my precious memories of MLPF, you were always chief among the people who gave this community the atmosphere and spirit that it has. The spirit of kindness, charity and joy. You always brought a smile to my face and brightened these forums on a daily basis. To see that you are not only still active, but an Admin and actively leading the community with your tremendous heart and positive attitude: this brings me deep joy and satisfaction that I cannot properly express with words. Also, I love the cute Luna art so much!! 

@Marcato -- It's so great to see you again!! It's been so long. I have so many fond memories of you and our conversations way back in the day and it brings me joy to see old members popping in or still active, and hopefully doing well. I hope everything has been going well for you in life and would love to chat again sometime.

@Silky The Smoll -- Thank you so much for your generous kindness toward me, and I am truly touched by how you describe my impact in regard to your connection with Sir Hugsalot. I've always been fascinated by the concept of the butterfly effect: seemingly insignificant actions cascading across numerous causal flows resulting in monumental and earth-shattering changes. While the exact mechanics of such a thing are nebulous and debatable, at minimum I have personally seen and experienced the effects of something like the butterfly effect at different times in my life. To hear that any small actions I took here helped 2 kind people to meet each other and form a loving bond: that means more than I can say. In essence, that gives me a sense of meaning in life, being able to make a positive impact on others. That makes each day worthwhile. Serious stuff aside -- everyone here seems like as wacky and fun a group as I fondly remember everyone always being, and that is now bringing emotional tears to my eyes even more than the serious stuff lol

@Dark Qiviut -- DQ, it brings my heart peace to see that you are still active in this community. I love seeing your buffalo avatar, just seeing that brings so many fond memories rushing back. I always loved reading your critiques of MLP episodes and still do. You have contributed more substance and quality discussion to this forum than probably anyone I can think of, and that is a treasure indeed. I hope life has been treating you well.

@Gone Airbourne -- I'm so overjoyed to see that you are here too! So many fond memories  I love your recent artwork you shared and I'm so happy to see you taking joy in that. I hope that life has been going well for you over all these years.

And thank you again so much to all! I'm so excited to meet new people and people I may have ran into here or there but never talked to much. Whether we've ever chatted before or not, I'm always happy to make new friends and reconnect with old friends! Feel free to send me a message here on the forums any time, or add me on Discord: _scs

What fascinates me about the concept of meaning is the inherent subjectivity and variability: how do you pin down a definition on a concept that can mean wildly different things to every person who has ever lived?

We reach consensus on various "simple" components of life: most people tend to agree the sky is "blue," and as part of that are roughly on the same page about what "blue" means -- this is a result of the physical similarities most people share with our eyes that receive the input and our brains that process the input. Of course everyone has a different body and brain, so who knows if anyone truly and wholly interprets "blue" exactly the same -- probably not -- but we are close enough on this to achieve consensus. Of course there are exceptions, like people with colorblindness: and if our eyes and/or brains were physically different, we would likely perceive and ascribe a different color to the sky altogether.

Analysis quickly reveals some of the hidden nuance packed into "simple" concepts like the color blue -- where do you even begin with a concept like "meaning" that is not ascribed any singular physical schema?

"Meaning" has infinite morphology: it can be built into any schema, interpreted from any phenomena. Meaning intersects any human schema: but does it exist without human perception? Does a machine experience any phase of "meaning" through carrying out its mechanical operations as subject to the laws of physics? Does a computer experience any phase of "meaning" through digital information processing -- information that can have great meaning to a human, for example, but what is its nature outside of the human perceptual schema?

Paradoxically, meaning seems to have infinite definition and no definition simultaneously, depending on the schema used to contemplate it. This digs further into pondering not only what is real, but what does real mean -- is reality defined by perception, or is perception and epiphenomena of a deeper system -- and what are the endless implications of both (and other) paths.

Ultimately, I don't find much fruit in arguing whether life is "meaningful" or not -- because ultimately this falls to each individual's perception. Each thinking individual will judge for themselves whether they view their own life as meaningful as filtered through their own schema and processed by their own perceptual and experiential framework. This has great value and interest on a human level, but does little to shed light on a cosmic scale of any sense of "absolute" meaning or definition of anything.

I am thankful to be alive, and I cherish those I love and those who have impacted me personally -- this has meaning to me. What that meaning really means, if anything outside of my own schema, I could not possibly guess.

No matter which direction I turn, I feel as the 2D denizen inhabiting an endless plane. If they could displace themselves across a new degree of freedom, a 3rd dimensional axis, their entire reality collapses to a comparably infinitesimal point: as a tablecloth on a table, in a factory, in a city in an incomprehensibly vast country. Not only does physical infinity invert itself, but perceptual possibilities expand incomprehensibly. Through how many layers could freedom expand?