Hello Out There!

[Key Gear 6,663]

Hello Everypony,

 

This is going to be a bit long, because I have a tendency to be long-winded. (I can't help myself).

 

How I Became a Brony

 

Well, I started watching MLP about three weeks about. I kept seeing all of these weird images of these colorful characters with huge eyes popping up every once in a while on various programming-related sites. Finally someone posted a video, so I clicked in and found myself watching the last episode of the first season. For some strange reason, I felt myself compelled to continue watching....

 

Then I watched another, and another, and another.... I was trying to reinstall windows on a handful of computers, so I had some time to burn. Actually, I had all night to burn. Before I knew it, it was the next day, and I had watched almost every single episode.... Which was strange, because I'm not the kind of person that someone would expect to watch a show like this......

 

The wasn't the crazy thing though. The crazy thing was I had this insatiable desire to watch the episodes again! At first, I tried to fight it, but then I said "well, why not" and re-watched. The damage was already done. I was now a serious fan of this show.

 

How Everyone Else Did Too

 

But watching the show myself just wasn't good enough. I felt an amazing drive to indoctrinate other people as well.

 

So there I was, driving back after picking up my younger brothers from college, and all of a sudden, I just can't stop myself. I start rambling about ponies. I talk about everything - the show, the characters, the animation - everything. What happened next was about 5 minutes of complete silence, and then they laughed.

 

They thought I was joking! So then I told them that, no, it was not a joke. I really am watching a show that features a bunch of brightly colored, talking ponies. I told them that it really was a great show and they should watch at least one episode before they draw any conclusions about my mental health. (Being the older brother, I may or may not have also made some ambiguous threats and/or made use of some other type of coercion.)

 

To say that they were skeptical would be an understatement. They were beyond skeptical. But they were curious.... So, after some thought, I decided to play Applebuck Season. To make a long story short, it worked.... So, I decided to indoctrinate everyone else that I could as well.

 

Sometimes it didn't quite go well, but sometimes it did. Altogether, I have added another 8 or so fans. Hopefully, more will follow. I will not be satisfied until everyone, and I mean everyone, in the entire world is a BRONY!

 

How I Found This Site

 

Well, my next step was to try and find somewhere that I could talk about ponies online. I have probably checked out just about every pony related group on the net. I'm not sure why, but I never actually clicked into mlpforums when it popped up in the google search.

 

For various reasons, all of the MLP fansites that I tried rubbed me the wrong way. One of the primary things being the fact that it was hard to avoid the NSFW content. Being in a working environment for most of my day, this was a serious, serious problem for me.

 

Finally, I decided to check out this site today, and I was really impressed. I was impressed by the maturity and friendliness of the members here. I was impressed by the clear set of rules outlined in the site's constitution.

 

I was completely impressed by how nice this site itself is. It loads fast and it looks nice (some of the other MLP fansites out there make my eyes burn). I have been a web developer for a while now, and I have only very rarely come across a forum where you can tell that the mods, admins, and owner are all very good at what they do. This site is a joy to use.

 

Then I ran across this thread while trying to find out what the owner of the site was like:

 

http://mlpforums.com/topic/6452-the-cost-of-running-mlp-forums-a-comprehensive-report/

 

Wow, just wow. That the site owner would be so open with running this site completely impressed me. This is something that even experienced corporations have a hard time doing. And that the site owner would actually take the time to set this site up in the right way, with the right tools, and the right hosting. Ok... That did it... I was sold! I had to sign up ASAP.

 

I tip my hat to the members, moderators, admins, and the owner of this site. Well done!

 

And now... Here I am. It feels good to join the mlpforums herd!

[Keypassion 232]

I'm sorry Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

Hello Hal and welcome to the mlpforums

 

That was probably one of the best introductions I've seen so far.

I'm LRP, nice to meet you. If you ever wanna talk to someone here on the site don't be afraid to message me

 

Feld0 definitely runs a great website, I myself am shocked at how well the site is maintained.

 

So who's your favorite character?

[ProjectRKA 2,848]

Welcome to the forums, HAL... wow that's quite a read right there.

Yeah, I completely agree with all you've stated in this introduction. I'm sure you're going to have a nice time here as well

[dressmaker rarity 1]

Luna and rarity I can't decide witch I like more

[DJ MUFF1N D3RP 322]

Welcome HAL! You're going to love it here and have all kinds of fun!

[Crispy 5,563]

Welcome to the site, Hal. I can tell you'll be a good member to have around.

 

You couldn't have found a better site. I hope you enjoy it as much as we all have.

[Gingerpotato 889]

Your introduction. . . . .it makes me want to be a better man. Welcome to the single, greatest MLP forum in the whole world.

[Inkfeather 597]

Welcome, oh welcome Hal to this lovely herd of wonderful ponies.

 

It surely is nice to have someone like you join this site of our. I truly hope and know that you will have an enjoyable time here for as long as you may chose to stay.

This being an introduction thread and all, you told us awfully little about who you really are.

We got your age, and what you do and that you have a younger brother.

 

Now tell us, what exactly about this show is it that you like, you said you've watched all the episodes, so you must have some kind of idea about your favorite aspects as of now.

 

Such a person you are, formal and well written post. Who may the favorite pony be for such a person?

 

 

Now, to a little other point. You say that you show and try to make everyone watch the show and that you won't give up before everyone is a brony. Isn't this enforcing your own ideals unto other people? I know plenty of people in the world that have ni interest in such a show, so why try and bother with them?

Personally, I prefer to casually mention it and if people show some kind of curiousity, then I tell them about the actual show.

You seem very open about being part of the fandom, not embarrassed about what people might think of you. That's like myself, I'm sure we'll have some quite interesting conversations in the furture.

 

Back on topic. As said, to me it seems you try to enforce the idea of ponies unto other people. This is not a very nice thing to do. Why is it you're obsessed about showing this show to everybody? Ofcourse I agree that it's a lovely show, but you have to admit, there's many types of people out there that I would rather have out of the fandom rather than part of it.

 

So why do you chose to grasp the situation as you do?

 

I'm just interested, that's all.

 

Well, that aside. Welcome again to this lovely forum, feel free to contact me any time if you want a nice and friendly chat.

[Key Gear 6,663]

I'm sorry Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.

 

Heh heh, hello Hinochi and thank you again for sending me this avatar image.

 

Hello Hal and welcome to the mlpforums

 

That was probably one of the best introductions I've seen so far.

I'm LRP, nice to meet you. If you ever wanna talk to someone here on the site don't be afraid to message me

 

Feld0 definitely runs a great website, I myself am shocked at how well the site is maintained.

 

So who's your favorite character?

 

Hello LRP! Thank you!

 

Hmm, this may sound a bit fluffy, but I really have a hard time choosing a favorite character... I guess if I absolutely had to choose one out of the mane 6, then it would be either Pinkie Pie, Rarity, or Rainbow Dash. (Yes, I know that's three, but its the best i can do, I like them all!)

 

Rainbow Dash because she reminds me of one of my best friends. Like my friend, RD is a little rough around the edges, but when she has to, she will pull out all of the stops to help those she cares about. I respect that, and I don't mind the "intensity" of the character's general attitude.

 

Pinkie Pie because her story in the Cutie Mark Chronicles was something that I could really sympathize with. While I am not from a "rock farm". I know exactly how it feels to have a humorless upbringing where everyone around you is either depressed or way too serious. Her throwing that party for her family and them reacting the way that they did, well that reminded me a lot of myself and some events from my own history.

 

For me Rarity is kind of a complicated story (and no, I'm not just saying this because you share her name). When I first saw the character, I could say without a doubt that she was my least favorite of the mane 6, but then as I made my way from the last episode to the first of season 1 (yeah, I went backwards) my opinion actually changed.

 

I almost fell out of my seat when she applauded Fluttershy in the Green Isn't Your Colour episode. She was able to overcome her own feeling of jealousy to support her friend when it looked like her friend needed help, and she did it without anyone telling her to. For me, that was unexpected and it really opened my eyes to the depth of the characterizations in this show.

 

Then I saw Suited for Success and the deal was sealed. That episode hit really close to home for me. It was like a flashback for me, because it mirrored the first time I tried to make a website for other people (and the second, third, etc). When she sings the second part of the "Art of the Dress" song, I could hear the difference in the singing. Making the dresses had gone from something fun to being something of a nightmare. But she pushed through it anyway, because she wanted her friends to be happy.

 

While I liked the show before that episode, it was Suited for Success that made me really, really, really like the show. The singing was fantastic, the plot hit home with me, and I could seriously understand Rarity's pain. That was when I realized that this wasn't just a show for little girls, this is a show for everyone. (I wish that I had seen that one episode before my adventures in trying to do contract work, which, unlike the show, didn't have a happy ending.)

 

Outside of the mane 6, I am a serious Apple Bloom fan.

 

Uh oh..... Another super long post... Well.... What can I say?

 

(And greetings to anypony else that posted as well!)

[I_wesley125 393]

Welcome to the forums.

I want to ask, what programming languages do you use/know?

[Radiance64 7,053]

Welcome to the forums! I hope you have fun here!

[Key Gear 6,663]

Welcome, oh welcome Hal to this lovely herd of wonderful ponies.

 

Hello! Thank you!

 

Actually, I would like to thank everyone that replied. I didn't think that anyone would want to read my super-long & boring posts, and I certainly didn't think that anyone would reply to them, but well... I guess I was wrong. And that is a good thing :-)

 

Now tell us, what exactly about this show is it that you like, you said you've watched all the episodes, so you must have some kind of idea about your favorite aspects as of now.

Well, I like a lot of things about the show. I like the animation, the stories, the characters...

 

Actually, if I had to pick just one thing it would be the positivity. The show presents such a positive viewpoint on friendship and life, and it does it without ever being cheesy or insincere.

 

Such a person you are, formal and well written post. Who may the favorite pony be for such a person?

Ummmmm.... Welll...... I actually like all of the mane 6. I may like a few slightly more than the others though. I guess I have a slight Pinkie Pie/Rainbow Dash/Rarity bias.

 

Also, I don't try to be this formal on purpose - it is just the way that I write naturally at this point. Let's just say that I spent far too much time writing essays at one point in my life.

 

Now, to a little other point. You say that you show and try to make everyone watch the show and that you won't give up before everyone is a brony. Isn't this enforcing your own ideals unto other people? I know plenty of people in the world that have ni interest in such a show, so why try and bother with them?

Yes, you are completely right. I guess I was a little carried away when I said the entire world. Maybe just as many people as possible should become Bronies.

 

Personally, I prefer to casually mention it and if people show some kind of curiousity, then I tell them about the actual show.

Actually, that is exactly what I try to do as well. Mostly I rely on people seeing that I have some funny looking ponies on my computer and asking me about it. Then I tell them about the show. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

 

So why do you chose to grasp the situation as you do?

This may sound a little dramatic, but I really do think that this show has the power to have a positive effect on people.

 

When I first watched the show, I had just finished a very rough project, and I was totally burned out. This show helped me to recover from burnout. I think that it could probably help quite a few other people out there as well.

 

Well, that aside. Welcome again to this lovely forum, feel free to contact me any time if you want a nice and friendly chat.

Thank you!

 

Welcome to the forums.

I want to ask, what programming languages do you use/know?

 

Hello! Thank you and everypony else for welcoming me! I did not expect so many replies

 

 

I have had some experience working with Python, Ruby, Java, C, Perl, Javascript, and Coffeescript (which is just a slightly friendlier Javascript).

 

Right now, I do pretty much all of my work in Coffeescript and Python.

Edited February 17, 2012 by HAL 9000

[Twilight Sparkle ✨ 8,526]

Hello HAL 9000, and welcome to MLP Forums! New members rarely take the time to write up such a detailed introductory post, so it's great to see you taking the time to tell us all about your experiences with ponies so far. I'm also happy that you chose my site out of all the pony communities out there, and told us why.

 

Neat to have a fellow web developer here, and someone who can appreciate the advantages that a quality VPS and CDN bring. I think this is the first time a member said that the site's speed was a factor in convincing them to join, and I love hearing that my efforts in that regard have not gone unnoticed.

 

With that financial report, my logic was simply that I have nothing to hide, so why not throw some numbers out there for the users? As much as I love MLP Forums, there is absolutely no way that I can fund it out-of-pocket at this point, so being honest about its expenses has proven to be a good way to encourage donations, which sustain the site for everyone.

 

It looks like MLP Forums left quite an impression on you as a new member, and I'm really happy that you registered. With all said and done, I'm always open to suggestions for additions and changes to the site, so if there's anything you think we can do better, no matter how big or small, feel free to let my team know in our feedback section.

 

I look forward to seeing you around!

 

Sometimes it didn't quite go well, but sometimes it did. Altogether, I have added another 8 or so fans. Hopefully, more will follow. I will not be satisfied until everyone, and I mean everyone, in the entire world is a BRONY!

 

Feel free to recommend MLP Forums to them.

[Jokuc 8,173]

 

 

...Wait a second..

This guy posts an epic long story about how he became a brony and what he tries to do. What he gets is:

 

 

I posted half about half as much as him and I got:

 

 

um okay.

 

 

 

Hello there and welcome to the forums!

I love your story

Edited February 18, 2012 by Jokuc

[NavelColt 22,879]

Wow, you're pretty cool, chicken guy. I bet you'd make a really good staff some day. Welcome to the board. I'm C.Discord, self-proclaimed chaos expert. I hope you have lots of fun.

[Dr. Vojislav Seselj 691]

Welcome my bro(ny) to the best MLP forum there is! I'm StefanSreto, self-proclaimed Serbian nationalist and uber-brony. Hope you have a gret time here!

 

But, Scoots is best CMC!

[Clarity 3,094]

How is this old topic brought up? o.o

 

So...um, welcome, Scoots! Even though you joined in, like, February

[Jokuc 8,173]

Wow, you're pretty cool, chicken guy. I bet you'd make a really good staff some day. Welcome to the board. I'm C.Discord, self-proclaimed chaos expert. I hope you have lots of fun.

I knew you were awesome and such, but I didn't know you could see into the future