FanGathering 15th Anniversary - An Ode to FG!

[Cabaline]

FanGathering is turning 15 years old on the 30th of August!

Wow, how time flies Some of us have been here for over a decade and have lots of memories to go with it! Some of us have joined quite recently with the release of the movie and have found a massive community behind it!

This thread is a space for us all to get soppy, emotional and write a little spiel about how FG has been involved in our lives from when we joined to now, how we have changed since then, and what we think when looking back on our old posts and everything.

We are hoping to have a special feature in the next Haven Herald, focussing on the 15th anniversary and we would love to use little snippets from this thread to demonstrate just how many people have loved FG over the past 15 years, and how big an impact it has all had on our lives

I look forward so much to seeing what everyone has to say <3

P.S. Write as much or as little as you like, and only share what you feel comfortable sharing! We'll take quality over quantity any day, but no one will judge you for getting in your feels and writing an essay either. This is your opportunity to express yourself, if you would rather do that through a different medium such as art or music, go ahead, we appreciate all creativity here!

[Josephine Fowl]

I wasn't here when FG first started out fifteen years ago as I didn't join until 2010, but I'd like to say a few things nonetheless.

FG was a wonderful space to "grow up in". English isn't my first language, and back when I first joined my language was... interesting to say the least. But there was no judgement. When people would use abbreviations like brb, omg, gtg, I didn't know what was going on, but people took the time to explain and there was not judgement. It was such a patient place, it was a kind place. It still is.

I often just open the site just to take a look at the banner, because it feels like home. And it was home to me for a few years. I could always come here to vent or to just chat and have fun with my friends, and I feel like I still can, if I manage to log on at the right time of day. I remember staying up late at night, chatting with in the shout-box until my parents would come into my room and tell me to go to sleep.

In general, FG means a lot to me. I made friends here and fell out of contact with them. But when I come back here, even just to take a quick peek, I feel like we're all still in 2010 chatting away at 2 am.

[HollyShort9]

When I joined FG, I was an actual, literal child. 9 years old! I remember immediately the mods here made sure I would be safe—they messaged me to get my mom’s contact info in case anything odd should happen, and everyone looked out for me. This place was where I was encouraged to write and to draw, and a myriad of other things I still love today. I looked up so much to everyone here, especially the mod team. I remember I wanted to be as well-spoken as /b/ and P5YCHIC. I wanted to be as kind as xox Miss Livia xox, BlackOpal, darvit, Cabaline, MichaelM and others. I wanted to be as good at drawing as Kierisa12. I poured out my heart to Sea and duckie and JLHxXxX and FowlStar... The list of people that shaped me here is far too long to continue. There are friends I made here who I still talk to. Friends I met in person, too. So many friends.

The friends here were really important to me in high school, when I had few.

I am now in my 20s. I’ll admit, a lot of the time when I stumble across an old post of mine here, I viscerally cringe... then I remember I was actually a baby. I kind of see FG as my coming of age story, really, because I learned so much here and it wasn’t until later in high school that the site became less active. Then I went to college and now I’m a Real Adult ™ so I don’t come on here very much anymore. But when I do, I am struck with nostalgia. I grew up here. I can leaf through the pages of this forum (good, bad, poignant, and cringe) and I can see the story of my childhood written in.

That’s why no matter how busy I am, I still end up coming back here. It’s like coming back to my roots in a way. The homepage is so familiar that it’s comforting. I used to rush onto this site every day, first website on the computer, to see what everyone was up to and if it was my turn to post in an RP yet.

Though I’m getting all nostalgic now, I have to say, I much prefer our grown up selves to those childlike days, although I cherish those memories. It makes me so proud to see how far we’ve all come.

I’ll always be thankful for FG. I can’t overstate how much I’ve learned here and how much you’ve all meant.

Edited to add: Oh, I just remembered the mods’ April Fools jokes. I remember they got me a few years in a row... and after that, I was waiting and ready to see what they’d do!! For some reason, that one really got me—some tears in my eyes. I love you all.

[Battery]

Happy birthday, FG. I wish this was happening at a time when I could put enough brainpower into this post to do this place and the people here justice, but a little bit will have to do for now <3

This place showed me what it was like to have friends who actually wanted me around. It gave me a place to be myself and pour out all my stupid, teenage thoughts and feelings (and now, my stupid, adult thoughts and feelings). It taught me that I love planning and making and doing things that make people happy, and gave me the chance to do so.

FG is something special. I don't think there are many communities like it still kicking around, these days. Thanks for letting me be a part of it all.

Someday I'll write the post I actually wanted to put together for all this, with about a billion names and stories. For now, happy birthday to my online home, and thanks to everyone who made and continues to make it what it is. I genuinely love you all.


And for whatever it's worth: Cabby and I were both too busy to even work out which of us was going to contact Michael about this, so it didn't quite happen... but go ahead and imagine this is our header today

[Cabaline]

FG has been here for me for literally half of my life. I joined as a weird and vulnerable kid, found a home, and stayed.

Everyone here, from old hands to new faces, has been here for some of the hardest lows of my life and some of the most brilliant highs. I have learned so much from being here. The sage and wise old mods when I first joined, taught me the value of social justice and empathy, skills that I have carried with me my life.

I look back on some of my old posts and cringe so hard that I could crawl out of my skin! But I look back and think that at the time, those things were so important to me and helped shape me into who I am today. When I cried over silly things, I always found a kind ear and a shoulder to cry on here. When I was celebrating the most mundane and trifling achievement, I always found a cheerleader and people who were genuinely pleased for me here.

As a result I feel so comfortable being my genuine self on here, in a way that I don't in other aspects of my life. I have been on a journey and FG has always been there for me the whole way through. Now I am one of those mods that I used to look up to and I really hope that I can be here for others the same way that others were there for me, I still come here to vent frustrations that I am unsure of voicing offline, and share wonderful life moments that I know that people here genuinely care about.

Fangathering feels like an old old friend; the kind of friend who never makes you feel bad for forgetting to stay in touch, the kind of friend who always has a place set for you at the dinner table, the kind of friend who is always ready for last minute plans and late night chats, the kind of friend who never judges you but always tells you what you need to here.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of my journey along the way. I am so genuinely grateful for everyone who I have met via FG. I heartily hope for another 15 good years and I love this place.

[Iris]

Fangathering feels like an old old friend; the kind of friend who never makes you feel bad for forgetting to stay in touch, the kind of friend who always has a place set for you at the dinner table, the kind of friend who is always ready for last minute plans and late night chats, the kind of friend who never judges you but always tells you what you need to here.

This! I share this sentiment so much!

I can barely remember joining, FG has been a part of my life for a long time. It's an online home. Like for many, this was a place for me to grow up online. I made lifelong friends, practiced my English, I learned about rp'ing, shared my thoughts and had a place to vent, discovered parts of my identity and talents... I'm so glad I can still return here, again and again.

There are few sites like this, with such a lovely and kind community. I'm glad to have been a part of it, even if I joined after its peak years. I still remember joining late-night chats (because of timezones) on the little browser on my Nintento DSi and everytime I hear 'Raise Your Glass' by P!nk on the radio, I think of FG.

There are so many memories here. I won't share them all, but instead just say:
Thank you, I love you. Happy birthday.

[AFrules12]

I'm a bit late, but happy birthday FG!

I love this site, like others, it was where I grew up online, and it was such a welcoming and fun place to be. I am so glad it has had a bit of a revival recently, it is a wonderful site with wonderful people, I am so happy to have been able to experience it. I also look back on my old posts and cringe, but FG is so accepting, I'm glad I had such a safe place to grow up online. I have so many brilliant memories of chatting on the sb until 9pm (past my bedtime!) and so many other things. This was one the first times I was able to share my thoughts on my favourite books with other people who cared as much as I did and that is so special to me.

everytime I hear 'Raise Your Glass' by P!nk on the radio, I think of FG.

So do I! I love that song because of the memories and happiness it brings back.

I'm not good enough with words to express how much this website means to me, but believe me, it's a lot!