The OWF's Sixth Anniversary
 

This is sort of a reminder that I need to remember to do something on the 2nd of May to commemorate the forum's anniversary. I was going to do something similar last year, but didn't.

I'd like to set up some sort of 'ritual', such that it IS actually a special occasion, celebrated once a year (well obviously). Besides the usual thread congratulating the OWF on surviving another year, or a flashy banner in the title image around (like when I decorate them for Christmas), I'd like to make it a bigger event. Rituals bring people together, and it is something which will contribute to sustaining the forums longer.

Being an online forum, I know it is rather limited as to what we can do, but I'd really like to make this work. Perhaps we can even tie in previous things which unite us. Any and all of your input is appreciated as always :)

Alcar...

We can get as many old members to come back on the anniversary as possible... Or we could go crazy and spam the forum up... but.. that wouldn't make sence... Dunno... it doesnt seem like theres much you can do.

Celebrating OWF is something I may actually take seriously now. :p They mean a lot to me, they bought me Rexy and even if the forum ends eventually, I'll never forget it. Things that unite us are definitely things like meeting up, like Max and Xav did. Or me and Rexy. Definitely me and Rexy. :p

Don't forget me and Havoc, we were there too!

Sorry. I thought you were, but I couldn't be bothered to check, so I included the people I knew were definitely there. :p

Meh, just forget about the Dutchies why don't you! NO MORE CHEESE, WINDMILLS OR WEED FOR ENGLAND!

As for the anniversiry, I think getting a lot of the old members back is a nice idea. If anyone is able to contact them, go do it. Yay. Maybe someone send Alf a mail, so he can be here? :).

I could easily get in contact with at least a couple of Golden Oldies, but I can tell you right now what their answers would be. At least we managed to get Abe Babe back just in time. No pun intended.

I say we all take pictures and get someone to Photoshop them all together. I can't see any easier way of bringing us all together. :)

Just one thing, I thought the Forums were birthed on the 11^th of May.

An Oddworld Forums family photo would be great!

I was thinking that those who are interested should do some OWF-realted artwork for once. Self-portraits or drawn forms of family or, at least, group pictures, for example.

Or maybe a comic which should introduce how OWF works, like someone walking around and talking about different parts of the Forums, members, events, etc.

But the photo Max mentioned would be the most manageable, I think.

... and I met up with Alcar. ;) And a couple of other members who aren't around anymore.

Wow... 6 years. It doesn't seem that long. I guess I kind of popped back at the right time.

Abe Babe...

Yesh, we should send out lots of emails and whatnot to the best old members.

I think it'd be cool to have some sort of thread to post all kinds of funky art about the forums... like Leto's little strange smilie comic images. Stuff regarding the big events of the year and whatnot. Or something. Editting each other's pictures would be fun too--whether it's to make an album/group pic or just funny stuffs would be cool. But please, no bullet holes or ugly naked lady bodies. ;)

I like the way you think. It's like you reached into my mind on some of those thoughts.

I thought once, about making a drawing of every known member in a cartoon style, and putting them together. I also thought about a made up Sin City style fantasied comic featuring forum members killing it each other XD.

Having the Oddworld Forums family photo idea in mind, if everyone took a pictures of themselfs with the same lighting and angel, it could look quite realistic as in if everyone were standing next to each other.

I like the reuniting idea of old members too.

I would love to see some old users come back, even just to make a post about what they remember about the place and why the left.
It would be like storytime at the old folks home.

That date does ring a bell. I did some research last year on it, looks like I haven't saved it anywhere on my computer. I'll do some more again.

EDIT: You're right, the 11th of May is a more approximate date. I found this shred of information from Sydney's old Oddworldian archives (see attachments). There was no article on the actual creation of the forums, and no further articles on its anniversaries. Because I cannot access all of the EzBoard OWF's pages, I can't determine when the first post was made either.

EDIT: Cullen, I'm an idiot, of course their would be something on Oddworld.com's Fan of the Month :p

So I guess the new date stands at the 11th of May. An extra week to prepare, yay! :p

Alcar...

Alcar just said that >_>.

Anyway, I'm seeing a few older members again who I never saw before, so I take it the gathering of old members has already started hm? Might turn the forum a bit active again.

I edited my post to include Cullen's findings :p

However, I've finally found where I based my original information of the 2nd of May from. It was Sydney's join date right here on the OWF. I've ammended it now to comply with the 11th though.

As for all these old members showing up, I have nothing to do with that. Perhaps it's just a reflex to just return near the anniversary :p

Alcar...

Why are there two 'e's in the find post search?

It looks like Abe Babe must have mispelt it. It's not really a big issue though.

Alcar...

I found the other info on The Oddworld Foums' Fan of The Month. Kinda Strange that they gave the Forums a Fan of The Month, but it does have a bunch of info on it.

Ah okay, no worries then ^_^. Sorry Cullen.

A thought just slipped into my mind though btw.
I know the forum has a global mailing system, which can be used to bulk mail every single member of the forum. We could use that to send all member an e-mail. It makes for old members to come back, and for the one-time-visitor-members to have a second look at this place, in turn making it a bit active again.

This sounds like it'll be a hoot! Old members, cake and more annoying noobs coming in during the party! This sounds awesome. :p

It does doesn't it? And don't worry about the noobs, I'l take care of them when they show up. It's what I'm good at remember? :p

Don't you remember that cake you gave out, a few years ago? With the genetically altered flour? Which will make the eater return here for the sixth anniversary?

Ooops, another thing for me to fix. D'oh!

*needs a D'oh smilie like I have on ACF*

Abe Babe...

I like all the ideas suggested, especially the bringing back the old members idea. A group photo would be cool too. And don't get my hopes up like that again, saying the forums were created on the 2nd May. That'd have meant I could celebrate the forums' anniversary at the same time as my birthday. But still, i can actually celebrate the anniversary this year. Looking forward to it.

Love all the ideas, this sounds like it could be really fun! :)
I know I'm the little n00blet here, but I have a suggestion which sounds a laugh. Maybe if we did that family photo idea (with the sticking together of pictures), then someone with a morphing program (I used to have one, but lost in computer rebuild) do a sort of seperate picture of us in our forum 'Avatars' (eg, Havoc being a Tiger), then make it morph back and forth! Any good?

That is a good idea! It might be kinda hard, though.


Havoc, I also think your idea is how we can get most of the old members to come visit on the 11'th. Good idea. If nobody else is dying to, I can write the letter.

I can't believe its been that long already...time flies indeed.

We have some really good suggestions here. Oddworld Forums' prestige deserves a great anniversary. I have no suggestions, no real ones anyway.

I have faith the mods will come up with something cool though.

Had there been more time I would have suggested the creation of a special Birthday Skin to put up for all of May and to be used in following years. Bit to much to ask of Abe Babe though I guess. Maybe next year?

Perhaps we could try and get all the members to draw basically how they see themselves as OWF members, like Havoc drawing himself as a tiger. Most of them will be rubbish, but hey, that's the point! Be a bit of a laugh, maybe have a few silly competitions like that, get a panel of slightly drunk judges, maybe the winners get a custom title for the month or something?

Anyway, it would be good to make celebrations last for more than the day or even the week, bring it up to the month of May being OWF month of slightly mental birthday celebrations, point away from face.