Internet Stories

[Sprony]

I think it's pretty safe to assume that we all witnessed the rise of the Internet here. You probably had a lot of experiences in those two decades. People you met, weird stuff you came across, stuff you've done yourself, long distant relationships or friendships, etc. I created this topic to enjoy each others more memorable Internet stories. Let me kick this off:

 

Back in the day I was addicted to Fallout. I loved both games to death and spent an entire summer playing them (no sun for Sprony in 1998). I had an idea to start a Fallout Clan called The Order. I tried to get it started, worked everything out (uniforms, in game location, etc). But nothing really came from it because people weren't that interested. A couple of months later I noticed some people were using [The Order] tags. I was being a dick about them stealing my idea, we tried to work it out but I left due to my mother dying and other personnel stuff. I never thought about it again. 

 

A couple of years back I had a hard time trying to get Fallout to run properly under Windows XP (this was before Gog.com). During my Google sessions I came across this: The Order Forum on No Mutants Allowed.

 

Apparently, my initial idea was picked up by others and grew into a thriving community. Which even has it's own Wiki which can be found here. Back then my handle was [DSM]MadneSS and I'm mentioned several times in the wiki:

 

 

At 13:31:21 on February 21st 1999, (post-release Archive #12 on the BIS FO2 board) DSM proposed an idea for a "New Fallout Clan". This was during a time when the UV was the only Fallout clan around, the board wasn't very enthusiastic of starting a new clan. I started to take notice, replying first to the post. Several others posted after that, but it wasn't enough to gain attention.

I talked to [DSM]. We started talking about what everyone could do. I proposed that I could start the web site. He said that he could have artwork ready for me in no time; but only after he wished to shop around for more members. [DSM] tried about 4 more times to recruit members. Some said that they would join as soon as The Order took off.

[DSM] had the entire idea for The Order down. Everything from all the nifty multimedia things and stuff that the web site would have to the uniforms that we could all wear. [DSM]'s dream for The Order was that it would be a group of die-hard Fallout 2 fans. [DSM] didn't have much luck searching for members. He had given up. To show I was still interested, I put on the "of The Order" tag about the last days of February and early days of March (post- release archive #13 on the BIS FO2 board). I kept asking people for a while if they wanted to join The Order, they didn't know what it was. When I mentioned FO2 clan, they only thought of the UV.

I talked to [DSM] once about a month later. He was doing fine, he said that he still believed in the dream of The Order and that he was working on level editing for Doom 2 and Quake.

On March 22nd (or so) I joined the Unwashed Villagers as a Mercenary. Meaning that The Order and the UV wouldn't be rivals. It also meant that I was the first to be a member of both clans at the same time. Things weren't going too brightly for The Order, I mean, picture it: You're the only member left in an abandoned FO2 clan that was never started. But I knew that I wouldn't easily give up my "of The Order" tag.

On a slow Thursday, May 27th, 1999, a person on the FO2 board asked for what The Order was after looking at my name. (post-release archive #25 on the BIS FO2 message board) I talked to him about it and then I asked him if he liked to join. He figured, "what the hell!" and i have no name became the first member of The Order. Very shortly afterward, WolfRunner became the second member.

I e-mailed [DSM] of my progress. It was the only progress that I had made, and maybe it meant that we were on a rocket ride straight up. [DSM] returned when we had about 5 members and most members who were around that day remembered him as the "dark horse" who sweeped in to retrieve The Order.

This did not settle well with members, and afterward, a civil-war ensued. [DSM] claimed that he had left for personal reasons, most people were choosing sides. Until one day, I sat down and thought of a way to end all this. The idea would be to have a panel of four Seniors with separate jobs in which [DSM], Masamune, Nuke77, and I would work together for a common good. This idea worked, but was too dictatorial. On June 23rd, 1999, the Senior Panel known as "the Senate" ratified the Constitution that you see today.

 

 

My original post date is still being used to host their awards.

 

21st of February 1999 is a date which lives in infamy. On this day, [DSM]MadneSS posted a thread on the Black Isle boards proposing 'A New Fallout Clan'. The was the genesis of the Order.

Nowadays, February 21 is the traditional date for hosting The Order Awards.

 

 

So all in all, it was pretty amazing to come across this so many years later. What about you guys?

[Sprony]

You can't tell me not one of you has something cool to share?

[Pericolos0]

I made a page on uncyclopedia.com about Chuck Norris with a bunch of random made up Chuck Norris facts about 10 years ago. People started adding more facts pretty soon after. I'm pretty sure I started the whole chuck norris facts thing. I have no proof of this whatsoever.

[st0lve]

I made a page on uncyclopedia.com about Chuck Norris with a bunch of random made up Chuck Norris facts about 10 years ago. People started adding more facts pretty soon after. I'm pretty sure I started the whole chuck norris facts thing. I have no proof of this whatsoever.

Bitch please~~~

 

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cool-dog

 

The origin of Cool Dog remains in the veil, but one of the earliest known instances can be found in Bram Eulaers’ image collection uploaded on November 3rd, 2008.

[Pericolos0]

yeah i'm responsible for that too apparently

[-HP-]

ahah, that's awesome!

[Thrik]

Peris wins the internet.

 

I don't think I have anything you could really describe as cool to share, but I do have the dubious honour of running the premier fan sites for Tim Schafer's games:

• Grim Fandango
• Psychonauts
• Brutal Legend

 

All three have been more or less unchanged for years, but they were very popular in their time and still get a fair amount of traffic from people looking for shit to do with the games. I'm actually revamping the Grim Fandango site as some fairly special things found their way to me from a spy during LucasArts' shutdown.

 

Tim Schafer used to send me Christmas cards and merchandise gifts as a thank you, and name dropped the Psychonauts site during a GameSpot interview. Back when I was like 16 all this felt like the coolest thing ever.

 

 

 

[Sprony]

That's some cool stuff Thrik. Really enjoyed your Brutal Legend site. 

The fact that he send you stuff, respect!