I have no explanation why I stayed away for so long. I am back now and as you have seen I have already reached 100 posts and that shows I am enjoying this place.
I feel that. Life gets in the way!
I need to make sure I visit FP more often, I always intend to stick around more when I visit & then get busy IRL, but I've been visiting more frequently in 2024 and think I'll continue to.
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To answer the thread: FP has helped me tremendously and helped me develop some core tech skills that still benefit me to this day. I wrote reviews, did post packages, ran forums, did marketing, contributed tons of threads, etc. This is not a brag - FP gave me an outlet for my passions, and feedback from other members. It is a community and I look at it as a website that was my online home for many years. Although I am not active currently, it will always hold a place in my mind & heart.
My history here has had its ups & downs. I've been banned, unbanned, loved, hated, liked, disliked, banned again (I think?) and unbanned! I was immature and much younger, but I was not young enough to have any valid excuses for how I acted. With my 2009 signup date, that's a time when I knew just enough to feel confident, but not enough to know I should've been more humble - and unfortunately my life was in a weird spot at times. If I could do it all again I would've gotten a head-start on learning & listening. I'm glad I have the opportunity to post here still, especially with how things got at 1 point, but it is in the past and a distant memory for me now.
For any new members here, I hope you can find the love I did for this community. It's a great place to learn, meet friends, make websites, and much more. For anyone that is "young" - FP is a place where even a kid can succeed. Some of the best admins around were young kids at the time. FP (or anything in life) is what you make it, and if you respect the community, learn from the community, and humbly share your own expertise, everyone wins. Don't do what I did and take yourself too seriously!
🙂
To the admins of old that are still here, or for any that are lurking - nothing but respect for you all. Happy to be here & hope you are well. I am grateful to all past & current members that keep FP thriving. Truly a wonderful place in my memories, and of course a wonderful site that is still here on the web too!