Well goodness me, these things sure have a way of sneaking up on you. But it finally happened; today marks the five year anniversary of the day I joined EC. And man, what a five years they've been! I still remember when I got a PM about how they were imposing a 10-post minimum to get into the chatroom. The times certainly change, don't they? I remember the homey feel the site had when I joined; I was only about the 1,200th to do so (these days, members who join get numbers over 18,000), and you know that not all of those 1,200 who came before me stuck around, so it really was like one big family. I think it was that homey feeling that made me join even though I wasn't looking for support on how to come out. We've certainly grown plenty as a community since then. Not that that's a bad thing at all! We're bigger because of all of you wonderful folks who are here today, and I think our size makes us better able to handle the wide array of problems our members bring to the table, what with the fact that we now have more collective experience to draw upon. Truly, you wonderful folks (well, most of you are wonderful, anyway I kid, I kid) are what makes this community so great, and I'm glad I've been able to share these five wonderful years with you. I've seen this community help so many people in those five years. So many confused people who have figured out who they are, so many scared people who have come out to those in their life, and so many people who stuck around to help others through the same struggles. It's something I'm truly proud to be a part of, something that is really unique on the internet. So here's to the five years I've been a part of this, and, who knows, maybe even five more! :thewave:
Wow, Owen! 5 years is an eternity in EC time And what's this "maybe" 5 more years? We'll come after you if you try to leave, you know that, right?
Wow. Just wow. Congratulations - I made this to show you how much I really mean it. Sorry if any information is wrong...
Oh wow, that's so cool! Thanks! I just hope I'm still okay with this custom user title (and this avatar, too, come to think of it) if I should see that gif again far down the line.
(!) (!) (!) Congratulations to you!! (!) (!) (!) :thewave: Happy fifth EC-Versary Owen!! And here's to five(+) more years of EC'ing in your future. Thanks for all the contributions you've made over the years.
You are a wonderful person and this community is greatly enriched for having you here. Congratulations on your five years at EC.
Congrats Owen!!! A few more months and it'll be five years for me as well Here's to another five years!
