Memory lane

[yukimura]

Hey everyone.

The other day I was reminiscing about the internet in the 1990s. Eventually I got to thinking about the good ol' days of online communities and I remembered how popular MSN groups used to be. It was there that my internet addiction really took off. I was heavily involved in chatrooms and spent most of my free time roleplaying, debating, general discussion, and so on. It was awesome.

I remember there were many different roleplaying communities on MSN groups at the time. Some of them were absolutely huge. There was always something going on and we used to have some serious fun hanging out together online. I look back on those days very fondly.

I recall there were several Final Fantasy dedicated communities on MSN groups. I personally helped run one of the largest of them. FF7 Citadel was one of our rivals, however I never really got to know any of the people there. I recall one incident way back in 1998 or 1999 when one of our admins copied the page layout style that FF7 Citadel was using at the time. The FF7 Citadel admin got really mad and sent us an e-mail threatening to sue us. Good times.

I searched online to see if this place still existed and lo and behold, it does. Seeing this place, even though personally I had minimal interaction with it, really brought the memories flooding back. I searched for a few other communities I once knew but unfortunately they all seem to have faded away over time. It was nice to see this place is still active after all these years.

Is there anybody here who was around for those days? Any fond memories? I'd love to hear them.

This thread can be for general 1990s internet/MSN groups discussion I guess.

[TrueBOSS]

I wasn't on the forums back then but I was always coming to this website to Nerd out on all the Final Fantasy 7 info and updates. I wanted to be active on the forums but i knew my school would block this place if I used them and we had dial-up back then at home. Not good for doing stuff online. My favorite time here was when the 10th anniversary happened. When each month would bring some unique and awesome theme to the website. I wish this place was as active as it was back then.

[SOLDIERofficer81]

Yukimura, my time here at the Citadel began a couple of years after the time period in question, so I can't help. But I do find internet lore fascinating. So I hope someone will reminisce about olden times.

[abknight]

I was active on these forums starting in '98 or '99. I think I got banned for trolling before that was even a thing. I've checked in from time-to-time over the past 17 years but this is my first post since around... the year 2000, maybe. It's amazing how much life has changed since then, yet this place remains mostly unchanged. The most memorable forum member for me was a female Australian moderator who used a gif of Misato drinking a beer as her avatar. I cannot, for the life of me, remember her name, though. Anyone remember?

[R. Kasahara]

The most memorable forum member for me was a female Australian moderator who used a gif of Misato drinking a beer as her avatar. I cannot, for the life of me, remember her name, though. Anyone remember?

That'd be ChibiTaryn, who currently goes by Tarale online these days. She hasn't visited the Cit Forums in some time, though; she doesn't even have an account here anymore.

Your name sounds vaguely familiar, but I first came here circa Sept. 2000, so if you don't remember me, I don't blame you (I went by Reeve) In any case, welcome back

[abknight]

The most memorable forum member for me was a female Australian moderator who used a gif of Misato drinking a beer as her avatar. I cannot, for the life of me, remember her name, though. Anyone remember?

That'd be ChibiTaryn, who currently goes by Tarale online these days. She hasn't visited the Cit Forums in some time, though; she doesn't even have an account here anymore.

Your name sounds vaguely familiar, but I first came here circa Sept. 2000, so if you don't remember me, I don't blame you (I went by Reeve) In any case, welcome back

Yes, ChibiTaryn is definitely the person I remember. I also remember you as Reeve, haha. I wish there was an archived copy of these forums from those days.

[TrueBOSS]

Man. I'd love to see this place a lot more lively like it used to be. Welcome back though.

[GaryPotter]

I first discovered this place shortly after I got FFVII for my 16th birthday back in 2000. I followed a link from a fanart site I was using to get FFVII fanart (the name of which I can't remember and most likely ceased to exist many ages ago). I hadn't even played through most of the game at the time, so it's a miracle I wasn't spoiled.

The most memorable thing I can remember was a guy named Eric H who made a really long novelization of the game. It was great even though it skipped some details (most notably the entire Temple of the Ancients) and ends right before they reach the northern crater. Every year I come back to this place hoping maybe, just maybe, it's been updated again. It won't happen, but I can't help myself.

[sk8rguy502]

I was active on these forums starting in '98 or '99. I think I got banned for trolling before that was even a thing. I've checked in from time-to-time over the past 17 years but this is my first post since around... the year 2000, maybe. It's amazing how much life has changed since then, yet this place remains mostly unchanged. The most memorable forum member for me was a female Australian moderator who used a gif of Misato drinking a beer as her avatar. I cannot, for the life of me, remember her name, though. Anyone remember?

Taryn was known for her drinking back then too, lol, which made the .gif all the more fitting. She stopped that old drinking though, but when I started, I would come here and post nonsense. Pages of it.

And Taryn would point out to everyone how high must my liver enzymes be.

This is the same account name I used when I joined in '99.

Editing to add more names:
Kamikaze - good friend to me, a guy named Eddie who fronted the California band Living Down around the year 2000.
Ambigore - This guy turned me onto Noam Chomsky when I was just 14, before the Twin Tower attacks. I was lucky to read quality information during that time, and I owe my intellectual roots to him (anyone have his contact info?)
Cyrus Dogstar - liked his privacy, but loved me, too. I wonder what ever happened to him.
Mercury Turrent - interesting guy, my forum best friend - in 2007 we once switched accounts with each other to determine whether anyone would notice the difference between us. You didn't.

[sk8rguy502]

anyone remember the guy who wrote the satire where in the end, rod serling comes out from behind a water faucet?