The first time I met newgrounds was just a year after I had "discovered" neopets, and my brother introduced me to it (He was 11 at the time). Coincidentally, he had "discovered" flash at round about the same time, and ever since I found out that I could submit flash to newgrounds, I started learning it and signed up instantly to make sure I didn't miss out on anything.
The real time when I actually started "learning" flash was when he was making a small beat-em-up and was stuck at a problem; I suggested something -- I didn't know anything about it at the time -- and magically, it worked.
Soon after, I found out AS2 was very easy to learn (self explaining code) and so I started creating flash. I occasionally tried to draw, around very early 2009 (I was still 10 at the time) and guess what? No surprise, I failed. People didn't want to see my userpage, and they didn't know who I was either. I got PMs from people stating that some of them hated me and that I should leave, but as the person I was and is, I just continued.
Later on, in late 2010, I faced an issue : I was level 9, I didn't feel like going on Newgrounds at all, and I felt like plain quitting; I had submitted good flash, and then got some good scores....as well as PMs from users who liked my flash. Of course, my flash skill had improved since 2008. I wouldn't actually want to quit, so I just didn't log on....for 6 months.
That, was the time I realized the BBS. I had logged on to the BBS before, but at that time, I was highly discouraged from posting , and I didn't feel the need to actually go there; I was considered a noob, pond scum, whatever you wanted to call me. Later, I just decided to use the BBS again, because there was nothing else to do, and I was truly bored -- remember, this time I considered newgrounds as every normal site -- so I thought, "hey, since there's nothing to do, why not just browse through the BBS? It's been 2 years!" and since that, my life on NG changed.
I got a tip from some users about apparent "post counts", and so I was suddenly, out of the blue, from nowhere, known by little, to a mass-poster on the BBS. (Specifically, I think Narcissy was the one)
After the first 1000 posts, my posts per day decreased, and I heard of the 10k forum. I then felt like shooting for it, and so I started to post again, this time my interest for Newgrounds increasing cumulatively, but at the same time taking post quality into account.
Over time, I became known to Newgrounds. Of course, I recieved my fair share of bans as well, and I think it amounted to 25 days in the whole of 2011 (for now), and not all so-called "publicity" I recieved was good -- every flash that I submitted now on was zero bombed, bringing the score from 3x to 2x, but I'm fine with it, as long as they're over 2.7.
4 months later, in 2011, I met Asandir. At that time, I had 2000 posts and him 700, but I don't know what happened, and now he's overtaken me. Of course, I'm fine with all this, albeit a little jealous, and now I'm "his good friend", along with bilalz, and about almost every other user who has frequented the BBS.
If you read all of this, props to you, and if you felt like zero voting my flash, go on, if you feel jealous, go on, comment what you thought about it, flame me in the comments, or the BBS, or by PM, or do anything, but for now I am what I am.
If you want me to appease (or eliminate, your POV) your appetite, I present to you a bowl of piping hot broccoli soup. (I like broccoli soup but this picture may make you vomit, view at your own risk)
Asandir
I think that it is good that you wrote your story here, I read all of it, and while I knew alot of it already, it certainly is interesting and good to see it in a bigger context.
bilalz once asked me how I found Newgrounds, and here is what I replied to him, I post it here, if you don´t mind:
"Good that my fairytale book is still there :)
There was once a person that liked to play games, and one day, he stumbled across one that we call "Toss the Turtle".
As he kept playing it, he realised that he got medals for playing it, and he was very happy about that. Our person, we may keep his name a secret now, visited the site the next day, just to realise that the medals he got were all lost, that made him very sad and he even shed a tear.
As he was sad, he thought to himself: "I want to keep these lovelely badges, how can I do that?"
And he realised that he could indeed join this site, but he was a little bit afraid of it, he thought with fear: "I never joined a site, will the people be nice, are there dangers for me?"
Despite his fear, he still wanted to join and so he thought about an username, because he wanted one that sounds good, so that he could be happy when he sees his name at the upper right corner, and came to the conclusion that "Asandir" would be quite good.
But that´s not the end of Aandir´s travel, in the first months, he didn´t visit the unknown, mystic appearing forums, he thought that people would laugh at him, because his english was not so good, since Asandir was born in a far away country named Germany.
But in late March, he finally began to visit this place more often, he soon realised that this place has alot of nice people and he even found some friends, that meant soon alot to him, namely Sanjeev98, Suprememessage and bilalz.
And that my friend, is the story how I joined Newgrounds and began to post in the forum :) "
Gimmick
"But that´s not the end of Aandir´s travel, in the first months,"
Who is Aandir?
Anyways, if the soup picture disgusted you, I'm sorry, because the resolution didn't turn out well. Stinky phone camera.