TNL Legends: March 2007 Inductees
Today is the fifth anniversary of this version of the forum. In celebration, I am kicking off TNL Legends - a hall of fame to recognize the people that have made this place so unique and memorable. Twice a year, I will induct new members into this roster at my discretion. Membership will have more benefits down the road, but for now I will do little things like automatically enter active Legends in all contests we run. As always, much more to come, but baby steps for now.
Here's the list for March 2007 - twenty names in all. The inductees names are inside spoiler tags so you can read the descriptions first and try to guess who I'm writing about. Veteran members should be able to guess at least fifteen out of the twenty. (Two are a little vague, so don't feel bad if you don't get a perfect score.) If you are wondering where your favorites are, or why you yourself aren't on the list, please understand that I limited it to twenty names to start and ten with each update. Some of my favorites, like Aurora, MechDeus, and rezo, didn't make it in this time either. It's not because they're second string in the least. In fact, the best way to keep this interesting is to save some big names for later inductions. These are not the twenty best or the twenty favorite. They are the twenty people I felt would be interesting to write about today. That's all.
Ladies and gentlemen, the class of Spring 2007:
AFX is an enigma. He is arguably the funniest guy on the forum, but he can hold his own in any discussion and can bury you in an argument. He can be a merciless troll, but he is an active and effective forum administrator. He was perceived by some as a goof-off, but he became a solid contributor to the site's editorial content and is at the forefront of keeping the forum manageable and successful. If you get on his bad side, you may refuse to believe it out of sheer spite, but those that know AFX on better terms can tell you that he is razor sharp, generous, and consistently brilliant.
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Blessed with an easy social style and natural enthusiasm, bahn is the kind of leader that has you recruited and helping out before you even realize what hit you. The fact that he started an Internet site with no corporate backing in 1998 that is going strong today is a testament to his visionary leanings. The fact that the editorial section fell to ruins after he left speaks volumes about the importance of his commitment and value to a team. Bahn is always up on the latest news and games, but more importantly, he is always there to extend a hand to friends and newcomers alike.
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Nick never seems to be around unless there's a religion debate going on, but no worry: burgundy is close by. He's just in the next room, watching a ball game and getting hit on by your sister, but he'll tear himself away long enough to solve your non-tech problem and set you straight on the path of life. No one else is quite sure what area of law he practices in, but he is the most visible of several attorneys in the community and is thus always fielding the big questions. Burgundy is an excellent writer and advisor, and a true asset to the community on every level.
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There's "SOS", there's "911," and there's "cka." Like Spinal Tap's drummers, TNL's system administrators have traditionally been on the verge of spontaneous destruction, but cka has kept himself and the site together for years. He not only fixes up the forum software, but he slaps sense into the server as needed. He has contributed hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars of services to the site and has gotten little more than a game or two in return. He is a truly selfless talent who always has our collective back.
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Despair was known for several things in the early days: a huge post count, his love of balls-to-the-wall action in movies and games, his Russian accent, smilies, and his son, D.J. As one read the boards day after day, Despair became like family - one of those members whose name is more than just letters and words, but representative of a personality whose likes and dislikes you already know, even if you have never seen his face. This kind of knowledge of the individual persona is what takes a message board and makes it into a true community.
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He claims to post almost exclusively from work, but Dolemite seems to be in the middle of every discussion, especially in the movie board. He knows the right way to ride a gimmick and remains a bit of a mystery for someone so much a part of the family. We have established that he is a Caucasian, though. Which is more than we know about Yoshi.
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Along with ECM, haohmaru was the driving force behind GameGO. He worked hard to keep the site going after the magazine folded and ECM climbed out the bathroom window "trying not to laugh." He was a tireless contributor to the editorial side of The Next Level as well, and in fact was offered the top editorial position. Perhaps if more people (read: Nick) listened to him, there would still be a regularly updated front page, but it did not work out that way. These days, he is respected as a sharp analyst of the gaming industry, a voice of conscience on the boards, and an expert on the fairer sex.
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Another tireless contributor during the declining months of the main page, James wrote weekly reports on game releases and started a regular series on game-related promotional items, illustrated with his own pictures. Three or four guys like James working together could give IGN and GameSpot a run for their money.
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Josh has a slightly different idea of what The Next Level is, but he is a true forum icon and a tireless contributor. Since his days as "88mph," he has been at the center of whatever is going on. He is also a safe bet for "Legend That Has Been Banned the Most Times," but no doubt he is embarrassed about that and vows to never let it happen again. Right?
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Kaneda has influence far beyond his post count. His TNL-specific comic strips struck a chord with the community and won him a lot of attention - positive and negative, but overwhelmingly positive. In any case, he went above and beyond simple posting and contributed to the sense of turbulent closeness that TNL shares. He is also one of the few users that realizes you are encouraged to post gory pictures in a sex and gore board.
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Notorious for "Four!" and the Magical Moron Committee debacle, Kenshin should be remembered more as a talented designer responsible for the look of The Next Level and the GameGO site. He was there at the very beginning of both ventures and always tried to do the right thing. Unfortunately, personalities got in the way, and Kenshin went on to other projects. He came closer than anyone to creating T-shirts and a new look for the site. (Both projects are now in Nick's lap, along with a two-liter bottle of Coke, a 360 wireless pad, and a redhead with perky breasts. Guess what's not getting done for awhile? And if you said, "the redhead," you're way wrong.)
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After being "permanently" banned in 2004, Korian rose again in the third year to reclaim his place as a maverick innovator and asker of many questions. He is without a doubt one of the most recognized and instantly recognizable posters in our history. Perhaps he can use the prestige of his newfound Legend designation to finally get his dream of a TNL "Bright Club" off the ground.
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Master has been community-minded from the start and has met many fellow posters in person all over the country. He is currently one of the administrators of the forum and is very involved in discussions all over the boards. He is inducted for his commitment and spirit. Master is always willing to take time out to help.
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The community's original bad boy shared more stories of his sexual exploits and more pictures of his bare skin than you would ever know what to do with. MVS was a chain-smoking forklift driver that landed a dream job writing for Gamefan (as Kodomo) and went on to write for GameGO. His GameGO forum highlights include challenging a Squaresoft/Final Fantasy fanboy from another site to a fistfight and giving away magazines and other items to community members. At TNL, he continues with the same mix of hard living and heartfelt giving. Historically, he's been kind of like Raphael in the Turtle movies, but more likely to down pills than pizza.
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NeoZeedeater is the most universally admired member of the forum. He combines three of the most refreshing traits you can find on any message board: (a) he is a genuine expert on the topic at hand (in this case, gaming), (b) he shares his knowledge without being in the least bit smug or childish, and (c) he stays above the petty squabbles and cliques that can drag a community down for months at a time. Ask any veteran to name his five favorite posters and Neo will undoubtedly be the most mentioned name.
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After distinguishing himself as knowledgeable and helpful to all comers, Nick became one of two people not on the magazine staff chosen to be a moderator at the GameGO forum. He reluctantly came over to The Next Level in October 2001, living out of his suitcase as it were, but eventually began to call it home, rising to the rank of administrator on the boards and eventually taking over the editorial section. He saved TNL from collapsing in on itself after the community became too big for its existing forum setup and hosting, and has consistently tried to set the tone for a more structured, dignified, and fair community. He officially took ownership of the site in mid 2003, but has yet to announce firm long-term plans(!). His main contributions are as bill payer and arbiter.
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Shidoshi (spelled with a capital only because it leads off a sentence) is the closest thing we have to a female inductee. Besides working to maintain the illusion that he is a hot Japanese chick, he is a talented designer and former writer for Gamefan. Because of his levelheadedness and extremely sharp eye, he remains an administrator here even though he originally took the job just to create a new forum skin. He has been a solid contributor to the community for about six years now.
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And the award for Achievement in Spelling and Grammar - Most Improved goes to: Shin Johnpv. John's been around since GameGO days, improving not only his keyboard skills but also his 3-D modeling. He occasionally exhibits the hot temper that comes with having an informed opinion on a busy discussion board, but his most distinguishing features are his thirst for knowledge and his willingness to share it with us. Don't buy a big screen television or a wireless router unless you talk to him first.
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StriderKyo is probably the least abrasive voice of reason on the forum. His good humor and well-developed perspectives on a variety of topics have made him one of TNL's "essential" posters, but unlike most other opinionated members, he has managed to remain thoughtful and relatively uncontroversial. If you want an example of how to balance funny, smart, outspoken, and courteous, look no farther. Strider was a natural choice for moderator and is a no-brainer for the hall of fame.
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The only member of the inaugural class of Legends not to have a join date of March 2002, Yoshi is not one who minds being slightly out of place. In fact, he is probably most well-known for his fierce stands on topics he believes in and would probably sooner try to change the world than compromise his principles just to fit in. (This, in case you were not aware, is widely regarded by people that spend time regarding such things as the mark of a great man.) Yoshi's leadership, passion, and eloquence elevate him head and shoulders above the average message board user and his generosity with his time has benefited the main site many times.
So, yes: (a) this list is in alphabetical order, (b) I did induct myself, and (c) I did not play the descriptions for laughs. I truly appreciate these folks and wanted to write descriptions that convey that instead of trying to be funny.
