Animation Source Forums

I left this site a good while ago, but I'm responding to this because I can somewhat relate to it.

This is the internet. Not serious business. It should not be anyone's life. It should not be the core of anyone's existence.
However
It can still be somewhat meaningful to you. I came to this website when I was 13 years old (I am now nearly 21) and all I knew at the time was that I liked to draw. It was only after coming to this website did I realize that I wanted to become an animator with my artistic skills, and I have been pursuing that ambition ever since. Since then, I've been training to become a concept artist and illustrator so that I may hopefully work for an animation studio as their concept artist, animator, storyboarder, character designer, etc.

I wish that others could gain the same inspiration that I once did from this website, but I hardly believe that to be a possibility anymore. Unless you directly remove horrible members from this website (and you darn well know who you are or who I am talking about) things will never change.

However, everyone else should realize that there is MORE to the internet. Stop pretending like making crappy graphics is or pointless renders is extremely important to your existence; its not. Have some real goals; stop making such a big fuss about the number of favorites or pageviews, if your image got deactivated, if someone said something mean in the shoutbox, or whatever nonsense that occurs these days. What really matters is the things that you do in this life, and don't loose
yourself in the petty rubbish of the internet. What happens online should be just for fun and as a get away from the stress of reality, but it should not be somewhere to avoid reality directly; because someday you'll need to take care of yourself, pay for the bills, get a future, and grow up. And no matter what you do, that one MS paint render will not be of any help.

I have seen a lot of good come from the internet. I have seen people get married from meeting each other online. I have seen people build a strong artistic reputation to gain an income. I have seen a lot of people find lasting friendships and find sincere emotional comfort from their internet friends. Good can come from the cyber world.
But
That doesn't mean that you should forget to stop and smell the roses, do something fun with other people, show love and affection to friends and family, and thrive in the outdoor pleasures that are waiting for us. Do not loose yourself online. Its honestly not healthy. Do not ignore reality and miss out on other opportunities and adventures waiting for you.
Live.

I must say this is a most interesting topic. I even looked up for my old English Forum account to answer (I don't know why I'm still mod on the forums by the way...)

Anyway for those who don't know me I'm Mod on the french side, I joined in may 2010 but I've known the website since 2009 if I remember correctly.
In general, I agree with you Togo, and I think it is great that you made the effort to post this, you do deserve responses.

For the record, I've only been mod on the english side a few weeks and I rarely come here so maybe I think wrong and I absolutly will not insinuate that any mod or member is better than another please don't take me wrong.



True. I personnaly met incredible persons, it was just last Sunday we went to Disneyland together for exemple, it was so magic, and I just can't wait to see them again. Animation Source is a great meeting place indead, but as you say

Although, you say . Actually, I guess that it is beacause of this success that Animation Source kinda falling appart (at least on the English Side) and to proove me right, on the French side we are much much less, we are a small community where everyone knows everyone, like you describe your "old days", and we have very few problems. It's just that with more people there are more problems it is normal and unfortunatly there is no way to change this, we can't simply ban people just because there here it's completly illogical. In my opinion the only way to save AS is to simply...change everyhting. That is my point of view. Don't take me wrong, the different sources are great, I know a lot of work have been put into them, but creating new sites for new movies again and again I just... I'm not sure it's the best idea. The art files ? A huge mess ! I guess Animation Source looks like a homemade version of DeviantArt with more problems beacause we aren't a corporate.




Let's try not to exagerate either. I personaly met my best friend here and he just left me behind. It was extremly hard to live of course, but regarding the friends I met I regret nothing. I've grown up here, I learned a lot, and like you, I would never be who I am today and I would exchange that for nothing in the world. Also, it's part of humanity. Those behind avatars are PEOPLE and people in real life act the same, you can't expect them to be all best friends especially if there are a lot. A 1million people city is not the same as a mountain village.



I agree at some parts but there again the problem is just that we are too numerous. Not controlable, not necesserly that staff have been incompetent, Steet less involved, and trolls everywhere.



I won't interfere with this, none of my business, but to defend him, he does have a life and after all this time he deserves to go long. This is a good introduction to one of my hypothesis :

Animation Source is limited in time. By that I mean no one stays forever. Maybe they come back from time to time, but who can stay as active as they were when they discovered the site ? When I came here the first time I was truelly amazed, by everthing and everyone, now that I know things better, I want to make AS a better place. Unfortunatly I lack of time, I'm very busy with studies and that for the two next years. I'm not afraid to say this, but starting September I think I'll have to temporarly well...quit caus' I'll be useless, I'll never be able to come by and do "my job" as you say and I don't want to do that to AS and it's community.




True for me. And it's precisly why I will never leave it. I have to many friends here and history even though I'm comparativly a young member....and will always take time to come by here.

My thoughts summed up :

Animation Source is a Social Website, like DeviantArt or Facebook can be. And so, there are many people and with it, conflicts, it's normal, because it's what the human being is, it's as simple as that. Too successfull, Animation Source attracted more and more people, especially young teens, maybe more disturbing than adults. Past history with trolls and bad mods contributed into sinking the site's reputation in particular amongst the eldest members. But, for the newest members, they are probably living the dream we lived before and they may be hurt as well, it's some sort of cycle here I guess. This can never change, because people don't change.
But, if people don't change, websites can. I don't have the power to, I can help, but I really suggest that the site needs a complete makeover from the very basics... we need a site that can handle those huge amount of artworks, members and all, something real, not something made years ago for a few people. There is really something that needs to be done, I don't really know what, some people we see this better than me, but I really think it's the only thing we can do to correct this part of the website caus' being on the french side, I can tell, we have very few problems, members are entertained, rare conflicts, the staff works well and together because we know each other and we communicate. The english side has just been abandonned to my mind and it needs reshaping.

To get back to you Togo, I don't know you well, "I've heard of" as we say. But I guess you have been a part of AS and will always be. You experienced strong feelings here, many of us did and still will, thank you for sharing your thoughts, it needed to be well said and you did, even if there are things to nuance. I don't say I have the right answers, probably no one does. Mystery is also a part of this site, I guess. I hope you don't regret the time you spent here, I think no one should, every moment ends, like every second passing by will never come back again...