Friends in the Forum

[Craig]

Friends in the Forum

Welcome
Have you ever been browsing the forum and noticed a name you didn't recognize? Are there any users out there whom you've heard of, but have never gotten to know personally? Would you like to be able to meet new people, make new friends, and reopen old lines of communication? With this project, we hope to make friendships in the forum more accessible and find ways to keep them alive and strong.

The Goal
Quite simply, we want to make it easy and fun to make friends here at the NTWF. Therefore, we're collecting a variety of fun activities here in a central thread, which you can visit whenever you want. You may participate in just one, a few, or all of them -- it's up to you! The real objective here is simple: make and keep friends.

Activities

PM-a-Friend
The popular PM-ing activity has returned! Every two weeks, the list of users who are "active" in the activity will be randomly paired up with a PM Buddy. For the duration of the round, they will exchange PM's, learning about each other and carrying on a conversation. After the session is over, if you've been able to keep up a steady flow of PM's, you will be able to award your Buddy a Forum Friend Point by PM-ing Ginz and notifying her that your Buddy has lasted the entire round.

If you only exchange one or two (or zero) PM's, you probably shouldn't bother sending your Buddy an FF point. These are to show that the session was a good back-and-forth for two weeks, and are merely an incentive to remain active. The real goal of PM-a-Friend is to start conversations that may eventually lead to lasting friendships. ^_^

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Ariana
Azzie
ButterflyGirl
Candy
Celestial
Chao
Elle McNell
Fraze
Ginz
Jay
Nat
Purple
Reve
Rob
Sarn
Shade
Sock
Spoon
Squiesh

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Shade/Celestial
Purple/Chao
Sock/Candy
Fraze/Nat
Elle McNell/Rob
Reve/Azzie
ButterflyGirl/Ariana
Sarn/Squiesh
Spoon/Jay

To add or remove your name from the PM-a-Friend Active List, please post on this thread or PM Craig.


Forumer Spotlight
Want to get your name out there for people to see? Every two weeks, you'll have the opportunity to fill out a fun survey that lets you show a little bit of your personality and interests. Anyone who is a member of the forum is allowed to answer the survey questions, and once you've completed them all, you may send your entry via PM to Ginz. After the two weeks, one entry will be chosen at random to be featured as the Forumer Spotlight. It will be posted for everyone to read, and you will also earn 2 FF points. All forumers are encouraged to look at each new spotlight and offer congratulations, comments, and questions to the lucky winner.

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1. Aside from writing, reading, or drawing (hobbies we can assume nearly everyone at NTWF has), what is your favorite hobby?
Improvisational comedy (improv)

2. How and when did you start this hobby?
In my junior year of high school, I became active in my school's theater program (another hobby of mine). That same year, the school's improv group was founded. Our choreographer had done improv in college, so she led the group. I was a proud member for the final two years of my high school career.

3. What has been your greatest achievement so far in this hobby?
Hmm, I suppose it would be making my college's improv team as a freshman. It's a very small, selective group, so I'm proud of getting in at all.

4. Would you encourage others to try out this hobby? How?
Absolutely! Anyone can learn the art of improv, and it's lots of fun! As for how, the easiest way is obviously to join an improv group. I know that lots of colleges have them, and there are plenty of local ones as well. Other than that, you could try joining a theater program somewhere, as they often play improv games as bonding exercises. Or you could just get some friends together, look up some games online (or watch an episode or two of Whose Line is it Anyway and imitate them), and go at it!

5. How does this hobby affect other areas of your life?
Actually, improv affects the rest of my life more than you might think. The most obvious impact is on my acting. Improv forces you to think on your feet, which is essential on the stage, especially when something goes wrong. For example, what if somebody skips a line? You have to quickly and subtly get the scene back on track, and having practice with quick thinking greatly helps. I also think improv has helped me become wittier and smarter in conversation. It also builds great friendships and creates awesome inside jokes. It whitens your teeth! It helps you lose weight!

6. How long do you plan to continue with this hobby?
I'd like to continue this hobby for as long as I can. It'll probably be harder after college without an established group, but I'll try to find a local improv crew once I graduate. If I end up becoming a teacher, it would be awesome to start an improv club for students. When I'm old and wrinkled, you'll probably still find me playing improv games somewhere.

7. Is there any hobby you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet?
I've always wanted to make a huge domino masterpiece, but I don't have the patience or the steady hand to do that. I content myself with making little chains of twenty or so dominoes and knocking them down. :3

8. Do u leik mudkipz?
A: Mudkipz? I LUUUUURRRRRVES mudkipz!!!

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1. What do you feel has been your biggest accomplishment thus far?
2. How much time and effort went into achieving this accomplishment?
3. Do you reward yourself in special ways after you accomplish something you've been working towards?
4. What is your biggest motivator/What keeps you going?
5. What is something you are currently working to accomplishing?

Question of the Week
Each week, we will post a user-submitted question for everyone to answer. You can offer your answer to the week's question by posting right here in the thread. If you want to submit a question, just PM Craig or Ginz. The question-asker will be given credit below, as well as earning 1 FF point for being selected.

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If you could spend a day in one place, real or fictional, where would it be? Why/What would you do?
--submitted by Sarn

What is the main characteristic you look for in a friend?
--submitted by Jay

Monthly Activity
Each month, Friends in the Forum will host an activity that everyone can participate in. It might last for the entire month, or it might be shorter, depending on the specifics. The ideas and opportunities are limitless, but we'd like to focus on things that get as many people involved as possible.

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Review and Renew!

For the month of August, we challenge you to help out your fellow NTWFers and do some reviewing. This is a creative forum, and there are lots of writers and artists who need advice and critique for their work. Reviewing somebody's stuff is a great way to get to know them and help them out at the same time!

Goal:
Review as many works as you can before the end of the month. This includes pieces published for Neopets contests like the Neopian Times or the Poetry Gallery. It also includes works posted in At Pen's Point and The Art Studio, or any other place where reviews are requested.

Participate:
To show that you're participating in this Friends in the Forum Monthly Activity, post this little stamp at the end of your reviews:

I posted this review as a participant in the Friends in the Forum Monthly Activity!

As if the reward of helping your fellow forumers isn't enough, you can also earn FF Points by participating. All you need to do is copy links to your review posts and PM them to Craig or Ginz. Link us to three different posts of quality reviews, and you'll earn 1 FF point. Five different posts gets you 2 FF points. Ten different review posts over the course of the month will get you 3 FF points! If you do even more, we'll consider some bonus. ^_^

How to Review:
Just posting "I loved it!" in every review thread isn't really going to help anybody. You need to provide some insight and advice as well as pointing out the author or artist's strengths. Read this post for some easy tips. Remember, you won't get credit for a review if you don't put any effort into it!

If you have any questions, just post here in the Friends in the Forum thread. Good luck, and happy reviewing!

Neopian Times Reviews Board
Work Reviews and Advice
At Pen's Point
The Art Studio

Want to suggest a Monthly Activity? Just PM Craig or Ginz with your idea! Brainstorming here on the thread is also encouraged.

Bazaar for Friends in the Forum


Welcome to the BFF! ^_^

There are lots of fun things to do here. Do you have any FF points? You should keep track of them at the Bank, and maybe visit the Boutique to see if you have enough to buy some advertising space on the Noticeboard. You can also take a look at the Directory to update your status or check up on your friends. Enjoy your visit!

Bank For Finances
Keep track of your FF points here. Opening an account is free!

Welcome to the Bank. My name is Felix, and I'm here to help you manage your FF points. To open an account and receive one free FF point, just make a post in the thread. Below, you can see how many cumulative FF points you've earned, and how many you currently hold (since I expect you'll spend some of them at the Boutique).

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Name	Cumulative FF points	Current FF points
Ariana	1	1
ButterflyGirl	1	1
Candy	1	1
Celestial	2	2
Chao	1	1
Craig	1	1
Ginz	2	2
Jay	2	2
Lupehunter	1	1
Nat	2	2
Purple	1	1
Reve	1	1
Rob	3	3
Sarn	3	3
Sock	2	2
Spoon	2	2
Squiesh	2	2
Yoyote	1	1

Boutique For Friends
If you have any FF points, this is the place to spend them!

Welcome to the Boutique! I'm Carmen, and I've got lots of merchandise that you can buy with your FF points. Have a look below, and if you want to purchase anything, just make a post right here on the thread.

Noticeboard 2-week Space

(2 FF points)
Write a brief message and have it displayed on the BFF Noticeboard for two weeks. You may include formatting, images, and links.

BFF Adoptable
(3 FF points)
Aww, what a cute little adoptable! You should buy it and put it in your signature -- then everyone will know how dedicated you are to making friends! Adoptables coming soon!

Trophy
By participating in Friends in the Forum activities, you have lots of chances to earn FF points. Once you reach certain cumulative levels, you will receive trophies to put in your signature, to show how dedicated you are to making friends here at NTWF. No purchase necessary; just check your Bank account and claim the trophy according to the number of cumulative FF points you have.


Bronze: 5 FF points


Silver: 10 FF points


Gold: 15 FF points


Noticeboard
Do you need some help revising a story or poem? Want somebody to critique your latest drawing? Are you looking for an artist to draw a picture of you or one of your characters? Do you have an activity or event to advertise? Have you got something published in the Neopian Times and would like reviews? Whatever your needs, the BFF Noticeboard is the place to get noticed. Rent out one of our spaces for two weeks by purchasing a ticket at the Boutique. Send your blurb to Craig, including any graphics or formatting you want to include, and it'll be posted at the next update.

Notice! Important! Look here!

** Trade With Sarn - I'm looking for people to trade art with so I can practice and for applications. Click Me! --posted by Sarn on August 2nd.

** This is our free Noticeboard spot week! The next three people to post a notice in the thread will get it pasted here until next weekend. --posted by Craig on August 2nd.


Directory
The BFF Directory is a comprehensive list of information about your fellow forumers. We strongly encourage you to add your own data here if you want others to know how to contact you.

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Name	NTWF Username	Neopets Username	Chat ID
Ariana	newmoon653	newmoon653	n/a
Azzie	azalea	punkinunk	[e-mail]
Brittany	ButterflyGirl	Butterfly_Girl_22	[e-mail]
Candy	candygal	mommys_pet	n/a
Celestial	celestial	macana	[e-mail]
Chao	chaotizitaet	chaotizitaet	n/a
Craig	reggieman721	reggieman721	n/a
Elle	buzzbuzzg27	buzzbuzz_g27	n/a
Fraze	frazeocity	frazeocity	[e-mail] (email), [e-mail] (MSN)
Ginz	imogenweasley	imogenweasley	[e-mail] (MSN/email)
Jay	jayeee	jayo289	[e-mail] (MSN, not e-mail)
Lulu	lulu	phoenix_through_fire	[e-mail]
Lupehunter	lupehunter	lupe_hunter_7	[e-mail]
Nat	NatTheWriter	Nativsis	[e-mail]
Purple	insanepurpleone	purple_princess62	(AIM) ReticentPurple (MSN/Email) [e-mail]
Pyro	pyrosquirrelx	pyrosquirrelx	n/a
Reve	reveirie	reveirie	n/a
Rob	rosabellk	rosabellk	n/a
Sarn	adoqhina	sariphe	[e-mail]
Shade	kittengriffin	kittengriffin	n/a
Sock	sockmonk	sockmonk	[e-mail]
Spoon	spoonguard	spoonguardonline	[e-mail] (MSN)
Squiesh	sytra	sytra	[e-mail]
Yoyote	yoyote	yoyote, swordlilly	[e-mail] (MSN) Youtube username: sword1i1y

[Celestial]

<3 Yay for awesome activites! You guys are geniuses for coming up with ideas such as this.

I guess I should start from the beginning...can you put me on the active PM-a-Friend list? Thanks! ^^

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Name	NTWF Username	Neopets Username	Chat ID
Celestial	celestial	macana	[e-mail]

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If you could describe yourself using three words, what would they be, and why?
Strange, creative, snarky.

What do you think of the Friends in the Forum project?
I think it is a great idea, especially with shy people like me who have trouble making real friends. This not only provides a motive for being friends with people but gives us ideas on how to.

[Ian Wolf-Park]

Awesome idea, Craig and Ginz. Also, who drew the pictures? They're so adorable. And can I open up a BFF account?

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Name	NTWF Username	Neopets Username	Chat ID
Lupehunter	lupehunter	lupe_hunter_7	[e-mail]

Note: I don't check my email that often, so it is preferable if you either PM or Neomail me.

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If you could describe yourself using three words, what would they be, and why?
Calm, friendly, and helpful because it's what I usually do IRL.

What do you think of the Friends in the Forum project?
As I mentioned before, this is an awesome idea because you don't necessarily have to do all the activities in order to gain FF points and it's a great way to get to know someone better. Not only will this make the forum more open/friendly to newbies, it can also forge new relationships.

[♥ Lulu]

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Name	NTWF Username	Neopets Username	Chat ID
Lulu	lulu	phoenix_through_fire	[e-mail]

I'll answer the questions another time.

[Arielle]

I think this is a great idea, and has the right flar to become more popular than just the PM-a-friend! Anyway, I would like to sign up for PM-A-Friend again.

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If you could describe yourself using three words, what would they be, and why?

• Artistic: I say this because I love art, and draw all the time, along with arts and crafts.
  
• Kind: I always help people out and try to do the right thing.
  
• Creative: I express myself, have my own style, Solve problems in a creative way, and create my own characters and stories.
  

What do you think of the Friends in the Forum project?
I think it's a brilliant idea, if it's done right.

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Name: Elle
NTWF Username: buzzbuzzg27
Neopets username: buzzbuzz_g27

Not going to give chat information.

[Deleted]

Aww, this is awesome guys! Sign me up for everything possible. I'll PM ya the stuffs. <3

EDIT: I can haz bank account? PLZ?

[Craig]

The first post has been updated. ^_^ Thanks for showing interest, everyone!

Forumer Spotlight survey questions have been released! Check it out and type up some answers -- maybe you'll be the lucky winner!

Question of the Week is accepting question topics. You can post them right here on the thread, or PM Ginz or me. As for your answers to this week's questions, feel free to discuss them with other posters -- this thread is meant to be social. ^_^ Talk about anything you want!

If you have any questions or suggestions, now would be a great time to bring them up, as the project is still in development.

[Ginz ❤]

Jul 18, 2009 17:23:22 GMT -5 Ian Wolf-Park said:

Also, who drew the pictures? They're so adorable.

I drew them. Thanks, I'm glad you like them! ^_^


I guess I should answer the question fo the week too, it's gonna be fun. ^^

If you could describe yourself using three words, what would they be, and why?

I would describe myself as:

Nice, because I really do try to be as nice as I can to everyone. and it's just something that comes from deep inside me and which makes me feel right.

Optimistic, because I try to see the birght side of every situation, and I'm always hoping for the best.

And shy, because I am. XD It's hard for me to speak up and to make friends. This is much more evident IRL, but it also happens online to a lesser extent. Besides, I feel I'm not describing myself properly if I don't mention a weakness, and this by far my biggest one and an important part of what defines me.

[Celestial]

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1. Aside from writing, reading, or drawing (hobbies we can assume nearly everyone at NTWF has), what is your favorite hobby?

[/b]
Taking walks in scenic places and stopping sometimes, starting and daydreaming. Heck, just walking somewhere with no purpose and no hurry.

2. When did you start this hobby?
I've been doing this as long as I can remember.

3. What has been your greatest achievement so far in this hobby?
Walking a portion of the Fife Coastal Path last year.

4. Would you encourage others to try out this hobby? How?
Yes I would, by taking them around a beautiful place and letting them appreciate it.

5. How does this hobby affect other areas of your life?
It doesn't, as far as I know. It's a normal part of my life.

6. How long do you plan to continue with this hobby?
Until the day I die. ^_^

7. *insert any question of your choice, and answer it!*
Why did I have so much trouble picking a hobby? Because I'm so secretive. [/spoiler]

[Jayeee]

Oh this is so awesome! I always wanted to join PM-a-friend, and now I get to along with tonnes of other great activities!

So, can I be added to the PM-a-friend list please?

Also, can I open up a BFF bank account too?

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If you could describe yourself using three words, what would they be, and why?

Quiet – I enjoy some moments by myself, and am usually very quiet and shy around people I don’t know. That being said, if I know you well enough, I will become really loud and in your face.

Lazy – I always leave things until the last minute, and even though I can be relied on, I’ll leave it until the last possible moment to do something. Also, I sleep a lot

Amiable – I’ll always try to be friendly, and will never hold a grudge. Even though I tend to keep to myself, if somebody introduces themselves to me, I’ll always be happy and willing to meet them. I will also try never to dismiss other people’s views or decisions.

What do you think of the Friends in the Forums project?

I think it’s an excellent idea. It works really well for shy people and newbies, so I think it’ll really help the forum. Yay for friends!

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Name – Jay
NTWF Username – jayeee
Neopets Username – jayo289
Chat ID – [e-mail] (Works for MSN, but not emails).

[Sock]

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Name – Sock
NTWF Username – sockmonk
Neopets Username – sockmonk (I don't play it often anymore, so you won't get a response right away)
Chat ID – [e-mail] (msn & email)

[insanepurpleone]

Sounds cool. ^_^

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Name	NTWF Username	Neopets Username	Chat ID
Purple	insanepurpleone	purple_princess62	(AIM) ReticentPurple (MSN/Email) [e-mail]

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If you could describe yourself using three words, what would they be, and why?
Shy, creative, and contradictory.

What do you think of the Friends in the Forum project?
I think it's a cool idea and a good way to get to know more people on the forum, especially as I am shy and not the sort of person who is good at seeking people out or starting conversations.

[Ariana]

Oh, this sounds so fun! Could you put me on the active PM-a-friend list and open a BFF bank account for me? Thanks so much! ^_^

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Name - Ariana
NTWF Username - newmoon653
Neopets Username - newmoon653
Chat ID - n/a

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If you could describe yourself using three words, what would they be, and why?

Kind - I've been called that, and I always try to help others best I can.
Bookworm - I read too many books for my own good. xD
Shy - I can't try to talk to someone without having a long discussion with myself, then beat myself up about it later. And if I don't, I miss it. Happens bot online and offline. One of the things I wish I wasn't. :x

What do you think of the Friends in the Forum project?

I think it's amazing. It's like PM-a-Friend, except with more features and more ways to get to know everyone, not just your buddy, I really think I'll enjoy it. ^_^

[Craig]

Everything in the first post should be updated. ^_^ Let me know if I missed you.

[Tanya]

I've just realised something crazy due to this board.