11 Years Later...where Are You Now?

[Kan]

Howdy BZP, in a blur of nostalgia I came to recall a certain forum I used to frequent years ago as a bright eyed young lad. So I figured why not see if it was still around, so I checked it out and lo and behold it is. Why make a topic though, well I figured there's bound to be a few of the old farts still hanging around, why not have some nostalgia run rampant and remember some of the good times that were had those years ago, and see where we are now.10 and a month or so ago as a lil kid I came across a certain BZcommunity and was introduced to the internet for really the first time, someplace to hold discussions with like minded people, make friends and sometimes just goof off. I used to browse Kanohi Power as well as post on BZcommunity, and saw the merger unfold in mid 2002. Made friends and looked forward to every new Bionicle release and made speculations with everyone else.Growing up I was alone a lot and having a place that I could go to meant a lot, whether or not I realized it at the time and being a part of this community back then helped make me who I am today. Sadly real life and responsibilities made me venture away. I found other places in the net and moved to other interests and made alot of friends, all because of BZpower.I've changed in the years since and chose to serve my country by joining the US Air Force, my interests have changed, and thankfully my typing has evolved past what is was then. :DWhat am getting at, those who have been here a while, where are you now 11 years later? And did BZP have a profound (maybe to powerful a term) effect on you?If this is out of line Mods, I'm sorry.

[Protodite Karzahni]

Well, for me Bionicle came into my life during 2003, so I was only with it for a meagre seven years of its run. BZPower came about even later, in the dawn of 2007. However, that doesn't mean it hasn't had an impact on me. Thanks to Bionicle, I've gained a much, much vaster interest in fantasy novels and has provided a lot of inspiration for me. BZPower's had an even greater effect on me, making me sort out my grammar and punctuation, which I believe may have been one of the reasons I received such high grades in English during my GCSE's. However, I think the greatest effect Bionicle had on me was a commercial back in 2006 which changed my life for the better. Up until then, I couldn't stand most forms of music, and refused to listen to any of them. Then the Inika commercial was released on Bionicle.com and I discovered the All-American Rejects, who I see as the first band I ever liked. And now I have an incredibly vast taste in music, all sparked by that one advert.

[Dralcax]

I haven't been on BZPower that long, so I'll document my Bionicle interest as well.It all started at age 6, when I got my first Lego Magazine. I saw Vakama Hordika on the cover, and was instantly hooked. For the rest of Bionicle, however, I remained ignorant of the EU and community. But in 2011, I discovered BZPower. I feel more accepted here than anywhere else. I'm bullied at school, and other forums don't exactly fit me in anywhere.

[GSR]

I'm coming up on nine years here, though I left in early 2004 and didn't return until last year. Funnily enough, I'm just about where I expected to be when I was a kid - at a good college, working with computers, and enjoying life.BZP was my first forum - I recall having to use my parents' email to sign up, and doing it while they were out so they wouldn't get mad at me for doing so. I have good (if very vague) memories of back then - a lot of which seem to involve post count for some reason. Ah, to be young and new to the internet again.

[Sumiki]

I have been on this web site for not eleven years, but rather five (five and a half in about two months). I first found the site when the Olmak spinny was the one that all of the admins had; the one all of the established, respected members of BZP had. To this day, I still look at the spinny and think of it as the spinny of the "old guys".BZPower had had an effect on me. I've learned a few new words, and my writing skills have vastly improved - not to the point where I could call myself an incredible writer - and who but a narcissist would do that? - but I think they have developed beyond the point where they would have without the effect of BZP, without a place where I can propose ideas and convey meaning in words, without a place where, in essence, I could practice.

[Taipu1]

I've apparently been on BZP for over 5 years, but I remember coming across it in '04 on the BIONICLE website. So that's more like 6-7 years. BZP has had a big effect on me, I'm a better writer. And what my dads sayes is a negative effect, is that I've picked up a lot of 'Americanisms'. Personally I think it just means I have a more adaptable vocabulary.

I have been on this web site for not eleven years, but rather five (five and a half in about two months). I first found the site when the Olmak spinny was the one that all of the admins had; the one all of the established, respected members of BZP had. To this day, I still look at the spinny and think of it as the spinny of the "old guys".

I thought I was the only one who saw the admins as the ones with Olmaks!

[Waffles]

BZPower has ameliorated my lexical ken.Sorry, League of Authors. I would say BZPower has been the single if not the most important part of my life for the past couple years. It is in an escape, a home, a warm bath, a migraine, and most of all my childhood and reality. Somehow it's much more real than the outside world.

[Reya]

I remember coming to this site in the summer of '03 and joining several months later. I was just a regular kid researching his favourite toy. Oh how I miss those times; less porblems, less responsibilities - an ideal world. Now I'm in my final year of school, applying to med school, learning to drive and see the world in a totally different light. Yet, you never forget your roots, no matter how much you have changed over the years, and I'll never forget my experiences here where I made a couple of friends and had the chance to develop some skills which I will use for the rest of my life.I miss those days.

[25K Now!]

I've only been part of this site for two years, but it has managed to improve my grammar and spelling, added to my vocabulary and helped increase my lack of maturity.BZPower has made me less noobish than before.

[Toa Zaz]

...I was less misanthropic back then.

[Gatanui]

I started visiting BZPower almost eight years ago () and joined almost six years and half ago. Back then I was still in fifth grade/year of school and life was all easy. Eleven years ago I was becoming a fan of BIONICLE and life was even easier and happier then. :PNow? Now I am a few months before finishing school, life isn´t so easy anymore not always that happy and overall I am more mature and critical. Still, it´s good to be able to think for yourself now. ~Gata.

Edited January 10, 2012 by Gatanui

[Toa Smoke Monster]

I discovered BZP in the middle of 06. I remained a visitor for a few years before I finally joined in April, 2010. (I tried to join a couple times before that, but for some reason I wasn't approved. ) Anyway, being a member of BZP has really helped me become a better typer and writer. That's probably the biggest effect BZP has had on me. I've also made some friends on here too, which is great at well.

[You just lost the game]

I found BZP in 05' or 06' and became a member in 08', so about seven years.

[Eyru]

I first discovered BIONICLE in early 2002, and I came upon BZPower a few years later, in 2004, I believe. The biggest effect BZP (and, to a lesser extent, BIONICLE) has had on me is in my writing. Through fan fiction and regular posting on the boards, my writing skills have improved immensely, not to mention my ability to communicate. I like to think that BZP has affected my positively, though it is true that i've spent far too much time on this site and these boards over the past eight years.

[Tenebrae Invictus]

I joined in 2004... so nearly 8 years later, I've retained a few habits from the past and abandoned many.Back in 2004, I guess I was... wild? Posting everywhere, discussing everything, writing some odd small stories, making some poor quality comics and art and attempting to make RPGs on this site. I asked Black Six multiple times if I could make an RPG but he kept telling me no. Of course, in hindsight, that was a very wise decision on his part. Those were interesting times indeed.Now, in 2012, I'm not posting as frequently but I'm pretty active still. Haven't made a short story or epic for BZP in well over a year now, and that was an out-of-nowhere story I wrote incredibly late at night. I haven't been in RPGs in well over a year either, and that as well was an out-of-nowhere thing. However, the other couple things that have been retained are the comics and art. Not poor quality anymore by far, and that is something consistent on BZP. I tend not to display my art on BZP, just because I'm so lazy to make topic, but it's out there, haha. But my comics are around, and I'd say they're way better than my original ones.

[UltraHau]

Let's see: I found BZP around '07 I think - I played quite a few fangames located in FCG back then , but I didn't register until 2010. I think I've stayed pretty much the same during those years, except I posted a lot less back then, and I used smileys a bit more often, too.As for where I'll be in 11 years, I'm not sure - BZP might have an impact on where/what I'll be, but I doubt it.

[Noxryn]

I knew of BZPower since, at least, 2002. A friend of mine showed me the website, but I didn't join back then because I had very limited computer time, and I largely preferred to go out and do stupid stuff with friends (granted, we were second graders, but still). I officially joined in 2006, during a hot summer afternoon in Arkansas (where, honestly, there is absolutely nothing to do except rot in the sun) and this website was really my introduction to the internet. I remember that I would post in just about any topic, made a bunch of topics (all got locked), and said some things that I cringe rereading and never hope to relive ever again.BZPower got me interested in writing, art and reading as a result. So, while in fifth grade I ended up writing short stories (some epics here, though they are absolutely abysmal) and reading plenty (I discovered the Science Fiction/Fantasy area of the bookstore then). From then, I've been honing my writing ability in hopes that I may one day publish a few novels (a trilogy, and then three stand alones -- all would, naturally, have romance involved with the story, as that's just how I am). Since then, I've been able to get advanced placement in English classes (oddly enough from pointers I've learned here) and I've been able to get into extra-classes that were much harder to get into (such as getting onto the Newspaper Staff at school, and I had a shot to submit a story I wrote for the literary magazine, but declined as it was a M/M romance story I wrote and, simply, this school doesn't have the audience for it.This website is also why I took classes in the Fine Arts, probably some of the most enjoyable classes in my opinion, and it was from here where I got the will to practice drawing (thus securing an A in every Fine Arts class I've been a student in, which also earned me an invitation to the National Art Honor Society, although I was unable to join that as the LGBST Club met on the same day). Plus, I also learned of logical fallacies from an article linked on this website (a few years back), so I had an easy time taking apart arguments in my AP Language & Composition class from that background knowledge alone, and I didn't have to study for that particular test. So then, all of my essays in that course have received A's and that is likely due to all the different debates I've been in here (and elsewhere).I also made a lot of friends here, though not many of them are very active anymore, I've studied with some and I've learned from others, and I've received other perspectives on things I do (such as writing), and have been able to discuss books with some people from here.

[Akuna Toa of Sonics]

I found out about BZPower about 5 years ago with the release of the Barraki, then finally signed up in June 2008.I was a fan of Bionicle since the beginning, though.

[Phyoohrii]

This time exactly 11 years ago I was still living in Adelaide, probably still having no idea I was moving back south to my home state of Tasmania in only a couple of months time. I was a small nine and a half year old kid back then, now I'm a twenty and a half year old 'grown up'. In a couple of weeks that year I would hear about BIONICLE for the first time, and thought hey they look pretty neat, but why'd they replace Slizer, oh no. I was very much into LEGO at that stage, among things, which has certainly waned in the past several years. And yet I still think it's a great thing. BIONICLE shaped a lot about me. It boosted my interest in several different things, particularly animation and music, thanks mostly to Templar. It also added to my vast respect for symbols and iconography that I've had since as far back as I can remember. It added greatly for my thirst for knowledge and revelations, and somewhat regrettably to my somewhat obsessive and compulsive nature. Most importantly (and positively, though), it has done wonders for my creativity...it's helped showed me that I can be imaginative when I need to be.BZPower of course has been fundamental for that. It's given an outlet for many of us, through art, comics and writing (at times I've done all three). Places to show our theories, vent our frustrations about this story and our own lives, and generally bring a community of vastly different people of different backgrounds together who all like at least one thing. And we're not restricted to that, friendships have been built around all of these things, simply because this site existed. I'm not saying other sites don't do that, but this is the only site that immediately comes into mind in my own personal experience that exemplifies a true online community. I from time to time visited here, when I was on the trail for interesting images and things like that. I probably came here back in 2003 and saw some images of the new sets for the Northern Hemisphere summer or something like that, when they were appearing at a Comic Con or Toyfair or something like that. I didn't join (initially) till 2005, by that stage well into liking BIONICLE, and enjoying the story as much as I could without getting the comics (and the online comics were rarely if ever updated in those days). My interest in the site grew when I started reading the humorous comics found on here, in particular Chilli God's Rise and Fall of the Toa. It inspired me to start writing comics, as did CyberKN's Mask of Humour, and so I did a few months later. And then getting into the swing of the forum, becoming more known and getting to 'know' people, it was really fun.I was still a pretty immature 14/15 year old in those days, thinking he was a genius and all that. That was not true, but I stayed here long enough to mature and take everything in its stride. The only thing I haven't outgrown is setting myself up with truly overambitious tasks and then not bringing them to fruition...but I'm slowly working on that. I'm no longer in primary school, nor secondary nor even senior secondary school. I'm approaching my third year of my liberal arts degree, and I'm beginning to work music back into my life, the only thing I was ever truly good at. I like to think, in a nutshell, since I've really just been writing what's come to the top of my head, that BZPower has greatly influenced the way I approach things, by giving me the confidence to try new things, and I guess not worry so much about what other people think, because there are more like-minded people than you think, and they will have interest in what you have to say, you just gotta say it.Yeah I'm pretty sure I didn't finish this post the way I started. But that's life isn't it.

[Misguided Angel of Death]

I started visiting BZPower almost eight years ago ( ) and joined almost six years and half ago. Back then I was still in fifth grade/year of school and life was all easy. Eleven years ago I was becoming a fan of BIONICLE and life was even easier and happier then. :PNow? Now I am a few months before finishing school, life isn´t so easy anymore not always that happy and overall I am more mature and critical. Still, it´s good to be able to think for yourself now. ~Gata.

Same here. I visit every now and then. BZP did help me become a better writer though. My fanfic are WAY better now.

[Leg O'Brick]

Yay! Nostalgia trip!Lego Bricks were introduced to me by those blue bins they used to sell; the ones with the giant studs on the lids. Remember those? The ones with that black-haired dude? And the girl with the pigtails? Anyway, those were my very first Lego Bricks. I couldn't have been much older than 8. That was just about when BIONICLE was coming out. So anyway, I played Pajama Sam and stuff so I was pretty familiar with computers, but not the internet until I saw the web address on the back of the instructions. So my mom helped me make an account on LEGO.com, and I started playing this neat little game called MNOG. Obviously, being reared on Pajama Sam and completely obsessed with LEGO made me pretty much the exact target audience for the game, and I devoured it. Remember how hard that Rahi-fighting game used to be to your 9-year-old fingers? Yea, I remember too. But I loved it none the less. Come to think of it, I think MNOG was what made me interested in BIONICLE to begin with. Man, those were probably the best years of my life. BIONICLE was awesome, I had a bucket of LEGO bricks, and all was right with the world. Yep, LEGO pretty much made my childhood. Anyway, I only joined BZP in (checks profile) Feb. of 2011, after BIONICLE officially ended. As much as I hated to admit it, I realize now that BIONICLE had been dead to me since 2006. After Inika/Piraka, it lost it's charm. Maybe earlier. I still loved it, but not on the current storyline's own merit. Probably, it will never be like it was for me again. Nothing will, simply because I'm older now. But to me, the 2001-2004 era will always remind me of my childhood and it will always be one of my favorite fantasy worlds of all time. But anyways, (sidetracked there ), I joined BZP last year because I was feeling nostalgic (still am). What I discovered was a friendly, receptive, welcoming community which is, sadly, slowly but surely dying. Maybe that's for the best. We're getting older, and our interests are changing. But regardless, BIONICLE will always live on in our hearts. I like to think that we will pass it on to our kids, and they will love it as much as we did. All I really know is that it will always be one of the foundations of my childhood and of who I am as a person. There will always be a little BIONICLE in me, and while I don't have BZP to thank for that, you guys reminded me it was there. I can't thank you enough.

[iPenguin]

Hah! Five years of BZP... that's actually pretty crazy when you think about it. I remember when I had first joined, I remember seeing the Olmak spinny, and believing that I wouldn't be around for long enough to ever see me use it. I guess I was wrong.It's hard to think about how different I would be without BZP. Yes, BZP has made me love BIONICLE more than I ever had before, but more importantly, it has shaped me as a person. And not only how I act online, but also how I act in real life as well. It's really interesting to see how my posts have evolved from when I had first joined, to nowadays. It's almost like a virtual history book of my life. And I find that the more happy and friendly my posts really were, the more happy and friendly I actually was during that time. It's phenominal.Most importantly, BZP has made me a better person. I've found that talking to strangers, a task I once found impossible, a real breeze nowadays. BZP was the first real social network I had ever signed up for. It allowed me to say whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and people would actually care about what I had to say. For an 11-year old child, that was possibly the greatest feeling ever imaginable. Going on BZP was probably my favourite thing to do as a child. More than gaming, more than toys and more than eating/sleeping (ha!). The whole idea of talking to people with an almost anonymous (but not really anonymous) identity is really something special, even if I was not able to comprehend the brilliance of that when I was younger. It's really interesting to see people in this generation being raised by the internet and online forums boards.I'm not old or anything. I'm only starting my first year of secondary school this year. If BZP is still around by then, I'd like to come back in five years, and see the kinds of stuff I have been posting currently. By then I would've been in university or whatever. BZP has been my childhood, and I hope it can help me through my teen years the same way it had helped me during my crazy kid/preteen years. I hope BZP will still be here in the future, and I will gladly continue visiting it during my free time.Here's to another five years on BZP. Cheers!

[Than the Moa]

Oh jeez, let's see.11 years ago I was a somewhat socially awkward 11 year old kid living in a small Wisconsin town. I was fascinated with computers, the internet (we had just got cable internet at that time I think), and of course Lego. I remember seeing the ad for Tahu on the back of the Lego Magazine and instantly wanting the new set. I quickly absorbed as much about Bionicle as I could, and eventually sought out more. About midyear in 2002 I found a site called BZPower. I started reading the news and set reviews on it, learning about the new Bionicle sets I hadn't even heard about yet! I decided to join the forums right around the time they went down. I had forgotten about them for awhile and sort of rediscovered them in December when I finally made the leap to join. Since then I've grown. I went from being an overly excitable new member with poor grammar to forming more and more coherent sentences and meaningful posts. Somewhere along the line I figured I'd start helping people about and contributing to the forum in a significant way. This would lead to my eventual acceptance to the staff which has arguably changed the person I am. I would have never thought you could have significant relationships/friendships with people on the internet, yet here I am, good friends with a number of staff and have even spent time with Watashi Wa and Black Six in person and through other outlets like Xbox Live. I also feel like having staff responsibilities taught me how to handle real world responsiblities better. As I continued to grow up I graduated high school and went to college and made the first significant move of my life. I've since had my own apartment since mid 2010, started working at an internship in my field in the spring of 2011, and inch closer and closer to my graduation from college with a degree in computer science this spring. It's been one heck of a wild ride to this point and I'm excited to see where it goes from here.

[AZBlue]

Eleven years ago, I had just gotten the first Lego Magazine in the US to mention anything about Bionicle. It had a little blurb on the last page with a picture of Onua. I wondered what that non-Lego looking thing was. That was before the MNOG...Before the Bright-times. (Yes I did just modify a Star Wars quote there) The next issues of the magazine didn't have much, and until I visited Legoland in June 2001, I didn't hear of anything else Bionicle related. During that trip to Legoland, I picked up Kopaka, Nuju, and I think the other Turaga excluding Vakama. I was hooked before I even walked into the park, because you see, I went to the Downtown Disney Lego store the day earlier and found the giant shelf display of Bionicle sets. I loved putting the sets together, and whenever I have the parts ready, I still can build Kopaka entirely from memory.In 2002 I discovered a competing fansite, which in turn led me to BZPower. I have been a member of the forums here since June of 2003, and remember all of the great pranks that were pulled on April Fools days past. I have improved drastically as a writer since my early days of writing cheesy fanfics for school projects, as well as attempted-death-by-awful-epic-syndrome. I hope BZP will continue on through at least the next couple of years because, as with many of you younguns, it has become such a large part of my life. I just realized: I have been on BZP for almost half my life.Today, I am a totally different person. I have come to terms with my Asperger's, and now use it to my advantage when I am writing for my Fanfic series. I still have most of the Names from 2001-2003 memorized, though most of the Bohrok still elude me. I am living on my own in an apartment, have a great job to pay for my Lego Obsession with, and am all in all enjoying life more than I have ever before.

[son of the shadows]

Flashback!!!About 11 years ago my mom signed me up for getting the Lego magazines again and the first one I got was the third comic in the original series. That and my cousin showing me his six Toa (which I have four of his now since 2009) got me hooked to it. I also blame the MNOG for that. <_<I had a lot of adventure with the sets from all corners of my old house; even at others' houses, restaurants and other times with I shouldn't (I was more stupid back then). Bionicle even took place of my all time favorite robotic line when Gundam got phased out through 2004-2005 due to Cartoon Network deciding not to show it no more. Now the tables are turned since Lego decided to cancel Bionicle and discovering anime TV sites, but that's not what were talking about. is it? :PBefore discovering BZPower in 2006 (just past my sixth year mark a week or two ago), I was in Lego's message boards in the Bionicle section where I was making a spoof about what was happening with Vakama, Sidorak and Roodaka off camera during WoS (which involved the fan pairing with Vakama and Roodaka that other's made). Now I remember, there was a topic for other message boards that Lego approved on (I think. Correct me if I'm wrong) and one of the poster's linked this site a month ago before I decided to join.Besides a lot of newbie actions, story fails and anatomy fails in the general art forms, I felt I was at home on here. I enjoyed reading the comedies from Spirit and Galigee (which I still should finish Tangled Webs), many of the artists creations and comics, and just goofing around in the games and trivia form.Sadly though, I started to drift off from the story after 2006 and fully off at mid 2008 and regretting it now since I have no idea what happen after mid 2007 besides the major events. Oh well...Looking back right now, I had a lot of fun with Bionicle and wished it had a better ending than what Lego gave it (or giving little time to Greg for possibly giving it more of a better ending of Bionicle).

Edited January 17, 2012 by son of the shadows

[Kohaku]

Well, eleven years ago I received the first Lego magazine that included a Bionicle comic. At that time, I would spend a week with my aunt every summer, thus being the twelve year old boy that I was, I brought the comic with me. During that week, on a trip to Target, I came across Kopaka and Tahu, at the time, I didn't realize they were good guys. Needless to say, I had them fight and battle all the time. Eventually, I got all of the Toa and many of the Rahi. As I learned about the story, I got more enthralled and had to have every set, an accomplishment with which I succeeded.It wasn’t until May in 2003 that I found BZPower, I joined a couple of days after. At the time I posted and tried to be literate, I wasn’t the best, but I don’t think I did too bad. I had a lot to learn though, at one point I got in trouble and lost proto.After that incident, I read the rules and did what I could to become a better member of the community. I did what I could to improve; I earned proto back and even became a lifetime Premier Member. I’ve entered numerous contests in BBC and even one in LGD where I got second place.When the blogs were formed, I blogged everyday and participated in many of them, eventually I was promoted to Blog Assistant in 2006. I’ve glad that I got to help the blogs develop through the years. I’ve had periods of inactivity due to real life events, however, I have managed to become more active in the past few months, something I hope I can continue, as I enjoy helping out the website that gave me a home on the internet when I was young.I’ve also met a lot of great people on BZPower, some very accepting and all around fun people. BZPower has been with me since I joined, I’ve met staff members and many good friends. Some of whom I don’t talk to nearly as much as I used too. Many of whom I met on BZPower and talked to using the voice chat on Metroid Prime: Hunters. Two of those people I would consider friends for life. They’ve been with me through good times and horrible times, always there for me to talk to and have fun with.I hope to have many more years on this website, even as I go off and start my own internet adventure.Where am I now?Simple.I’m at my home on the internet. BZPower.

Edited January 18, 2012 by Kohaku

[Phauxx Lightning]

It's been roughly 5 whole years all together, It's ups and downs, My writing, art, Mocing, even social skills have all really just gotten better by and by the time I've spent on this site. It's been a safe haven, a place where I can go to break away and relax...AND I NEED TO GET MORE ACTIVE

[KanohiCelt]

Eleven years ago, in a land far, far away.......................

[ippotsk]

Eleven years ago, in a land far, far away.......................

Pfffft, nice one. :P11 years ago, I was just your average elementary school kid with no knowledge of anything cool yet.I didn't get introduced to Bionicle until 3 years later. But once I did, I bought my first set, and I loved it.Late 2006, I found about BZPower while browsing through the old BIONICLE.com. It took me a while to join, but eventually I did. And man, was I a tremendous newb back then.But yeah, this place has helped me a lot since I joined. I learnt the ways of the internets, and tried to get rid of my overall noobishness. I started MoCing, writing, and sometimes the occasional artworks. And I met a lot of cool people along the way, too. Year 2012, and here I am. Still on BZPower.I'll never forget this site, that's for sure. http://www.bzpower.com/board/public/style_emoticons/default/cool.png Edited January 22, 2012 by Raiko

[Kakaru]

I have been on this web site for not eleven years, but rather five (five and a half in about two months). I first found the site when the Olmak spinny was the one that all of the admins had; the one all of the established, respected members of BZP had. To this day, I still look at the spinny and think of it as the spinny of the "old guys".

I thought I was the only one who saw the admins as the ones with Olmaks!

No way, man. I remember seeing all the staff with their Olmaks and wishing that someday I would be worthy to posess such a token. Now I wish I had a Hau, glatorian helmet, or even far in the future, a Hapori Tohu spinny. I got into Bionicle around '03-'04 (though I had a couple Bohrok before that and some old Lego magazines and comics to remind me what I missed in the first years) and discovered and lurked on BZP in '05, joined in '07.And here in 2012, not much has changed. I still build, I still enjoy reading the old comics, playing the old games, etcetera. I'm a fan for life and this community has been an integral part of the best years of my life. I hope to continue as an active member until we've all grown old and dispersed to tell all the young Lego fans what they missed out on those fifty years ago when the Bionicle Zone Power was a thriving, dedicated community with the greatest members imaginable. Edited January 25, 2012 by Kakaru

[re:Twilite]

11 years later...I seem to be farther away then I ever thought I would drift. The "Great Downtime" as it is called brought upon a lot of other activities and I just generally lost interest in Bionicle, BZPower, and even Lego as a whole. I will always be a fan of Lego, and Bionicle will probably forever be my favorite theme. Just now, I don't seem to have the time for it. I'm going to turn 18 in a matter of weeks, and I'll be graduating soon after that.

[Ultrapunch]

11 years ago, I was 7, a happy, bright-eyed, geeky child (with a tinge of the 'uncool'), and I first encountered BIONICLE and I was hooked.Over the next 9 years it was my passion, I bought all the sets I could and revelled in the storyline.Discovered BZP in 2003, but didn't join until 2007 (I may be wrong).I followed the storyline until the "end", but failed to buy any of the sets. After that I used that as an excuse to move on to new things.I'm now generally sadder, (in my pursuits and general demeanour), but retain many of the qualities of my previous self, and am completely unsure about my future and what I want to do. Bionicle will always hold a special place in my heart (and my cupboard, I'm never getting rid of them).I also just bought Tahu Stars online, and am ATM on some sort of nostalgia high, which brought me back here.EDIT: Wow! I've just realised I too have an Olmak spinny, that's SOOO cool!

Edited January 30, 2012 by Ultrapunch

[Hahli Husky]

I was 14 when I made an account and went diehard over Bionicle. I was also extremely introverted and awkward.Now I'm 23, still awkward but pretty obnoxious and loud, and promised my entire life to another nerd on this website, who is currently sitting to my right, watching the Kill Me Baby anime opening over and over.I have to admit, I was not expecting this outcome when I first signed up.

[MrSciFiGuy]

Its been a long time here as well. I've changed, grown, and read with wide-eyed embarrassment of my comments and info from my past self. But Bionicle has never changed for me. It is still that one thing that takes over my room, that I play with almost daily, and get frustrated at MOCing daily as well. I've been there since 01, walked into the Lego store in Downtown Disney in CA, and found the sets and begged my mother for them. Instantly I got into the storyline and have been a really knowledgeable fan since. My most die hard moments were probably during the Hordika and Piraka sets, since I deciding to get encyclopedic about everything,Even know I still collect sets that I am missing (...a tad expensive) and the nostalgia I get from building these sets are priceless. I'm 19 and love the community, and want to contribute more (though filmmaking does not really help here).

[zerack: the rogue]

Jeez, now I feel old thinking about all of this. I remember just being a visitor for the longest time until joining what, a little over 6 years. I think I started coming here back in 03 if I remember right, because I still can recall all of the speculation of who the 7th Toa was going to be, and how just because Takua and Takanuva looked similar doesn't mean they are the same person. What really dragged me in were the comedies. The one I still remember is the Toa open a Cafe or something. I don't even remember most of it, but I do recall the enjoyment I have had reading them.Since I've joined, I realized how I'm more of a jack of all trades and master of none here. Started both a comic and comedy, and they lasted a few chapters, but just fell through. Even my best MOCs were mediocre compared to everyone else's. But the best part of learning that on BZP was how here, every encouraged me to try better and keep pushing myself to do better than before. Constantly giving me ideas, encouragement, and how to better improve myself. Back in middle school, it was my safety net while I was in a tight spot. By the time Bionicle ended, I realized how much time I spent here, and how great of an experience it has been. And I'm glad its still around after the end of what brought us here. Shows how solid of a community we are.

[Kodrak]

Joined about '07, and I quickly got interested in Artwork III. Left at least twice due to disinterest, but it always pulled me back.

[CamVFX]

Well I found BZP from Mentioning sites with forums = bad in 2007, I don't know how, I think it was something as simple as a Google search. ;pI didn't sign up for like a month, I just used it to find out stuff about Bionicle earlier than I would regularly.Then on one very Canadian summer day, I decided to sign up since I saw Rocco's comics and I wanted to make comics just like him so I signed up, made the weirdest "comic" ever where I used emoticons and put words beside them. No joke. I didn't even use Paint or anything. I just wrote it all out. :XThen I met Macsonn(iPenguin), and we had an obsession over Mr. Clean for like a day, then I met some of my other friends on here like Rocco, and ToaTafin. After making about 10 different comic series, I disappeared, only to re-appear for a few months at a time in 2008, 2009, and once in 2010. I was going to become more active in 2011, but the forum got shut down or something. Then I decided to come back for nostalgia purposes and for mainly talking.BZP is honestly an awesome forum. When I see it, I see it as a great alternative from the forum I currently go on that is filled with arguments, egos, and moments of stress. It's a toy forum by the way, big shock. Here I see it as a great way to talk with some intelligent(I hope the way I'm generally labeling BZP members is accurate) people who don't put egos in front of the simplest of things. :3

[Padishah Mehmet II]

I actually started off as this kid who had found the download of MNOLG2 on BZPower, and, remembering how I used to love the game, decided to join for the sole reason of reporting a problem I had with said download.And then quickly found myself become the most annoying person on this site. I was a terrible annoying little noob, who only bothered to read a rule after he had been told he broke it - and sometimes, not even then. It was... an embarassing period of my life, certainly.Hopefully, I'm just a slight meager bit better now.-Dovydas

[fishers64]

[Franz Joseph Haydn]

I started with Bionicle in 2001, and got renewed interest in it in 2007-08. I've grown to be a lot better writer and stuff since.