this server isnt what it used to be. the i feel the community has taken quite the turn for the worse, and i think i know why. this has been bugging me for a while now, so i thought i would mention it here for all the managers to see. first, id like to point out the case that the community is slowly dying. (well, dying is a strong word for it...) people who used to be super active really arent anymore, and not many people have come to take their place. shujo himself said that he felt disconnected from the community, and shujo is a pretty good representative for the community in general. server veterans seem to be getting disinterested from this place. quorble, graves, imp, sylph, hari, samn, bit, neo, zx, soap, spad, harry, ecki, jaz, zoomi, gem, para, mutedajar, and undoubtedly a whole lot more i dont remember are all mostly inactive (if that seems like much, its likely because im going inactive. so, dont feel guilty if i said your name.). and sure, people leaving is perfectly fine, but there isnt really anyone replacing them. log, nep, karma, scoob, and hiddenrealm are the only people who come to mind. when was the last time there was a voice chat session with 10+ people? that should put it into perspective.
and even if it isnt a pressing issue, i can say for myself, at least, that this server isnt fun anymore. not like it was. i remember when it was ok to talk about game without having to join a different server. i remember when we could talk about things that happen in our lives without being told to leave. i remember when people challenged eachother for fun and not out of neccessity or nostalgia. all that fun is gone from this server, and i know why: this server is way to serious. it feels like theres a spreadsheet for everything. the beep bishop, which used to be a random challenge thrown out in the middle of the server, now feels like filing paperwork for what should be an easy and fun task. that was the charm about the old server: way less channels. that was the philosophy for a long time, but that's changed. now, the managers are concerned about growth. that isnt something that's bad, but they've lost the core of the community in the process. this next example may come with a bias and wont be taken seriously, but it it important. remember the wackplant emoji? it was an inside joke between most of the community. but, as per the new server rules, it was removed completely. that inside joke was fun! that was a fun experience that none of the new people who join will ever get. see where im coming from?
guess that beep was a random thing by green guy that got its own channel just by him asking. if you want to create a brand new competition, you now need to submit a suggestion, hope the managers look it over, pray that they can actually do it, have them set it up with none of your control, watch them make an announcements channel, a submission sheet, and a designated chat room. it becomes too patronizing for the dedicated people in the community, and too intimidating for those who want to join. you may think that's an overeaction, but just look at the server album. or the tournament. or the beep bishop revival. same story for each one. when a project gets too big, it starts to lose all of its meaning and no longer becomes fun. its just more work.
lastly, i want to touch on the recent announcement about the banning of meme songs like yoshi fell. sure, it can be a hassle to others, annd i can see where you're coming from, but this is the most blatant example of banning fun in this server i have seen yet. the reasoning is solid, but it doesnt hold up with the old, fun server rules. posting multiple variations, with no purpose other than being memes was my best source of fun for a long time. i remember the cows go wub and chordlands remixes. we had a whole inside joke going with it, having fun and enjoying the community, but one fell swoop and.. gone.
lastly lastly, ill remind you of a couple of things from the "good old days:" the beepbox rpg, the monochromatic challenge, the role that asks to stop asking for roles, spamming multiple paragraphs in #voice-chat, times where it felt like the entire server was in voice chat, (i think we got up to like 12 once) keyboard solos, that one channel where we all spammed pings at gubbys, that one channel where we played trooth or trooth, managers randomly changing people's nicknames, the bup cup, something about harrison astley, beepbox radio, pinging everyone to join vc, and fun. tell me, when was the last time we did any of this? sure you could say some of the newer experiences have been fun, like, playing starblast, but even this is being sorted and organized out of the server. and, judging from the participation on the quests and 2nd server album, noone is happy with the managers efforts.
so, how are we to make it better? well, that has an easy answer: do nothing. if you werent so strict on the rules then maybe we could have fun again. maybe newer people wouldnt be so afraid of doing stuff without your approval, like guess that beep or beepbox radio. maybe people would be okay to participate into a conversation about something sensitive. (or, not sensitive at all. add "conversations that move at lightspeed" to the list of fun things that dont happen anymore.) if this server wasnt split up into so many channels, then maybe we could unite again. if the managers werent so strict then maybe we could talk again. if this place wasnt so formal then maybe we could go and have more voice chat sleepovers instead of acting like we're business partners and not recognizing the community and the love that we helped to create.
i know this wont be acknowledged. that will prove my point. so, managers, if you're listening and my hopes annd prayers are coming true, maybe its time to recognize the community. to embrace it and not care about what anyone else thinks. who cares if a few inactive people join or leave? what matters is our core; our roots. right now, your effort is pitiful. you guys are trying too hard to make us like eachother, and it anoys me that the action that is being taken is worse than no action at all. all you need to do is nothing. just let people be people and make that ok. (post-writing note: im not saying that you shouldnt moderate or ask people to conform to the rules. im just saying, this place is way to strict. loosen up a little. relax and take a load off.)

tl;dr: this server doesnt feel fun anymore. i came here to make friends, not business partners. stop making everything so serious and embrace the community.
(post-posting note: if this counts as spam then it will just prove my point. i just really needed to get this off my chest. if i sound angry or mad, its because i care. sorry in advance for anyone who reads this. also, if i mentionned you in the part about inactive people, dont feel guilty.)
Theepicosity03/21/2019
(post-post-posting note: these are all natural side effects of server growth. if the managers go to the old philosophy of central-based server growth then all these problems i mentioned will likely go away. community first.)