Original Members
 

Is it just me or are there a lot of really long time RYLer's stopping by in the past few days? Not often posting or anything, but popping up in the forum activity etc. Names I'd not expect to have been around in years and years...



It might be normal (I can't tell any more!) but it's really pushing my nostalgia buttons! Man it brings back the memories!

It's fairly normal, a lot of people still pop on regularly even if they don't talk so much now. And other people occasionally pop back after years.

I think some of it is nostalgia but also a lot of people still like to check in on their friends, which is nice. A lot of very strong friendships have been built here and even if people don't always keep in touch as much I think they still look out for each other.

It's an odd one, because looking back at the historical stats for the first time in ages, activity in terms of logins hasn't ever dropped away anything like posting/new threads have. It's low yes, and they stay around for minutes seemingly, rather than hours (days!) back in the day, but its oddly surprisingly and consistently higher than I'd ever have guessed it would be.

Either way, it's great to see those names and I'm glad they're still about, even as ghosts. Pot kettle black I know :)

It doesn't surprise me what the logins haven't dropped off in the same way. The old regulars have grown up - I hear some of them even became adults with children and jobs =P so they don't have the same time, and of course social media has changed. I always like seeing people pop in and old faces being around, though I hope most people are in much better places now and doing okay.

It's nice to see you around. Are you keeping okay?

Yeah me too. I get huge joy in finding out about members who've got married, jobs, moved on etc. After all that was ultimately the goal - it was always about the leaving :)

I'm good thanks, these days at least!

Seeing people move on is definitely the best part. I used to go to all the Irish meets, and I managed to be around long enough to meet all the generations of the Irish RYLers, and then see them move on.

I'm glad to hear things are good these days.

I have babies all over my FB because of RYL.

I'm not surprised people check in, but its probably hard for any formers to get a footing after 75% of people (we took a poll lol) changed the usernames when it became fashionable to do so.

Sometimes when I post in General I hear from people who recognize the name. This thread will probably do that.

Is chat still a thing here?

Well Jack you should have behaved yourself better if you didn't want so many babies :) lol

Username thing was a really big challenge, still not sure what the best answers would have been. One on hand you need that continuity I understand, but on the other holding people back from moving forward, which was another big motivation of name changes, and forcing them to use the same one they came up with a decade before when they were different people is also tricky...

No, chat and the mods got 'moved'

But it might yet return, you never know... watch this space!

I think your name is one of the more recognisable Jack. There have been a lot of name changes though - in a place like this I think the discretion people need is valued more than continuity.

Chat got moved to Discord for tech reasons when there weren't really any active chat mods. I became a chat mod after that and after about a year we moved away from RYL and set up a new mental health community. There are still a lot of familiar faces from here around chat there.

Some people heard a certain webmaster was around and popped back to stalk like we did in the old days

Nah, that couldn't possibly be anything to do with it!

Lovely to see you again, hope you're doing goood :)

I'm good, kids are 12 and 10, I'm raising them alone, got a good job, bought a house. Working from home and trying to school the girls (in Welsh) is a bit of a challenge! Also help to run a choir and sunday school at church.

Wow home-schooling is hard enough without having to do it in Welsh!

It's really great to hear you're doing well - so good to hear :)

I am back but under a different name, I used to be Auragrace. But I am so much better mentally than I used to be. And older and wiser

I haven't really left I used to be insignificant_one.

I had another account back in '04-'05 but I managed to piss all the mods off so I left for a bit (not banned though I hasten to add!!!)

Ha, who hasn't hey - you're surely not a proper member unless you've got some infraction points under your belt!

Hello Dawn, and Kymmie too :)

True, Harley!

I’m so amazed you remembered my name, that’s so lovely. I was horrible when I was Auragrace but I’m so much older now and in a much better place.

Funny, just decided to stop by today and first thing I saw was this thread!

Hi all!

I mean, I pop in occasionally. To see how people are doing and generally have a nose around tbh. Haha.


It's Flem BTW, I switched my username and title thing over.

Hello Taylor, Bear and Flem!
Nice to see you guys!

Hi,

I'm not a really long time member like most but I used RYL a lot during 2012 to 2014. It has helped me during my hard times and have made some friends from here.

What counts as original?

10 years on here and and I still don't feel like an OG member as there's others years before my time.

But I do think I should get some kinda prize for making the 10 year mark heh

What? Why would I ever pop in here?

Dang I’m far to good to be a proper member!!!

CAM!!!

I've got far too many infraction points so I must be a REALLY proper member! :p

Wait... there were infraction points?! :shocked:
If I’d have know that, I’d have tried harder... :wow:

I've got loads of those, oops.


I would say original member if you were around just when it became V3. But, i remember ruin so there's that also...

I lurked on ruin does that count?

Haha I'm having a nosey tonight haven't been here in a few years

Was around in Ruin days as ‘Life is a bitch’ but something before that too. Then remember the swap over at the end of my college period. Nice to see familiar names popping up :-)

I was there when it was ruin too. Though i spent the following many years being pretty crazy so there's an awful lot of people i don't remember :-(

I like to login every now and then. The nostalgia can be comforting at times.

Edit: Old friends, please PM me if you want my IG handle.

I popped in because Nessa brought it up.

God i remember all of you!! I pop in now and again. Less so when things are well more so when things are ****.
I think i am 08... does that count?!?

Hello to the lovely new but oldies! We really should have an online catch up.

I was wondering about how this was still going, to be honest, and I don't want to pry but I'm feeling so grateful for this community all those years ago, and now, and that Harley this website is still in place.

Big feelings of gratitude.

Also, I just think this forum design is just kinda slick. Funny to come back and use after so long but it's very accessible��

Aimee in Wonderland

Hello everyone. Popping in after quite a while of being away.

Hi Sam :-D

Hi Sam!

I stick my head in now and then to see who's around and what's new with people. I'm usually either working or exhausted so I'm not online as much nowadays.

*waves at all the OGs*

I lurk. I was Syrup. I met my now-husband here and we are still together so that's something I guess.

Also wanted to pop in and say I'm one of those people who crept back in some time last year. I blame the panini!

*waves* Hi everyone. I like coming back every now and again :) RYL was such a big part of my teenage years, and I made so many good friends through it. Seems a shame to not pop by once in a while.

Popped in as I remembered this place from years ago when it was ruin, and still miraculously remembered my password. I recognize a few usernames! Hello all xx

I like to pop in now and again just to check in on everyone. It's nice to see some familiar faces. I have about a million kids now and I'm both, a totally different person and exactly the same!