I have recently come back to Whyville after being gone for a couple months, and wow! Things have changed. So many new people are on, joining conversations in the BBS, being stylists in the Style Studio and being Tour Guides. Then I got curious about how much Whyville has changed over the years. That has to be HUGE! I decided to interview some friends about their experiences.
ImMsLyssa: When did you FIRST join Whyville?
cass402: July 5, 2008. This was my first account. Wow. I've been on for three whole years now. Awesome.
lyragold2: I first joined Whyville on lyragold2 in December of 2009, however I registered with my real age. I made a second account so I could chat and BBS in January of 2010.
natnat10: Hmm . . . 2005/2006, I think.
sqeakers1: Well I joined with an old account back in 2007, but I started sqeakers1 in 2009, and that's the one I really count.
Anionett: In January of 2010. Yeah, I'm still pretty much a Newbie.
LoveEmma: About October or September '09.
IKnewIt2: I first joined Whyville on a different account in August 2008. I started my current account in December 2009.
ImMsLyssa: What was Whyville like when you joined?
cass402: I don't really know, because I didn't get on much. I didn't really get the point of the site and when I went anywhere everybody seemed to know each other and that kind of scared me . . . so I just played games and y-mailed my cousin (who showed the site to me). And then I discovered the BBS and I hardly do anything else. I do remember that there were still WhyPasses when I joined.
lyragold2: Pretty much the same as it is now, however I remember the BBSers being a closer group of people.
natnat10: I hardly remember. I just went in chat rooms, and I remember the Newbie lounge being completely different.
sqeakers1: Eh, it was boring for me. I really tried hard to 'fit in' with all the fashions, but I failed EPICLY. Whyville isn't fun when you have 0 clams, friends, and parts.
Anionett: I remember it being totally new, and captivating. I pretty much loved it from day one.
LoveEmma: Whyville was pretty calm. I became a BBSer at once and everybody (from my memory) welcomed me.
IKnewIt2: Things were a lot different. People would actually greet you in a chat room, places like the cafeteria and Simon says were always filled, and the Whyville Times had different categories and way more articles every week.
ImMsLyssa: What was your favorite hang out when you first joined?
cass402: Nowhere. Until like a year later when I found the BBS and then Witch Hunt.
lyragold2: South Beach, but then it quickly became the BBS. I also loved to hang out in the Help Center for quite a while.
natnat10: I think South Beach.
sqeakers1: I mostly hung out at South, but I drifted to the BBS.
Anionett: For the first couple months I mostly just played salary games, voted on petitions, and spent hours in Akbar's, but eventually I found the BBS and that became my home. I absolutely loved the BBS, and I would spend hours upon hours on there, reading through posts and learning about all the BBSers. I do recall at some point that I would go to the Woods in another tab while I was on the BBS, and I think I met a few friends there.
LoveEmma: I hung out at Woods a lot.
IKnewIt2: Probably Simon Says or the BBS. They were never places I was at all the time, but they were my favorites. I went to many active chat rooms every day back then.
ImMsLyssa: How have the citizens changed on Whyville since you first joined?
cass402: Well, nobody made fun of me for being a Newbie, so I guess the Oldbies got meaner. Or I was just lucky. Hm. And most people I knew when I first joined quit, so I can't judge them on how they've changed. The fighting on the BBS has died down (and I've stopped caring and looking) so I guess that's a way they've changed. I've never really considered it.
lyragold2: I don't notice much of a difference.
natnat10: Well, they've become more rude. Maybe because of the BBS.
sqeakers1: I've noticed a lot more trolling, than what I saw 2 years ago. Then again, I didn't see much, so I can't say the same for everyone else. That's just my personal opinion. But other than that, not much has really shifted.
Anionett: I think they've started to get more rude, maybe a bit more clique-ish? I can't really say, because I was pretty oblivious to all that stuff when I first joined.
LoveEmma: Yes, they have.
IKnewIt2: They seemed a lot more friendly. In 2008 people would randomly go up to new citizens or even just regular citizens and talk. I don't go into chat rooms often now unless I'm going to a beauty contest or my friends want me to, but when I do people mind there own business. There are times where people randomly harass people on backup accounts or make fun of newbies, but I'm not sure if that is happening as much anymore.
ImMsLyssa: What's your favorite part of Whyville now?
cass402: Either the Times (Only a few more articles until I'm a Times Writer!) or the BBS.
lyragold2: The BBS still!
natnat10: The BBS for sure. I'm always on there.
sqeakers1: The BBS and the Times.
Anionett: The BBS!
LoveEmma: The BBS. It always has been and (hopefully) always will be.
IKnewIt2: My favorite part now is the BBS or the Whyville Times. I'm not very active in either of them anymore, but I still like them. This last year I've gotten less into Whyville, but I still y-mail a couple of my best friends. It's one of the only reasons I continue to come on every day. I still enjoy the site, but my time is limited to where I only get a half hour on a day.
ImMsLyssa: Where did you make most of your friends on Whyville?
cass402: The BBS. I went to a Witch Hunt one day and met Sqeakers1 who introduced me to people, and they became my friends. And then I met most of the people I'm friends with now through Harry Potter. So all credit goes to the BBS.
lyragold2: The BBS. I met so many friends there in a few weeks time, it was fun.
natnat10: The BBS. Some people are nice and crazy and I love them.
sqeakers1: The BBS, by far. I decided to just go all out and meet as many new people as possible, and I'm glad I did.
Anionett: Again, the BBS. I had a few friends from the Woods, but for the most part everyone I knew was a tried-and-true BBSer.
LoveEmma: The BBS.
IKnewIt2: Definitely the BBS. It took me a while to make a lot of friends, but last summer almost all of the regular BBSers were my friends. Now almost everyone from last summer isn't that active anymore, including me. It's a little sad, but everyone grows up. I still continue to go on the site a lot though.
I found everyone's answers interesting and entertaining. It's showed me that everyone's experiences on Whyville have been different, but in some ways the same. It's definitely shown me that the BBS is one of the most liked places on Whyville. I would like to thank my friends cass402, lyragold2, natnat10, sqeakers1, Anionett, LoveEmma, IKnewIt2 for taking the time to answer my questions!
