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For many of us older citizens, we have been hooked on Whyville from the start of our why-careers and find ourselves reminiscing about the good ole days often. As the use of chat rooms deteriorates and the population slowly dwindles, it is easy to forget what got us so addicted to this virtual world. But, with the help of my hardcore record-keeping skills and Google, I have uncovered some forgotten features of Whyville that deserve a moment of silence. So, without a further-adieu, let me dust off the records and let them play for newer members and veterans alike.
Number 5: Teen Spirit
Remember those animated sparkles you coveted for your avatar? Remember when blackberries were the hottest phones around? I know I do. These parts were located in little blue gift boxes that were scattered throughout the plethora of used chat rooms (that's right - there was a time when Woods didn't even exist). I can remember collecting them for hours, and being excited when I found different animated faceparts. Since this was back when face parts still expired, (yes, new citizens- there was a time not too long ago when face parts lasted for only 90 days and then were thrust into oblivion) the teen spirit sparkles are mostly gone. There are still a few citizens who, by way of the Whypass, still have these sparkles and blackberries. Now, the animated parts go for millions of clams.
Number 4: Grotto. And Waterfall. And North . . . And South.
In the mid 2000s, the beaches were the best places around. My favorite was the Grotto, which was the fabulously designed chatroom shown above in the top left corner that became deserted in about 2010. You may have accidentally clicked on it while getting to Beach South, but it used to be vastly popular on its own. Grotto wasn't the only popular beach, however. In fact, both Waterfall and North were equally popular. Waterfall even had its own shining moment in 2007 when it hosted the "Bridge to Terabithia" link that took you to a special chatroom that was created to promote the Disney movie. Last but certainly not least, Beach South was incredibly popular up until about 2013, when it fizzled out and became the last of the beaches to suffer citizen-extinction.
Number 3: The Big Change. RIP, Groovy Bus
In June 2008, Whyville made the most drastic change I have witnessed in my many years of playing. The entire look of the site changed without warning. Suddenly, the black background the site had used for 9 years was replaced with a strange light-blue background, and a list of buttons like the "y-mail button" and "BBS pushpin" were added on the top. Many citizens detested this change, and were outraged by the retirement of the Groovy Bus, which was the orange-and-blue bus that hosted the drop-down menu of chatrooms. Despite relentless petitions and public protests, the change eventually grew on citizens. I was one of the people who did not like this change at first, but as I look back, I realize it was one of the best changes I've seen Whyville make. The complete site makeover was refreshing and really made some of the less-used features more accessible. I was thankful when they brought back the Groovy Bus with the "oldbie" skin. It still isn't the same, however! The Groovy Bus will still be the only source of transportation for me.
Number 2: When the Whyville Times had more than 10 articles.
It comes as no surprise that the declining population on Whyville has caused the amount of articles in the Whyville Times to diminish. What may be shocking, however, is just how many articles the Times used to have. At its climax, the Times was used to hosting 40-50 articles each week. Writers such as Ps2Man1, Msof57, Holiday50, Antier, BabyPowdr, and ImForLove were pumping out articles at lightning speed and were pretty much my idols. They're who inspired me to write for the Times, and I wish I could go back in time and write alongside them in the mega-popular editions of the Times. (Doesn't mean we can't make our own mega-editions with tons of articles now though- :D Let's get the articles going!)
Number 1: The Well
I would be remiss if I did not mention the best event to ever come to Whyville. (I promise this is not a biased opinion) From the original Wishworks well to the party wells today, the Wishing Well is a fun and challenging game of word scrambles. The Wishworks Well, often nick-named Piffwell, was located at Sportplatz and was an insanely popular game that first made its way to Whyville in 2007. The well had words that centered around the novel The Misadventures of Benjamin Bartholomew 'Piff'. The next well to come to Whyvlle was Heckwell, which is commonly remembered as being the well that gave out giant spork face-parts and many fun (and gross) projectiles to fling at well competitors. The well has a rich history and is one of the leading attractions on Whyville that brings oldbies back and keeps newbies entertained at parties.
These are my top five memories of Whyville, and I encourage you to make your own and submit an article about them! It's fun to reminisce on old times and educate newer members on a time before they visited the site we all know and love.
Happy Whyvilling,
-Marissa
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