I missed Newgrounds' 30th anniversary.

I had been very busy with my studies and never took the time to check.

I hope you all would forgive me, I would have made an art piece.

With that out of the way, I would like to say thank you to Tom Fulp for the creation of a space many of us on the internet (including I) call home. I am not currently able to remember just how far back I first came across the website, but I am ever grateful to be so fortunate.

The Portal has a special place among the deepest muscles of my heart, and of the most personalized fragments of my soul. Newgrounds has been very dear to me since I was so freely allowed within a community of like-minded (yet not) and free creators-- or up until I officially signed up some few years ago, browsers and fans of said creators. And on that note I would like to touch on the anonymous aspect.

It has to be common knowledge that Newgrounds has many more users than there are accounts. Whether they be here for something in particular, just browsing, or are aspiring creators, there has always been a special dearness for the passersby and the pedestrians of internet traffic, and no shame if they chose not to join the Newgrounds community. It was this innate comfort that I believe allowed Newgrounds to be experienced by so many that had access to stated internet. Even those who have never known of the site have undoubtedly experienced a piece of Newgrounds in other spaces-- be it games, art, or even another community-- and were touched just the same.

The way this community and its creations influenced an entire generation truly cannot be replicated in any way.. and many have tried. Certain online experiences that could shape an individual seemed to always be determined mostly by their age, and have even delved deeper. This had lead to the rise of very specific areas of the internet only adults could/should access, and the same went for children and growing teenagers. With this modern consensus of the World Wide Web's grand cultivation into an accessible yet partitioned society online, Newgrounds represents the anti-marginalization that was born of the absolute freedom of internet access, and continues to represent that in the new age of the online experience. Almost against this partition came the ability for internet surfers of all shapes and sizes and of all tastes and influences to be comforted with the idea that they would at least find something to enjoy on this site...

With the discovery of something we would find palatable, the discovery would lead to another game or animation slightly out of the comfort zone, and continue until there were more pieces to enjoy and more pieces to have been illuminated in the one's mind. At times it would feel as if there was someone out there who was creating media specifically for us. Other times we would be introduced to media we hold dear to our hearts and are glad we gave a second look. While there were people out there that could wrangle our attention with ease as they shared our interests, there were also those who had no tastes in relation to ours and still managed to make something that held meaning to us. Why is this?

I believe the answer is simple. There was once a time where the internet looked to be a whole new world instead of the tool it is has now been formed. I've to believe that with this website-- albeit vulgar-- we continue to preserve the ability to imagine, create, enjoy, and interact with others around the world in this environment where ill-judgement (without just reasoning) is seldom seem and even replaced with encouragement.

It is with this environment that we all can experience the internet not by any true authority or by any force that may take the life and joy out of our creation.. but by everyone, for everyone.