I joined CS March 27, 2011 after being encouraged by co-workers of the staff I worked with during my time with Foopets/FooRadio.
I was not given much information as to the overall concept of the site or how the adoption system worked. So the first few months, I did not do much with my account. By summer, I had learned more about how the site works and got very involved with trading. It didn't take long before I was hooked on trying to reach my goal. I encouraged my friends and several of them made accounts. This made spending time here even more fun since I now had people I knew to talk to. I used to spend a lot of time (Because during that period, I had more time) playing forum games.
With work keeping me busy and sadly, a lot of friends losing interest in their collections, I have not been as active for trading. But I still care about this site, the staff, and the members. I do wish to continue keeping up with the monthly outcomes and building toward my goal of having one each of every pet and item released.
As for not-so good memories, the more active I became, the more potential for negative encounters. I sadly came across a couple of people who attacked me in very insulting ways because I did not agree with their trade offers. Probably the worst encounter was with a group of haters who joined with the intent of causing drama for myself and several members. They called themselves the "Annoyance Crew". They made a forum game I had created their main target and caused so much drama the staff had to work day and night to counter their attacks. Thankfully, the staff was able to resolve the issues and those involved, were removed and the happy times were able to continue. The saddest memory I have is coming on one day and finding my trade thread had accidentally been "Snipped". I had put several years into that thread and kept it updated often. This happened at the start of last summer. Since then, I have not felt comfortable about making a new one. This has made keeping up with outcomes a challenge, but somehow, I've managed.
CS remains overall a wonderful community made up of those who see the value in assisting others in reaching their goals. It is for that reason, my interest continues as it does bring me happiness in assisting others in reaching their goals.
As for the better memories, I have made some friends here that mean a lot to me. It has been awesome getting to know them and being able to be part of their lives. Even with the demands of work, I enjoy the challenge of the events. Gathering tokens and just waiting to see what kind of creations the staff comes up with for us. And that is just it. They do this FOR us. They ask nothing more from us to treat each other with respect and follow some basic rules. In return, we have a place to look forward to regardless of the individual draw that attracts each person here. For some, its pets, for others, it might be the art or just to have a place to RP. Being a part of a site like this and being able to watch the growth and progression is an honor that is very much appreciated.
I have found ways to give back to our community. I enjoy assisting new members by giving them information and suggestions I wish I had when I first joined the game. I enjoy promoting CS to my friends and those I meet. I have operated a CS theme based chat on XAT since 2011 which several members here have spent time on sharing their experiences on CS and making new friends. This chat has come in handy during times when CS has been down. It gives all who attend a place to spend time during the withdrawals of not being able to access ChickenSmoothie. All are welcome to be part of the chat and are welcome to use it 24/7. If you are interested, you are welcome to message me for more information.
Another way I like to give back is with the creation of a few stamps. One was created for those of us who survived the down time during July 2012. A down time I ended up being very grateful for as it allowed myself to be reunited with someone who means a lot to me, but had lost contact with for over a year. The stamp codes are available for any and all to use by clicking on the link at the bottom of my signature.
Thank You Tess, Nick, and the entire staff of mods, artists, and helpers who continue to make ChickenSmoothie an amazing place to be a part of.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHICKENSMOOTHIE!!!
DJ Dezzey
TuneTownRadio.com