GWJ's 8th Anniversary

This week is the eighth—count them, eight!—anniversary of the moment when your favorite source of elderly-gaming curmudgeonliness foisted itself upon this fine old series of tubes we affectionately call the “Inty.” Hard as it may be to believe, it’s been eight long trips around that hoary, old sun since first I planted something patently wrong about the industry upon the virgin soils of GamersWithJobs.com and took my liberties on the quivering optic nerves of our new readers.

Looking back at my very first GWJ post, “Valve Milks Cow, Plans Dead Horse Kick,” within the short span of 2 paragraphs I both implied that Valve was not a viable development house and called their distribution platform “stream.” Gross inaccuracy, truly you are and have ever been my faithful companion.

Such were the humble days of our launch: discussions of Unreal 2 going gold, the mind-boggling possibility of a merger between Square and Enix, and the sad, sinking, inescapable truth that Firefly was dead. With such unglad tidings as the wind beneath our disgusting baby-bird wings, it would have been no surprise at all to have not lasted the year.

Instead, it is eight years later. Firefly is still dead, I’m still wrong, and we’re still going strong.

What always surprises me when I wander into the vault is the weird incongruity between how very different the site is now and how, in some ways, it hasn’t really changed much at all. Looking through the comments of old articles, there are many long-lost friends, but also familiar faces. Though it was extraordinary to see an article’s comments or forum post’s replies reach into double digits even at the end of Year One, the site was built from the very beginning on the foundation of building community. I can only speak for myself, but I feel extremely certain and satisfied that this core foundation of Gamers With Jobs has remained steadfastly the law of the land every day since, and though we may never command the real estate of an IGN or your run of the mill pornography site, the tight-knit sense of belonging that comes from a site like this is so much better than all those piles and piles of money. This is what I tell every single repo man that comes to my door.

There is a lot of history in those 8 years: Half-Life 2 Source Code Stolen, Sway’s Box, The Press Pass, GWJ Radio, The Post a Picture Thread, The Legend of Roo, The Pillow of Heterosexuality, Vanguard, The Banning of Derek Smart, The Weiner Bomb, dysfunctional relationships with Warren Spector, “Welcome Perverts,” Cory’s Rabbitcon Antics, Mex’s various conquests, Dannon Light ‘n Fit Smoothie Fanfic, and on and on and on it goes.

If you have not yet discovered the treasure trove of The Goodjer Commandments (http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/2...), then I am happy to have destroyed any productivity you may have hoped to squeeze out of Thursday.

As we enter year nine, there are now far too many people who deserve thanks and recognition. I will let it suffice to say that we have been impossibly fortunate to have been able to feature content from some of the best videogame writers anywhere. And to you, our faithful, occasionally disturbed readers, thanks for your support whether this is your first year or your eighth.

Comments

8 years. Wow. Congrats around.

oMonarca wrote:

I've been here for almost 3 years, and it has become something akin to my home on the internet. The podcast is a great lure, but it's the community here that kicks so much ass!

This.

Cheers to GWJ!

MrDeVil909 wrote:

I'm very grateful to the Penny Arcade post that brought me here for the first time, and I only wish it had happened years sooner.

Me too!

congrats on 8 years, I hope to see this site up for another 8 to come. I remember playing with you all in Doac, good times. Friday mornings at 5am for work sucked but you guys made that horrible game a fun game. I don't post much here and my post count will never be high but I will keep coming back as long as the place exists.
So a salute to GWJ from Elendil/Lotho/Devington:)

8 years, and we still haven't resolved the whole Zoe/Inara/Whatshername issue.

Minecraft update to celebrate the occasion!

GWJ is only now just mastering the multiplication tables and tall enough to ride Space Mountain! We have a long way to go towards world domination.

hubbinsd wrote:

8 years, and we still haven't resolved the whole Zoe/Inara/Whatshername issue.

And it's Kaylee. It's ALWAYS been Kaylee.

Congratulations to the site and a huge thank you to Sean, Shawn, and the podcast gang through the years. Including Mr. Russ Pitts, who needs to make more guest appearances. *ahem*

Objection! Firefly is alive and well in our hearts (and copious Christina Hendricks jpegs).

Congrats.

I love you guys

HOORAY FOR YOUUUUUUUU

Now don't go deleting the forums like Team Fremont.

(How'd I make two other podcast references while trying to thank GWJ?)

Only eight years? It feels much much longer.

Speedhuntr wrote:

GWJ is only now just mastering the multiplication tables and tall enough to ride Space Mountain! We have a long way to go towards world domination.

hubbinsd wrote:

8 years, and we still haven't resolved the whole Zoe/Inara/Whatshername issue.

And it's Kaylee. It's ALWAYS been Kaylee. :D

She blogs now.

Yay!

IMAGE(http://www.imgag.com/product/full/ap/3032060/cg6cp.gif)

I am almost here for the whole time!
6 years 51 weeks

i wonder how many posts I have?
enuf about me...

/YAY!

strange double post

Huge congratulations and a standing ovation on having built such an amazing community and publishing consistently excellent articles.

I'm a relative youngin' to this site, but I still feel almost as much a part of this community as I imagine I would if I were here from the beginning. I've found GWJ very inviting to newcomers, and that's greatly appreciated. Thanks to everyone who make this site awesome!

Edit - Wait, I've been here over 5 years? I'm not as young as I thought. I take it all back! ... Except that GWJ is awesome. That part's still true.

"I wanna friend you up!"

8 friggen years is unbelievable.

rabbit wrote:

I demand a toilet toss to celebrate.

Second. When was the usual time? Sunday at 8 central?

Congrats GWJ. I think I chose correctly a year ago to have GWJ as my start page.

Thank you!

VicD714 wrote:
Quintin_Stone wrote:

Halfway to legal! IMAGE(http://rps.net/QS/Images/Smilies/fingerbutt.gif)

Dont let *Legion* find out sixteen is the legal age of consent in NC.

Happy birthday GWJ! :drink:

I believe it's 12 in Mexico. Isn't that right Mex?

Oh, and congrats you boisterous homage to gaming and anything else the debaucherous masses deem to share with us.

lostlobster wrote:

You're welcome.

And thank you.

+1

Congrats, you magnificent bastards! I love this place, it's still my home on the internets, the only place I check on a daily basis. I've been here almost 4 years, and I hope to be here for many more.

Congrats, best community on the internet.

Sheesh Ely. Facebook has only been around half as long, and they have, what, like twice the members?

MisterStatic wrote:

Congrats, best community on the internet.

Damn straight.

Happy Happy. Haven't been around that long, but thoroughly enjoy the podcast, and I'll dip my toe in this "community" thing y'all talking about.

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who makes this such an amazing place!

Congrats