Thoughts on Ten (now 20!) Years on GTPlanet

[JohnBM01]

It was after Midnight on December 5, 2003 when a (then) 20 year-old male from Houston, Texas, USA found a site called GTPlanet.net. I was looking for more material regarding Gran Turismo 4. I was part of one or two online message boards, not liking my experience any longer on them. So then I signed up for GTPlanet. Never would I thought I'd consider this site home, let alone home for a whole decade now. Meeting many people from countless countries and from every continent (except Antarctica, of course) who shared my love of the Gran Turismo series, of racing, of sports, and of many other things would be something I'd cherish and enjoy. Even when GTPlanet was undergoing maintenance or whatever, I just want to get back in hopes of reconnecting with my GTPlanet buddies worldwide.

Being here is like being with an extended international family. I used my quirky insight to discuss a variety of things on GTPlanet. I often times introduced interesting conversations and topics. I tried to offer threads on various sports seasons. I've even notoriously been known for "40-page introductions" and walls of text. But of course, none of those are worth anything if there weren't meaning and purpose to them. When many people were complaining of what Gran Turismo games don't have, I at least tried to offer some hope and some wishful thinking to others. I didn't want other Gran Turismo fans to feel like the next title was going to be an epic failure. You're a fan- all I'm trying to do is make you think a bit more positively about the series you love or at least have love for. I even still celebrate mentioning Bentley in GT4 in talking about winning Le Mans 5 times in the first ten years of the 24 Hours of Le Mans- you can read that in the description for Bentley in GT4... it's there! That was proof that Polyphony Digital does listen to its fans. I even thought about discussing motorcycles on GTPlanet long ago. With a little help from the GTP community, I made a concerted effort to discuss motorcycles as well as broaden the discussion horizon a bit. Anything I felt needed to be discussed broader was what I did in my combination of blogging and videos. I was always active in some sort of way here and abroad.

We don't consider what all makes something worthy of celebrating or honoring. Being part of GTPlanet consists of multiple factors: (1) willingness to stay with a community, (2) that community itself putting up with someone, (3) being around long enough to even come back, and (4) continued interest returning to and contributing to that community. Not sure how much longer GTPlanet will last or how long I'll be living (I'm 30 now), but I couldn't have spent 10 years of my life online any better in one community than when I joined GTPlanet. After this post, I'm more than pleased to be part of this community no matter how you feel about me and how I present myself on here.


Having said all of this, thanks for putting up with me for ten years. I'm glad I've put up with you all for ten years. With this said, I bid you farewell and thanks to the whole of GTPlanet.

 

[Bopop4]

Very well said, congrats.

 

[Cano]

I couldn't have spent 10 years of my life online any better in one community than when I joined GTPlanet.

Welp! Congrats and welcome to the club!

 

[Watchman]

 

 

[mattythedog]

Many congratulations!

 

[Dean]

Congratulations! 👍

 

[Wolfe]

Welcome to the ten years club, from one new inductee to another!

 

[Slash]

It always starts the same..."I was looking for some information regarding this particular game"...




Congrats!

 

[Spacegoat]

Congratulations John. I always enjoying reading your posts in the NFL & NBA threads. Here's to another ten years.

 

[Mike Rotch]

Congrats John We don't cross paths like the old days but it is good to see you around

 

[Pupik]

It was after Midnight on December 5, 2003 when a (then) 20 year-old male from Houston, Texas, USA found a site called GTPlanet.net.

I've even notoriously been known for "40-page introductions" and walls of text. But of course, none of those are worth anything if there weren't meaning and purpose to them. When many people were complaining of what Gran Turismo games don't have, I at least tried to offer some hope and some wishful thinking to others.

Anything I felt needed to be discussed broader was what I did in my combination of blogging and videos. I was always active in some sort of way here and abroad.

We don't consider what all makes something worthy of celebrating or honoring. Being part of GTPlanet consists of multiple factors: (1) willingness to stay with a community, (2) that community itself putting up with someone, (3) being around long enough to even come back, and (4) continued interest returning to and contributing to that community.

With this said, I bid you farewell and thanks to the whole of GTPlanet.

I've gotta say, John...you've been a part of GTPlanet for years, and always willing to bring up a fresh new topic when everyone else just wants to repeat another discussion, and eloquently so. That's what makes GTPlanet interesting, and as I've discovered, a forum is only as good as its participants. Most everyone here makes it worth staying around for a decade, and I hope you can make it for at least another 10 years. Sure, many of us aren't the ardent gamers and simracers we once were, but we still come back because our lives change, and we like to share and support each others' triumphs, failures, successes, joys, and our tales with our fellow members.

Hopefully, we've not seen the last of you. Besides, the college football season isn't over yet...

 

[SlipZtrEm]

It wouldn't be the same without you and your posts, John. Your Decade-o-'Planet pin is in the mail!

 

[JohnBM01]

Thanks, everyone! Very pleased to be here and to be involved with content here. I've been very pleased with the support from you all including others whom have been on GTP for 10 years or more. I may be a salty GT veteran from Southeast Texas, but I've been pleased meeting many others worldwide- fellow Houstonians, fellow Texans, fellow Americans, and an entire world of awesome people.

Once again... thanks for your support!

 

[photonrider]

Congratulations! John, on obviously great net-working skills; and it surely benefits the site and all members when such skills are put to good use - I have enjoyed reading your posts, and look forwards to many more.

You are the kind of member (among many, many others, of course) that truly represents what GTPlanet is to me - and what makes it the special community that it is.

 

[Skython]

Wow, congrats on 10 years. I haven't seen you 'round much, but still. I'm probably just in the wrong places.

 

[niky]

Sorry for the late reply, I read this all before I went out yesterday, but I had to run.

You've always been one of the most rational, well-thought out voices on the planet, John, and I'm glad we've kept you here this long.

Here's hoping to ten more years...

 

[a6m5]

Congratulations!

 

[JohnBM01]

Part of making ten years possible is in our illustrious Jordan making and keeping GTPlanet to be that online home many of us call home. So we really owe it to Jordan and the tireless efforts of others to maintain and enhance GTPlanet. But still- ten years on GTP is ten years on GTP. It's worth celebrating if you've contributed and enjoyed your time on here within those ten years even in some sad times. I remember I wanted to get on GTPlanet some time after Hurricane Ike hit the Houston/Galveston area back in 2008. Since I was doing the college football threads, I wanted to assure everyone I was alright. Even on a dialup connection and using a generator for power during that time, I still came on to assure everyone I was okay.

I am still very pleased to have shared my ramblings on here for ten years now. I've enjoyed sharing my ramblings while also trying to contribute to this forum as much as I can.

 

[Small_Fryz]

Congrats bro

 

[SVX]

Congratulations John!

 

[Slash]

Congrats!!

 

[Brett]

Thanks for always taking a bit of your time to type up posts. It is very apparent that you put some thought behind those posts. That effort is outstanding and thanks for doing that.

Congratulations on ten years on !

 

[JohnBM01]

December 5, 2003; a 20-year old male from Houston, Texas, USA seeks news on "Gran Turismo 4," finds GTPlanet in his Google Search. That guy later decides to join GTPlanet. That person celebrates 10 years on GTPlanet in 2013. Now, it is 2023- I am still here, now 40 years old, GTPlanet is still here, and I am now the latest 20-year GTPlaneteer club member. Sure, I am posting a day after my 20th anniversary, but I still am proud to celebrate 20 years in this community while starting my 21st year.

Through this time, I have been fortunate to meet many people from around the world. I even engaged in various social media outlets from these GTPlaneteers. Everything from live streams, YouTube videos, blogs, and more have been visited by me. This is not a 20-year anniversary in which I visit here-and-there and just let time pass by. No- I come here almost every day. Almost every day I visit here for now than 20 years, active all the while in some capacity. This has been my online "home" besides my profiles on Facebook or even Myspace (yes- I still have my Myspace though I moved on to Facebook long ago). Even as I have been out of the Gran Turismo loop simply for not owning a PlayStation 4 or a PlayStation 5 to play GT Sport or Gran Turismo 7, I am still very much a devoted fan of the Gran Turismo series. I still even support GTPlanet for featuring racing/driving games besides the Gran Turismo series or even Tourist Trophy.

However, I feel happiest in feeling like I had a say in suggesting things for Gran Turismo 4. I namely suggested widening the final chicane of Grand Valley Speedway. I sort of convinced Polyphony Digital about the Bentley EXP Speed 8 and noting Bentley won the 24 Hours Le Mans 5 times in the first ten years of the race (read the description to Bentley in GT4!). I have felt like I've done good to lend my insights on GTPlanet and prove Polyphony Digital DOES listen to its fans. Besides anything Gran Turismo related, I even felt rather happy I could convince this forum to have a section to discuss motorcycles. I even feel most accomplished for allowing a safe space here to discuss depression, which later became the Depression and Anxiety Thread.

Whether my fellow GTPlaneteers like or loathe me, still have respect for me or lost all respect for me, or feel any sort of way regarding my time on GTPlanet for the past 20 years; I am happy to be here and to meet so many great people here. Part of that "great people" contingent is our illustrious leader, @Jordan . Then the support trickles down to the Moderators and other individuals who provide quality content while also policing this site. And most of all... there are the many GTPlaneteers whom I've considered friends of mine over the past 20 years I've been here. Even people who I think I lost respect for I still try to connect and interact with because I try to feel as connected with the community as I can.

No matter what... I am thankful to be alive for all of this time as well as for this forum to be around long enough for me to become part of this fabulous forum. I am pleased to contribute however I can for now 20 years. Most of all- THANK YOU.


[NOTE] I planned on making this a separate thread, but I instead chose to update my older anniversary thread to reflect my twenty-year anniversary here.

 

[W3H5]

That reminds me that I also joined in a December some time ago.

 

[Jordan]

What an awesome achievement, @JohnBM01! Thank you so much for being a part of our community for so long. It's people like you that have helped build GTPlanet into the online home that it is today. Here's to the next twenty years!