Asandir's interviews with Newgrounds forum users

This week's interview features the user Conal. Some of the older users might be more famliar with his former username GOTHCLAWZ. If you want to know how he keeps himself in shape, what happened to his sister Kagoe and how getting banned 100 times affected him, then you will find answers to all those questions below that fancy line.

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When did you find Newgrounds and why did you join?

Conal:

"I must have discovered Newgrounds back in 2004. I used to visit this really nice website "Flashring.com" which hosted many flash movies & games. I loved that site, as time went on it still had very good nostalgic value until it was shut down (sad face). I was referred to that site via a friend I made because of this thing called "Madness Combat", I really liked this & did a Google search for it. I found MadnessCombat.com & eventually a link to Newgrounds. I would check out the Madness Combat page on Newgrounds a lot & shat brix when Madness 5 came out. I remember attempting to sign up before 2006, but I was too retarded until I eventually got the hang of how to do it (my autism was more severe in 2006)."

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You were formerly known as GOTHCLAWZ. Why did you choose that username and why did you change it to Conal?

Conal:

"I chose to be GOTHCLAWZ because I used to be a goth & my original internet alias was Dark-Claw20. Let me take you back to a time before Vista & YouTube. I made up "Dark-Claw20" as my alias to go by online when I was about 11 (approximately 2004) & is the name I tried to sign up as on Newgrounds. I briefly had but wasn't able to verify the email. Anyway, I called myself "Dark-Claw" because as a youngster in school I used to make claws out of wire & would darken the wire attached to my index finger with a lighter. I called myself "Dark-Claw20" because it wasn't an original name as it was the lowest numeral for an alternative name. As I grew older I was told that I looked like a Goth, I was eventually shown the scene & decided to change my appearance & behaviour to suite it. I made an alt on RuneScape called "GOTHCLAWZ", discovered that there were no others on Google called "GOTHCLAWZ" & proceeded through life with GOTHCLAWZ as an alias until about late 2010 when I almost begged Tom Fulp to change it. I asked Tom Fulp to change my username to Conal because GOTHCLAWZ is a retarded name; I mean, just look at it: GOTHCLAWZ. No need for full caps, it reflects everything about the retarded emo kids you see at school or on facebook. It sucked. It is a very silly & unprofessional name to be cursed with permanently. Luckily I have been granted username changes on various websites, those who don't grant me a new username; I just make a new account."

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Do you think that you changed over the time you were here, as user, or also in real life?

Conal:

"Yes, I have changed. I thank the Newgrounds community for being grammar nazis, refusing to believe things without proof & demanding elaborative points. It gives users the incentive to spell correctly, explain what they mean so they're more understanding & proving the tales they tell to make them more authentic & interesting. If it wasn't for Newgrounds I wouldn't have the same interest in flash as I do now. I have only just been arsed to start programming a basic driving game."

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Are there any other users that you like, and how do they affect you ?

Conal:

"In alphabetical order:dudette201 - She is a user who was my best friend for a while, it must have been from 2006 to about 2008. We tried to meed up in her hometown, but this was denied because of guardians diss-approving. Until recently we weren't allowed communication.joza1 - She's probably the youngest female internet friend of mine. We would talk a lot & I found her funny. She also made a thread about us meeting up, but we didn't get round to it. She doesn't affect me much anymore as we no longer communicate as much.karlu20 - She has many names. From about 2007 to 2009 we used to communicate all the time, I loved her. Recently she's got back into communcation with me, it's awesome to talk to her again. She shares similar principles to me & we get on very well.krumpingkatie - She was a good friend of mine, we gradually communicated less. We used to discuss art & such. We also shared cool pictures but never met up."

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Are there any users that you would consider enemies or that you just don't like?

Conal:

"None really. I'm disliked by a lot of people, but I don't see any reason to consider people enemies over Newgrounds."

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What is your opinion about the forums? Is there one forum that you prefer?

Conal:

"I hang out in the General Forum when I can be arsed to post. I don't really see much use for me in the other forums. Pretty much anything I want to start a thread about are fit for the General Forum."

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I guess that you have an opinion about the moderators of Newgrounds, since you were banned over 100 times. Do you think that they do a great job or not?

Conal:

"Sometimes you need to get discaplined over 100 times before you learn. In 2006 to 2007 I may have felt like they were being extremely ban-happy. I was a very bad poster back then, but some of the stuff I was banned for seemed a bit sadistic. I was also banned for 30 days because I made a thread for a flash group that I was in; apparently it's a "spam thread". That doesn't seem to happen anymore. I did deserve a lot of the bans.Rig congratulated me on my 100th, I wonder if I'm the only user to reach 100 & not be deleted? I'm greatful to still be here. I feel that I've improved a lot since. I was banned for the first time in a long time recently for 3 days because I bumped about 20 threads that were titled with the word "penis"."

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Would you like to become a moderator on Newgrounds? If so, what kind of moderator?

Conal:

"I don't think I'm ready, but I'd like to be a General Forum moderator one day. It might make me treated differently on the forums which I don't really want, but I'd be very interested in trying it & finding out."

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The redesign is finally here. Do you like the new design? What do you like and what not?

Conal:

"I really like it, my expectations were high & it's pretty adequate. I think the "Project" ideas were brilliant & a lot of the bugs are being clipped off quickly. It's gone really well. I would like us to have our banners back though. I missed that."

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33 flash submissions were submitted by you. Would you consider yourself a flash artist? Is there a flash that you are most proud of?

Conal:

"My ass! I was involved with spammy flash groups doing spammy shit. The only the "solo" flashes did I actually do something flash related. The others were mainly voice & art if anything at all. The only thing that seems to be worth anything that I like just a bit is "(WW) Madness". It features my voice from 2007 saying "You'll never defeat me!"."

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I listened to some of your audio submissions and they are pretty ... alternative. Which ones of them are your personal favourites?

Conal:

"They have so many samples from other songs & I can't delete the old ones. I agree that they are weird, it's more for adding to flash movies than listening to at the beach. My personal favourite is "Start To Finish (BETA)" It's unfinished but happens to be the only track I made from complete scratch that I actually feel some shred of pride for."

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It seems to me that your are a huge fan of retro video games. Which ones would you recommend to our readers? Do you think that new games have in general less charm?

Conal:

"New games are awesome! But I'll always be playing the nostalgic games. Like films that were made a long time ago & are what they are (thus remaking them changes the film) an old game was made to be what it is, upgrading it will change the game that was already good. Old games were made to be fun. They may have been made in the 1980s & 1990s, but we can still have fun with them because it's what they were designed for. I'd recommend buying an N64 & playing The Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask & Starfox 64 (Lylatwars if you're in the UK)."

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You mentioned in one of your newsposts from 2007 that you started a Rock Band. How did this project turn out?

Conal:

"It didn't. I was going to round up some instrumentalists but ended up without much luck. I've done a few collaborative tracks, here's a list: Conal Rhys Fawcett & Otsegolectric - Where Am I? [01 Practise] FlStudiogerman - Love Emotional Beat (Crazy) (ft. Jeffrey Thomas Shuford & DJ Conal II) [Preview1] Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (Jakwob Remix) (ft. MC Jeffrey Thomas Shuford & DJ Conal II)."

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I heard you do fitness. Explain your fitness routine to our readers.

Conal:

"Every day I sleep at 2000 & wake at 0500. I usually sleep fully clothed (even with a hoodie, minus the shoes & socks) besides when sleeping with my girlfriend. I make sure I eat fattening foods in the afternoon, then have 2 raw eggs in the morning before jogging. I'm going to start throwing in push-ups & sit-ups with my fitness routine, but right now I'm trying to get my old figure back but better. The purpose of this is for discipline, a standard of fitness that could get me into the Royal Marines, more agility, more health & it helps me get my 6 hours studying in through the rest of the day. If I don't get enough sleep, I lack the discipline to do the jogging which makes me lack the ability to get my head down & study. You need to force yourself to do these things if you are to get out of a lazy lifestyle. Once you're disciplined, your life is easier & it doesn't take too much effort to continue with your routines. I discovered this by trying it for myself. Exercise also reduces the amount of anxiety I'd usually feel when stressed about something. I have terrible anxiety issues & often turn to drink as a way of calming me down. I am a self-proclaimed alcoholic. Jack Daniel's whiskey helps me relax, being drunk makes me happy & often inoffensive which causes an incentive, but it's unhealthy. I tried working out & it does the job a lot better."

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Your sister Kagoe was an active member at some point. Since she left, can you tell me a bit about her as Newgrounds user?

Conal:

"She was cyberbullied by me & others on Newgrounds. I admit I went too far, but I'm not like that anymore. I remember that in response to the things I probably started she would chat shit about people I know in school. I had to be in the special needs part of school, she refered to the people I'm friends which (who aren't my friends) as retards. She was being spiteful & I continued the flamming. But that's on news. She's still on the internet, just not on Newgrounds."

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Every person has secrets. Can you tell one of yours or something else that we didn't know about you yet?

Conal:

"I'm going to be a dad soon, but it is currently being planned. I also have a birth mark on my back left shoulder bigger than my thumb print, it's very hairy. I would mention what me & my partner are planning to name the kids, but that's another secret."

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What can we expect from you in the future, Conal?

Conal:

"A finished Super Mario World hack, basic flash games, better audio, improved YouTube videos including; computer & networking tutorials, more intelligent posts & basically distancing myself from the miss-behaviour I once exerted."

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With those words the interview ends. What remains, is the impression that we got as reader from Conal. I for one discovered a user who truly changed throughout the years on Newgrounds for the better. He has still some edges left, but they define him as person and make him more likable.

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