Asandir's interviews with Newgrounds forum users

This week's interview features the user Sectus. He will tell us how he became a fan of My Littly Pony: Friendship is Magic and what he thinks about the Featureless Newgrounds Chat.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

When did you find Newgrounds and why did you join? Why did you choose the username Sectus?

Sectus:

"I actually found Newgrounds in early 2005 when I was about nine years old. I had never bothered to create an account because all I really cared about was watching the funny movies and playing the cool games that came out of the website. I was also very bound by rules because my parents had stressed the importance of them, and due to the age restriction, never bothered to create one. I made my first account (gius20) in June of 2006, and while I did not use it, I figured I was smart enough to leave reviews. This was long before I had figured out how to develop a coherent sentence, however, and the reviews on that account still bother me to this day. Two years later I had decided that my old account was rather awkward, and embarrassing, so I created the account I use to this very day.

The name Sectus has actually a rather interesting story behind it. I had originally played a lot of Harry Potter games online and off, so I knew a lot of the characters and everything. On one of the websites there was a mention of some kind of Harry Potter meet, something like a comic con for HP nerds. I don't ever remember paying attention, so it must have been something that my subconscious picked up when I was thinking of a new name to use. The name Sectus is Latin in origin, and means to divide, cut, or separate. I personally believe this is the perfect alias for me, as it describes my slight split of personality. I am able to be serious, and intellectual, but I also have a side that is fueled by my imagination and creativity."

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

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

Sectus:

"Well, I definitely feel that I have changed since I joined Newgrounds. What originally led the change was the fact that most of the people on Newgrounds formed coherent sentences and used proper grammar and sentence structure as well. In my young age I was easily influenced by any outside source that I thought was "cool" or "smart." I was really into Newgrounds at the time, and I wanted to be accepted by the community, so I had developed a natural hunger for knowing what words meant, how to spell, etc etc. Most of this change is immediantly evident when you view some of my first reviews, or the reviews on my old gius20 account.

I also feel that Newgrounds has also been apart of my development as a person. The rough way you are treated on the forums for being stupid led me to learn all I could about not just Newgrounds, but topics of importance as well, such as politics and geography. Overall I would say that Newgrounds has indeed been a beneficial experience for me as both a person, and an NG fan."

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

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

Sectus:

"This is actually a pretty interesting question altogether. The reason that it is interesting is due mainly to the fact that until recently, I never really bothered to intereact with NG members outside of Newgrounds. Most of my communications were with people on Steam, Skype, and other outlets that I spent time on. I am a big fan of online roleplaying as was made evident by my love of Harry Potter websites, so I spent most of my time doing that as well, which helped to develop my literate abilities as well. The first member that I was able to ever really able become friends with was YoungAndWise. I had first met him because I am an icon moderator, and he is as well. I figured that if I was serious about Newgrounds, I should start making friends with people, and getting to know the community, so I sent him a private message, and we talked for a while and just sort of became friends. Further than that, I have attained several other friendships as well, Ragnarokia being one of my friends due to our shared love of writing fanfictions of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Rhinocerider and Skaren are also friends for this reason, not just because of our love of the show, but because we have similar tastes in music, and literature as well."

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

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

Sectus:

"This is a difficult question. I wouldn't say that I have any enemies on Newgrounds, but I will admit that there are several people that I have a particular distaste for. Nobody has wronged me personality, but I do tend to have an issue with the way people act or hold themselves on the Newgrounds Forums. First and foremost would be TheShadling, not because of the way he has treated me, nor the way he acts, not even that his art is bad. I myself am just not a fan of his work due to the gore, and obceneties. Secondly, the user SpamOfCan can be rather irksome at times as well, due to his obvious....spam. The last name I will bother mentioning is Travis. I tend to dislike the way he acts around other users on the forums, tending to flaunt the fact that he is an audio moderator despite having so few songs. Other than that list, I do not really have anyone on Newgrounds that I hate, or loathe. I suppose this is a good thing, right?"

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

What is your opinion about the forums? Is there one forum that you prefer? And is there another forum user that you want to see getting interviewed by me?

Sectus:

"I think the forums are a wonderful place. They are what led me to becoming the Newgrounds member that I am today, and have helped me not only make friends, but solve various situations in life. While I understand that most of the people on the forums will not tend to take your questions seriously, there are a few rare gems out there that are actually caring and cool enough to answer your questions seriously. Honestly, my favorite forum is the Clubs & Crews forum, due to the fact that it is where I got my start on Newgrounds with the NGPD. It leads to a lot of fun discussions, and a few laughs along the way, as well.

I guess that if I had to suggest one person to do an interview with in the future it would be Skaren. He is a funny kid, and I think he would have a lot to say about the time that he has spent on Newgrounds. Hopefully he will take the interview with a grain of salt, though, and just have fun with it."

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

I guess that you have an opinion about the moderators of Newgrounds. Do you think that they do a great job or not?

Sectus:

"Well, they certainly do their jobs correctly, but some of them do not do it politely. I would have to say that my favorite moderator would be Coop, mainly due to the fact that he is polite, funny, and an all around cool guy to talk to. Most people tend to draw a line and say "moderators are the enemy, we should not talk to them!" but I try and ignore that. People need to be able to understand that moderators are people just like you, and they have ideas, concepts, thoughts, and dreams too. They may be moderators, but that isn't their whole existence, as each one of them has a life, friends, and families, just like you do. I encourage the forum regulars to try and get along with moderators, and befriend them.

Other than that, there is not a single moderator that I dislike. EyeLovePoozy seems to be a popular target for people to hate, but I judge moderators on if they do their jobs right, not the personality they use while doing them. Poozy may be mean, but he is doing his job right, and he is usually only mean to the people that deserve it."

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

You are an icon and genre moderator. Do you like this activity or would you like to also become another kind of mod in the future?

Sectus:

"Well, I certainly appreciate these positions that I hold because they allow me to do something for Newgrounds other than submit my horrible pencil art, and bad audio. I do have to warn the viewer however, that icon and genre modding is not for most people. The work can get very tedious when you are making batches of icons at a time, and you get next to no recognition for your work, despite the fact that it makes Newgrounds a lot easier on the eyes.

If I had to pick one moderator position to be in the future, I suppose that it would be a review moderator, as I do enjoy writing reviews, and even to this day I still actively flag abusive reviews and write new reviews myself. There is an upcoming update, however, that will provide a new type of moderator: The Flash Moderator. This new system will come along with users being able to flag flash submissions again, and TomFulp has stated that he will be selecting the new flash mods mainly from the icon and genre moderator pools, so I have a good chance at becoming one."

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

The redesign is finally here. Tell me what you think about it. What do you like and what is not so good?

Sectus:

"I think that the redesign turned out very well for the amount of time that Tom and the rest of the admin team were working on it. It certainly is more user friendly, and from a business point of view, the site is a lot easier to navigate. Most of the people on the forums tend to forget that Newgrounds is not centered around them, but mostly the front page. The new design helps in a way that if a first time visitor to the website came on, he would easily be able to navigate without any confusion. As long as the design is able to help people get around the site as painlessly as possible, I think it has done an efficient job.

There are a very small number of things in the new redesign that I dislike. As I have gotten used to it over time, many of the problems I saw with it have faded with the old design. The only complaints I could make are ones about the glitches and bugs going on around the website so frequently, though I know that the staff is working on fixing them."

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

The Newgrounds chat is here. What do you think about it?

Sectus:

"I feel that it is a fine addition to Newgrounds, and Rob deserves the thanks he gets for designing it for everyone. The only thing that I can think to complain about is the fact that it tends to pull people away from the forums, so they will start communicating via the chat system, rather than the forums. I also think this is what the staff had in mind when they were hesitating to create such a system, but it seems to be doing alright, and not many people are using it. The fact that it is featureless is rather bothersome, but I suppose this was done so as to discourage the further use of it in place of the forums. It does what it is meant to do, and does so without hurting other sections of the website."

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

You seem to be a fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Can you tell our readers how you became a fan and what you like about the show? Has being a brony affected your life?

Sectus:

"Well, I had originally heard about the upsurge in people watching the show while I was an admin on a TF2 achievement server. The owner of the server being a brony himself, I had to put up with a lot of pony-related sprays and micspams as well. This was when I had prejudged the show to be bad without watching it, so I generally hated bronies and all they stood for. After a while of seeing the sprays, and people discussing the show, I had had enough waiting, and on the advice of the server's owner, went to watch my first episode, which in particular was the sixteenth episode of the first season, "Sonic Rainboom". I was entertained by the episode, and after watching it, decided to go back and watch the first episode so as to finish the season in chronological order. I finished the first season, and what was finished of the second season in three days, and soon fell in love with it. A rather humorous fact is that I originally called the characters "The Pink One", "The Rainbow One", "The Shy One", "The Bitchy One", "The Magic One", and "The Hillbilly One" due to my skepticism of the show, and not knowing any of their names.

I would have to say that being a brony has led to an overall improvement in my life style. I was originally afraid to tell any of my friends that I enjoyed the show, but when I did, the did not judge me for it, and in fact thought that it was brave and cool of me to enjoy such a show. I have since created at least two bronies in real life out of that situation."

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

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

Sectus:

"A secret that you do not know about me...that is a difficult question honestly. I suppose the biggest thing that Newgrounds does not know that I could tell you is that as a child I had an imaginary friend named Spook, who was a one legged war veteran. I used to talk to him all the time when I was younger, and though it is rather sad, the way I lost him was that he told me he "had to move away." This had even caused my parents some sadness, but soon after I realized that he was never real, and was just my imagination creating someone for me to play with.I to this day have no memory of ever talking to Spook, and I did not even remember that he had existed until my parents were talking about it. This has been a rather eerie subject for me, and I try to avoid it. It leads me to think upon Slender Man."

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

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

Sectus:

"Well, I am currently in the process of writing a sequel to my story, Assertion, for DeviantART. It will be called "Assertion - The Return of Pinkamina." It is a fanfiction of My Little Pony: Friendship is magic, so if you do not enjoy such fanfictions, I advise you avoid it. If not, please feel free to read it once I have finished, and I hope you like it!"

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

Now you are filled with more knowledge about Sectus, dear reader.Feel free to leave a comment here, saying what you think about the interview, requesting users to get interviews is also appreciated. Tune in next week :3

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =