I have no fucking clue how I found DLP. I know I initially stumbled across it in October 2005 - which spawned the plot bunny that would one day become Circular Reasoning - but I lost the site link and didn't formally join until Lord Ravenclaw invited me about seven months later.

I tend to regard finding DLP as a happy accident. This forum has been one of the few constants in my life over the last ten years and sometimes, it's a bit like coming home.

<3

 

To my eternal shame, I found DLP because I was... reading FFN reviews of theSanti's Boy Who Lived fic, I believe, and DLP was linked in one of them.

Fortunately I, unlike many newbies, at least, had the sense to lurk for awhile!

I've always liked DLP, even if I'm not quite as involved in the community here as I'd like. Should prolly just say fuck it and hop in the IRC. Either way though, I've loved this place for finding new and good fics to read across a wide range of genres, far better than the dreck you'll see linked on AO3 or TV tropes. The fact that it has surprisingly decent boards for discussing politics, real life and all that jazz is the proverbial cherry on top.

 

Just idle curiosity is all. I always wonder when I see old accounts. Have they achieved their dreams? Have their ambitions changed willingly or due to circumstance. Have they succeeded in life and come here for leisure, or has life turned to shit and they need to find a momentary escape from reality.

Although I never really posted or got involved with DLP, this forum is pretty much one of the few ancient websites I still go to.

My dreams and ambitions have completely changed since I first joined, it has made me think how life has taken me in an entirely different direction then I ever thought it would. It is weird that I get nostalgic since I don't know anyone here, but I guess that's just life.

 

I'm surprised so many people remember how they found DLP. I don't even remember how long ago it was unless I look at my join date.

 

Well, considering that the majority (not all, but most) of those who joined 10 years ago and are still here were in their teens when they joined, they haven't had time to achieve their dreams yet. I joined when I was 15. I am now 25. You don't achieve your dreams by the time your 25. You could say you're on the path towards them, but unless you get insanely lucky, you won't have achieved them.

On the subject of ambitions changing though, thats an interesting one. I wonder how many people here can look at what they're doing today, and say its what they wanted to be doing 10 years ago. And if it isn't, are they still happy with their current situation?

 

Well I thought I'd be playing champion's league football by now while banging groupies on my rock band's tour bus.


Somewhere along the line, things went awry. Wouldn't change it.

 

Well, I graduated high school and started going to college... so no, it's been pretty terrible.

 

It happened again with Melindaleo's The Seventh Horcrux, which was disguised as a leaked DH. It also happened to be the first fanfic I read, so yay Trolls!

 

Read RossWrock's Power of Time, it was my first Independent!Harry fic. I thought "This is the shit" and went looking for more. Found DLP either through RossWrock's mention or IP82's profile.

 

RIP, Original Time Trunk.

You were so badass when I first read about you.

 

I can remember reading a half-decent fanfic and finding "Thanks to DLP for the tips" or something to that effect midway through it.

Decided to look it up, and came here.

 

Story tags + second page on google search.


The discussions made me register and the oportunity to practice my meagre english writhing.

 

Jbern. My first fic posted to DLP was a pale imitation of his TFTCD.

 

It was a few years ago on FF.net, an author made a comment about DLP being a good place to find story recs but you should hide any sort of love you have for Ginny Weasley. It made me laugh and check it out. I only just came back to fan fiction after a break and I decided to finally join.

 

Welcome to the jungle!

... fuck Ginny

 

when I was reading the Denarian Renegade for the first time Shezza made it seem like a good place to find fanfic of readable quality.

 

I think I was one of the few who found this place over from Mugglenet (back when I was writing OC-driven stories that in retrospect are kind of amazingly asinine). I was a teenager, was looking for a way to drive more clicks so I started posting on FictionAlley, and then I remember finding links there (and from getting disparagingly slagged on Mugglenet) that would take me here.

From there, I had the usual hazing where I pissed off Vash so badly I had to write Silence Game to avoid the inevitable ban. So yeah, that happened, and I've been here ever since.

 

Don't remember how I found it but my first interactions were on the Ice Cold series (NonBWL Harry who's with Daphne Greengrass I think) arguing with Vash about how good the series was, then I went on to reference Abraxan's Refining Fire series in my argument... I was about 15 so naturally I was a wee bastard of a human being who thought I was always right. DLP set me straight. Now I'm in my 20s and think I'm always right.