Whoa, i do NOT remember you being such a dick back in the 04 era. before i read this post i was about to defend you a bit but fuck that now. you just seem like a jerk now.
as for join date==influence goes i'll say that theres a positive correlation, just with a lot of outliers. the proof is all around us. ive got screenshots of posts from the blue days and if i were to post them now everyone there then would now go, "o snap, i remember that. i miss that guy." theres a reason this thread is popular and a reason people go, "o hey! refelos!" when i post after lurking for a year.
i wasnt an epic character like coop, maha, flanking line, gaea, or that one fellow who lived in WA and married her, (christ what was his name? the one with ALL the alt accounts?) but i did my fair share of nice work. anyone remember the photoshop journal? im sure some do, it was a great thread. i wasnt ever a celebrated poster, but i had a lot of friends here. what have the 08's done? this place is like fucking 4chan now.
there never was a golden age of unmod, but its been a lot fucking better, and the crowd dictates the content.
/rant