Welcome to the eighteenth edition of ForumKorner News. To read any previous editions, inquire the spoiler below.
17th Edition - 4/23/14
16th Edition - 4/16/14
15th Edition - 4/9/14
14th Edition - 3/4/14
13th Edition - 2/26/14
12th Edition - 2/19/14
11th Edition - 2/5/14
10th Edition - 1/28/14
9th Edition - 1/14/14
8th Edition - 1/8/14
7th Edition - 12/31/13
6th Edition - 12/24/13
5th Edition - 12/17/13
4th Edition - 12/10/13
3rd Edition - 12/2/13
2nd Edition - 11/26/13
1st Edition - 11/19/13
16th Edition - 4/16/14
15th Edition - 4/9/14
14th Edition - 3/4/14
13th Edition - 2/26/14
12th Edition - 2/19/14
11th Edition - 2/5/14
10th Edition - 1/28/14
9th Edition - 1/14/14
8th Edition - 1/8/14
7th Edition - 12/31/13
6th Edition - 12/24/13
5th Edition - 12/17/13
4th Edition - 12/10/13
3rd Edition - 12/2/13
2nd Edition - 11/26/13
1st Edition - 11/19/13
A Few Updates and Rule Changes
This week, the user @Narc was promoted to staff. Congratulations to you, @"Narc". His promotion was met with lots of support. Alongside his promotion, there were a few rule and plugin changes. First of all, users now have the ability to remove any given kudos. @Philly announced that the mass-deletion of kudos is prohibited and will result in a 3 month ban. Due to a high amount of begging among members, only staff members are allowed to ask for vouch copies of products or services. This will end the begging for free services and will ensure that all vouch copies go to good use.
Claim them. QUICK by @Loyal - Many members of the forum were ecstatic to see that they are now able to claim dotted Instagram account usernames. People soon began claiming every possible username combination that they could think of, and were able to display their new handles for everyone to see. If you haven't done so already, be sure to try out this method for yourself.
Custom Award: Brainiac by @Leader - We all love to see the revival of something great -- whether it be a certain genre of music, a classic Broadway play, or one of our forum's most beloved awards. @Leader presented ForumKorner's newest award, Brainiac, on Tuesday night. For any of you who are aspiring to receive this award for yourself, it looks like you have a lot to prove.
GAMINGMB.COM - NEW CUSTOM THEME - CUSTOM FEATURES - WIN AN AWARD FREE (FK EXCLUSIVE)]GAMINGMB.COM - NEW CUSTOM THEME - CUSTOM FEATURES - WIN AN AWARD FREE (FK EXCLUSIVE) by @Flippy - The user @Flippy posted this thread to promote his new website, GamingMB.com. The thread was given a paid sticky in the General Discussion subforum, and received an overall positive response. If you would like to check out this site for yourself, you can do so here.
User News
• @Astro hit 2,000 posts.
• @Vape attained 500 posts.
• @Rambo nailed 500 reputation points.
• @Crack amassed 500 posts and reputation points.
• @Leader reported 1,500 posts.
Temporary Bans
• @Ride was temporarily banned for the reason "This is for evading your ban."
• @JohnnyG was temporarily banned for the reason "100% Warning Level"
• @Lame123 was temporarily banned for the reason "100% Warning Level"
• @Rosen was temporarily banned for the reason "You need a little break. The AIM situation will be dealt with. Calling someone a crack head and abusing them when they're trying to quit is absolutely low."
• @Fireworks was temporarily banned for the reason "Take a break."
Permanent Bans
• @Doug was permanently banned for the reason "Scammer"
• @Spiderman was permanently banned for the reason "Scammer"
• @Judge was permanently banned for the reason "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsaTElBljOE"
Weekly Lottery Statistics
Current Jackpot: 10.00
Current Tickets Bought: 0
Last Week's Winner: @Sintation
Last Week's Winnings: 30.90
@Michael: Hi, @"Jason"! Is there anything you would like to say before this interview?
@Jason:I would like to thank you for taking the time to interview me, brother.
@Michael: How old are you, and what do you do in life?
@Jason: I am 18 years old as of 3/6/2014. I am currently a student finishing up my last few days of high school. I work at a car wash, which generally people think is a lame job, but I have a strange passion for car care and I would rather be out side in 100 degree whether polishing paint for hours on end rather than sitting in a cool room watching television. My job doesn't even entail polishing, it's what I do in my free time. If I'm not at school, work, or washing my car, I am hitting the roads. Driving is a major stress reliever for me.
@Michael: What are your social and real life hobbies?
@Jason: I am a major car enthusiast. I always have been and always will be. I absolutely love German automobiles, particularly the Volkswagen Group and most of it's subsidiary, especially Audi. I own a four-ringed beauty myself. I also love stance. Other than cars, I have a passion for avionics and I enjoy researching any avionic-related topics. I'm also a huge sports fan. Growing up I always leaned towards football and baseball for my sports entertainment, however, as I have grown older I have fell in love with hockey. There's nothing like a bunch grown men smacking each other around on ice. I enjoy fishing too when I can find the time.
@Michael: How do you feel about FK's current state?
@Jason: I believe ForumKorner is at it's peak right now. I'm not saying that it's the best it will ever be, I am saying it's the best it has been which is hard for me to say because I'm on my way to three years. While I miss the glory days where every user was familiar with one another, I am astounded on how well ForumKorner has grown. It's current state is great and very immaculate and it is one of the only forums that I use on a regular basis other than car forums. @Philly has done a lot for ForumKorner and has put in a countless amount of effort in to the forum, but of course ForumKorner wouldn't be as great as it is without the community. Our forum's community is the best there is out there, it's sort of like a unicorn, so rare you wouldn't think it exists.
@Michael: If you were given a chance to become Staff for a 3rd time, would you take it?
@Jason: As much as I want to say yes, my definite answer is no. I was privileged to accept my second term as Staff, but I firmly believe that I do not deserve a third chance. I would much rather see the position given to another user, perhaps a more deserving user that hasn't been given the chance previously. I failed twice and I would never accept the opportunity to fail a third time. I believe in second chances, but a third is pushing it. I would thank @Philly a countless amount of times if he ever asked, but I would respond with a very polite no.
@Michael: Why did you leave?
@Jason: There's a number of reasons why I stepped down. The main reason why is simply because users thought I was some useless user on the Staff team, but behind closed doors I worked as hard as I possibly could, sometimes until the point my brain would literally hurt. Which seems sad, but at the time ForumKorner was hobby of mine. I spent hours of my time daily moderating the forums. Another reason which users seem to believe is theoretical is the guilty conscious of my bad impression rubbing off on other forum team members. I will let users throw rocks in my face, but I am a team player and I will not stand to see my team be shot down because of my poor actions. Yes, that may seem very drastic, but that's how I felt at the time and I do not regret my decision at all. In fact, I am thankful for being given my second chance.
@Michael: Thanks for letting me interview you! Any last words?
@Jason: No, thank you for taking the time out of your busy day. If I may give a few shout outs: @Leader, @Color, @Fear, @Sniper, @Sector, @"Gr33d", @"м¢ℓσνιη", @Narc, @Michael, and I would like to apologize if I missed anyone.
Desert Dig Uncovers Huge Atari Games Dump
Video game archaeologists have found a huge cache of old Atari games that were buried in the desert 30 years ago. Before now reports Atari had dumped millions of game cartridges were widely believed to be an urban myth. But a three-hour dig at a landfill site turned up many Atari cartridges, including copies of the game ET: The Extra Terrestrial. Atari made millions of copies of the ET game, but it sold poorly and helped to contribute to the demise of the firm. "For a lot of people, it's something that they've wondered about and it's been rumoured and talked about for 30 years, and they just want an answer," said Zak Penn, director of a documentary being made about the search for the site and its uncovering. Atari was thought to have dumped truckloads of unsold games in the landfill site on the outskirts of Alamogordo in 1983 as the company was winding down. The game maker's descent from its position as the dominant force in home gaming in the late 1970s and early 1980s was swift and has been partly blamed on the gamble it took on making a game of Steven Spielberg's 1982 hit film ET.
Google+ Boss Quits After Eight Years
The man who created social network Google+ is to leave the company, the search giant has confirmed. Vic Gundotra had been at Google since 2007, and was the company's vice-president for social media. While boasting a large number of users, Google+ is still considered to be very much in the shadow of other networks - particularly Facebook and Twitter. Chief executive Larry Page thanked Mr Gundotra for "all his hard work and passion" at the company. Mr Gundotra, who previously worked at Microsoft, will be replaced by David Besbris, who is currently vice-president of engineering on the network. Google+ was launched in June 2011, and the latest figures released by the firm suggest it has 540 million users. But the technology community has regularly disputed the site's popularity. Some have speculated that Google's plans for the network may be toned down following Mr Gundotra's departure. However, a spokesman told technology news site CNet: "Today's news has no impact on our Google+ strategy - we have an incredibly talented team that will continue to build great user experiences across Google+, Hangouts and Photos."
Minecraft Xbox 360 Saves Will Carry Over To Xbox One
Following the info that Minecraft PS3 saves should be able to transfer to the PS4 version, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said that Xbox 360 Minecraft saves will transfer over to Xbox One. "After months of teaming up with Mojang," said Spencer on Twitter, "we can confirm that Minecraft X360 Edition will save transfer to Xbox One Edition...more news soon!" Microsoft announced the Xbox One version of Minecraft back at E3 2013, promising increased world sizes over the Xbox 360 edition. The port being handled by Scottish outfit 4J Studios, who ported Mojang's ever-popular PC title to Xbox 360. Spencer said at the end of March that the Minecraft Xbox One Edition was "really close," which is almost certainly a big deal for the publisher as the Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition has now sold over 12 million copies. Minecraft is expected to hit PlayStation 4 and Vita before September.
GameStop May Start To Accept Other Electronics
Video game retailer GameStop sees "significant opportunity" to apply its buy/sell/trade model to technology products like smartwatches music players, the company said this week during its annual investors conference. "The value strategy goes well beyond just games. We see significant opportunity in emerging technology products as well," GameStop EVP of strategic business Mike Hogan said. A few of the examples Hogan showed were wearable technology like smartwatches and fitbands, as well as "home tech" like a Beats Pill speaker system. He said products like these represent a "future opportunity" for buy/sell/trade and that GameStop is already testing some of these products in its refurbishment center. GameStop already accepts trade-ins for a variety of non-gaming devices, including tablets, laptops, and smartphones. It's unclear when GameStop will begin accepting trade-ins for new technology products like the ones Hogan mentioned or what their value will be.
Amazon Phone Is Near
After more than two years of hints and leaks, the long-awaited Amazon phone appears to be almost ready for its debut. The device has been a prime example of "vaporware," the term for rumored tech gadgets that everybody loves talking about despite the fact they don't officially exist. And Amazon has never confirmed that it's making a smartphone. But the drumbeat is getting louder, and recent reports suggest the handset will hit the market soon. In the past week, tech blog Boy Genius Report has posted images of what it says is that very phone, along with a report that users will control some features of the device just by tilting it at certain angles. That followed a report from The Wall Street Journal that Amazon will roll out the phone by June and it will be on sale by September. Both articles say the phone will include a groundbreaking technology: a screen that uses four cameras to produce hologram-like 3-D images without the need for special glasses.
The Crew: @Leader, @"Cann!bal", @Deuce, @Michael, @Shawn & @Solar
Publisher, Editor, & Proof-Reader: @Leader
Headlines: @Leader
Notable Threads: @Solar
Member News: @"Cann!bal"
Interviews: @Michael
World News: --
Gaming & Tech: @Deuce
Media & Music: @Shawn
Publisher, Editor, & Proof-Reader: @Leader
Headlines: @Leader
Notable Threads: @Solar
Member News: @"Cann!bal"
Interviews: @Michael
World News: --
Gaming & Tech: @Deuce
Media & Music: @Shawn
Be sure to let us know what you thought of this week's news edition. We love feedback! Thanks for reading this week's edition of ForumKorner News!
Did we miss something newsworthy? Did we say something faulty? Let us know in the comments and we'll address it accordingly.
