Newgrounds
Newgrounds (often abbreviated as NG) is an online platform that was founded in 1995 by Tom Fulp. What started as a personal homepage to showcase Fulp's animations and games quickly evolved into a vibrant online community where users could upload and share their own creations. One of the most remarkable characteristics of Newgrounds is its extensive collection of Flash games and animations, which range from simple and casual to more complex and interactive experiences. Members are allowed to rate and review submissions, participate in contests and challenges, and even create their own content. In addition to games and animations, Newgrounds features a variety of other content, such as artwork, music, and movies. However, Newgrounds has also been associated with screamers, which are referred to by many as a form of "trolling" or "harassment", while others have been posted as a form of prank or joke.
History
Newgrounds is a popular online community that was founded in 1995 by Tom Fulp. Originally intended as a platform to showcase his own animations and games, the site quickly grew into a hub for creators to share their work with others. Newgrounds gained fame for its vast array of styles and genres, with a particular focus on Flash animations and games. One of the site's defining features was its user voting system, which allowed members to rate and comment on each other's submissions. This system fostered a sense of community and encouraged users to engage with one another's content. As Newgrounds expanded, it began to incorporate other forms of media such as music and art.
Website interface
Newgrounds is a web-based platform with a simple and user-friendly interface, designed to facilitate navigation for its users. The homepage features a diverse range of content, including games, movies, and audio submissions, as well as the latest and popular content. Users can browse content by category or use the search bar to find specific items. Registered users have the option to create profiles, upload their own content, and interact with other users. The user's profile page contains information such as their username, avatar, age, and location, as well as their uploaded content, favorite submissions, and recent activity. Newgrounds also has an active community aspect, with users being able to rate and review submissions, follow and message other users, and engage in forum discussions. The homepage is a hub of activity, displaying featured content and links to popular and user-generated content. The search function allows users to search for content by keywords, tags, and categories. The platform utilizes a voting and review system, where users can rate submissions on a scale of 0-5 stars, and provide constructive criticism. Participation in the community, voting on submissions, and leaving reviews allows users to level up and earn experience points, unlocking additional features and privileges. Notifications are provided to users for votes, reviews, followers, and private messages. Newgrounds also features an audio portal where users can upload and share music and sound effects, as well as an art portal for artwork uploads and sharing.
On screamers
During the early 2000s, Newgrounds was a popular platform for sharing user-generated content (mainly created with Adobe Flash plugin). Flash animation was the medium of choice for creating and uploading videos, including screamers. These short videos appeared harmless or amusing at first, but would suddenly turn scary or shocking, often relying on sudden loud noises, flashing lights, or disturbing images to create a sense of terror or discomfort in viewers. Some of the early screamers on Newgrounds included Where's Waldo?, which appeared to be a simple game but would eventually reveal a terrifying image of the girl from The Ring accompanied by a loud scream. As the popularity of screamers grew on Newgrounds, some users began to create more elaborate and disturbing content. This led to a backlash from the Newgrounds community, with many users calling for the removal of screamers and other disturbing content. In response, Newgrounds implemented stricter content guidelines and moderation policies to ensure that its platform remained a safe and enjoyable place for users to share their creations.
