Well, I'd like to get something off my chest. It's really just been in my mind for a long time, and I just want to get it off my chest. The reason I haven't earlier is because I just didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. But I finally came to the conclusion, I should tell people how I feel, rather than bottling up my emotions. BEWARE, LONG READ OoOoOoOoOo.

I don't really like collabs anymore. Most of them nowadays, I hate. When I was first beginning Flash, it was good to test my skill. I remember working with some of the friendliest people. This was good because I was beginning Flash as well.

THE GOOD:
Phoenix Wrong was great for me because I could work with AshfordPride. He's a really great person, and the other people in the collab were too. They gave criticism, helped each other's parts, and more. It was FUN working with them. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

30 Hour Collab was fun too. They were great because I was working with my friend Yodd. He and I talk over MSN a lot, so we just looked at each other's parts, thought of ideas, etc. He put a LOT of thought into it (a lot for him at least :P) and he was so polite, that he gave people who weren't even responding to him extra time to work on their part. He's a great person, despite his BBS habits (lol) and I think you should give his flashes a view sometime.

My most recent collab was Bittersweet Symphony and holy shit, these guys are PROFESSIONALS. I felt like I was drawing stick figures here, while these guys were drawing things that gave my eyes orgasms. Daz's part especially made me drop my awe in jaw, but this was motivation for me. I had to make my part kick ass enough to match up to their expectations. It was good motivation, but I was developing more skills; FBF, masking effects, and more. I may have the crappiest part, but this collab taught me a LOT.

THE BAD:
One thing I HATE is my inability to turn down a collab. It isn't, "Hey, I think I could make a 10 second part and win an award lol." No, it's my inability to say no to taking a part. Most of the guys beg and plead asking me to join. I've got like 5 flash projects I really want to finish, but they bother me on MSN, AIM, or PMs on NG constantly (now I just block them). It isn't one person, it's been more than one. Sometimes, I just want to make this shitty ass part so they never ask me again. But hey, then I'd just look like an ass, and I'm too nice of a guy so I would feel horrible for a while. I'm too nice of a guy to say no. :(

Another thing I don't like about collabs anymore is the people joining them. I've seen collab whores left and right. It's the same people in the Flash forum joining one collab after another even if they haven't finished there parts. They just want to reserve themselves a place. They hardly ever post in the topic after their part, and expect an award from it. Like Luis's One O' Clock Jump collab. Some people joined IMMEDIATELY with really quickly done parts just so they think they'd get in. Also, they probably just wanted to get in for the quick award, but hey, most people love having a pixel in their profile for something they whipped up in less than a day.

I may have been a collab whore, but I'm trying to fix it. I'm sending PM's to Flash authors now, asking to take away my coauthor, for someone else who also deserved it. It's a shame to see the "hoster" of the collab only invite in people they know and coauthor people who kissed their ass the most. So, I've been trying to contact Nuggs and Cheektoghetto to switch coauthorship. I want Nuggs to take off my MrFlash coauthor and give it to VintageBro for "Cheer Up!" and I want Cheektoghetto to give my coauthor to studio-nightbird for the "RBF Beer Collab". For the collabs they were in, they went through trouble to make their parts, and I think they deserve it more than me. It's nice to have awards, but they deserve them for a change.

THE UGLY:
Nothing really "ugly" here, but I liked "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly." So, I'll just get some other stuff off my chest:
Pezboy440, st1k, YoinK, and V0lit-whatever, quit joining collabs. Try winning an award on your own. It's more fun. Quit taking the easy way out.
Sprite TV 2, I feel like you're only doing it for the award. Some people are trying really hard on their parts, but you're forming some clique. It's just some NGCollabers who are starting to get full of themselves. Give some new people the spotlight for a change.

SO IN CONCLUSION, I like collabs to watch artists grow and to have some laughs with, not for awards. I hope some of you guys will feel this way too.

Id also like to thank these people as well for making the collabs I was in some of the best experiences in my life: Tarienn, AshfordPride, Yodd, Cheektoghetto, notorious, Daz, Nicholas-Deary, and ThatsMrLazy. If I forgot you, tell me. :P

: I hope I dont regret posting this...