Welcome, everypony! Tonight…we have a very special ceremony to kick off. Since November of last year, TheBlueEM2 and I have been the sole admins of The Official Generation Five Site, and have protected this group for as long as we could remember. We’ve worked tirelessly to spread the good word of this generation and defend it from all who seek to tear it down. Our mission has not been without sacrifice, but we’ve always been there, fighting in the shadows and striving to bring positive change to the site as a whole. But times change, and although we are not resigning any time soon, the time has come to welcome fresh faces to our team and kickstart a new era within the new era (if that makes sense). I’ve recently realized that the responsibility has become too overwhelming to handle by ourselves. The enemy is just too strong and vitriolic, and you can’t always be there to defend your turf, even if you’d like to. Life has its way like that, and our opponents have historically used this opportunity to pounce when we’re not looking. By the time we realize the damage caused, it was already too late, and the more bad faith criticism is allowed to spread unchallenged, the further our reputation, and the reputation of this generation itself sinks. But all is not lost, no need to worry. For every bad thing that happens, something good will always rise up against it, as we have proven for the past several months. And I’ve always been dedicated to preserving what makes this group so special for likeminded individuals like all of you. I will have failed my job if I did not come up with some sort of solution to combat the problem we currently face. Thus…a decision had to be made. For as we look towards the future, and in order to ensure that our freedom of speech is protected at all times, I decided to hold an election to determine our additional teammates, as well as handpick a few myself. The first category is based exclusively on popular vote, and the rest were chosen because these members demonstrated an exceptional level of merit that qualifies them for the position, whether that being contributing to the group in a massive way that shows the ability to step up and lead, their passion for defending this generation, or all of the above.

The first admin was chosen by you members and it is someone who I believe you’ve all chosen wisely. Flamewarrior02 is a very active author on this site and has written some incredible G5 stories that went on to stand the test of time. I can point to their Zipp Saga as a key example of their incredible writing prowess, and innate ability to understand the core attributes of these characters. As an author myself on this site, that really means a great deal to me. But it’s not just writing that qualifies them as that would be too easy a category for a site for writers such as this. They’ve also had experience themself as a moderator and have been in situations that shows they have what it takes to be successful as an admin. In their campaign, they promised that as an active user, they will “be on here often seeing if everyone is acting friendly.” And they will be “strict yet understanding when it comes to keeping peace.” By choosing Flame, you have chosen an admin who will defend your rights as a fan, and the integrity of this generation itself. Please welcome Flamewarrior02, your third admin of the group!

The next categories shall be based exclusively on merit like I said, and there will even be a twist at the end that I won’t spoil yet. The next person I’ve chosen is someone who I honestly should’ve chosen a long time ago to be a part of our staff. Chances are, if you’ve been around for a ton of G5 discussion in this group, you would all know the name RedRanger3142. He is a passionate fan of this generation and a phenomenal analyst. I’ve seen a ton of his threads and I can personally attest to how in depth they are and how much there is to read into. He has the ability to take even the smallest of details and talk about them in such a way it forces you to think about it yourself, and come up with your own theories. He has contributed to group discussions on multiple occasions, his questions are always thought-provoking, his analysis is off the charts, and in terms of contributing the most to this group, I can think of no one more qualified than him. In fact, when Blue and I were discussing the topic of additional admins, he was the first name that came up and that’s when I knew, it was simply meant to be. It was just destined to happen, you can’t deny it! He has devoted seemingly the most time and energy into defending this generation in the best ways possible and in doing so, has perfectly embodied the true Brony fandom spirit, and our group’s core values, so it’s only fair that his hard work should be rewarded. Please welcome RedRanger3142, your incredible friendly neighborhood analyst and fourth admin of the group!

Next up is a dear friend of mine and one who I believe deserves the position despite losing the popular vote. They have devoted their time to this generation in their own way and though their contributions may seem small and they may be relatively new here, the amount of effort that goes into their work cannot be underestimated. This is a situation where I have to reward the runner up, as well as the winner. Not a day goes by that they aren’t thinking of this generation in some way and desiring to make their own mark on the community. And so…give it up to ponydog127, author of the G5 Adventures series, leader of their very own group of the same name, and true trailblazer in the making. In our discussions, I’ve seen how dedicated they really are to making the best stories they can possibly make. They may seem like just G5 crossover stories on the surface, but underneath, you find something deeper there, something thematically rich. Heck, their journey as a writer all started because they were advocating for G5 stories in a different group and they used that rejection to make something special all on their own. And although times may have been hard for them, they’ve never stopped fighting and staying true to themself no matter what. I cannot deny the blood, sweat, and tears that go into making their work the best it can be. I’m proud to be their mentor, and I’m happy to guide them into the next chapter of their journey. Please welcome ponydog127, your fifth admin!

Now littleman001 is one of those users who has been there for me…since the beginning of my journey as a pro-G5 activist. Throughout my career as a writer on this site, they have never stopped supporting me and my work. Their comments have been instrumental in helping me improve and getting to engage with them has been a lot of fun. They’ve always been there to offer me encouragement and stuck by my side all the way to the finish, when my first defense video dropped. Similarly to Flame, they’re a fantastic writer and have contributed in a great way to the group by essentially taking over my job in creating discussion threads. They’re always there ahead of the clock to provide them for us to offer their own thoughts. If that doesn’t prove their dedication, I don’t know what will. As one of my first comrades in battle and another one of my biggest supporters through thick and thin, I think it’s fair that I give them the chance to step up and lead this group into the future. Another reason why I chose them was the need for a diverse perspective. I want to embrace the fact that everyone’s opinions on what makes G5 work differ and it helps that not everyone working with me thinks exactly the way I do. It’ll help keep checks and balances on the way I run things, and that’s always helpful. His stories are insanely well-written, clever, and interesting, and they are dedicated to their craft. Please welcome littleman001, your sixth admin!

Now this would normally be where the ceremony ends, right? Everyone gives their acceptance speeches and we all go home. Well…not exactly. See, there’s a twist at the end of all of this and that is…the position for one additional admin. I’ve been thinking it over and over and if I was to go without rewarding this individual, then I would be remiss. This is a situation where I just have to extend my hoof of appreciation for one specific member in particular. They’re a fellow hardcore Sunny Starscout defender like me, an artist, animator, and passionate writer. And this last position goes to none other than Kibat Grenbuku. They are extremely passionate about their work and have so far done wonders in helping out the channel. They are also the author of a G5 rewrite series that’s on its first book. And even when I say that this story so far is exceptionally well crafted and even more so well-researched, I’m doing them a disservice. This is by far a genuine triumph and such a fresh take on this generation that I haven’t seen in a good while. Just the amount of research that went into this that we’ve discussed together, the lore, the way it plays on conventions, etc. This is for me the big contribution that made them qualified for the job. I’m not easily sold on rewrites for this generation as I’m probably the biggest defender of how things are canon-wise, but this one managed to hook me right from the beginning and a ton of aspects are even better than the original. This feels like more than a fanfic…it’s a passion project and it’s again, their defining achievement for this generation to date. They’ve also posted some G5 defense threads of their own and are a more than qualified individual for the admin position. They are a great friend of mine and I look forward to working with them more in the future. Please welcome Kibat Grenbuku, your seventh and final chosen admin for the group!!

And thus…you have your additional admins. I am honored to work alongside these incredible people to make this group a better place for all fans of this generation, and it’s about time we let this new era within the new era begin. Within the next few days or weeks (really depends whenever I find the time), I’ll be rewriting the group rules slightly with new amendments and change some of the group front page. But we’ll get to that when we do. Right now, I want everyone to celebrate their wins. I will allow all chosen winners to give their acceptance speeches if they so chose to, whether that be in comments or threads of their own. All I know is…it’s time to look forward to the future! We’ll do our parts…hooves to hearts. Thank you!

Congrats and good luck to the new admins!

Boy, oh boy! This brigade looks very promising! Congratulations to all the new admins!

7957892
congratulations, and all the best

Yes!

I promise you all made the right choice!

7957892
I hugely thank you Hawk. To hear that you got hooked onto R:G5 really gives me more confidence to continue on this project. Like he said, it's a huge passion project of mine, and it's thanks to you guys as well that you've taken an interest of that rewrite at all! As a admin, I may be new to that kind of role, and yeah, it's a huge responsibility, but I have my fellow admins who will help me and guide me in any way they can.

I'm proud to be a part of this community, and I'll never leave it.

7957892
Oh my pony... thank you! What you said means so much to me!

Honestly, I wasn't sure if I was even gonna be chosen, cause there are so many more people than me to qualify.

I'm really thankful Admiral and BlueEM2 chose me.

7957892
It is an honour to have been chosen for this role. I promise I won’t let you down.

Congratulations to all the new admins!

Advice for new admins:
You are going to make mistakes. Just acknowledge it and apologize and move on if it happens. It's better to act when something's going on that needs an admin's attention and mess up then to not do anything, and being an admin involves making a lot of snap judgements, some of which might turn out not to be right.

Remember that as an admin, you're trying to make this group a better place for the majority of people in it. If something's in a grey area, lean on that side of things.

Try to keep your own emotions out of the mix when dealing with anyone as an admin. Be polite, be courteous, and enforce the rules. Just replying to someone saying hey, your post is breaking <x> rule, quoting the rule, and either asking them to take care of it or telling them what you are going to do works a lot of the time.

Try to make sure you and the other admins are on the same page. There's also nothing wrong with banning someone then talking to the other admins and figuring out how long it is afterwards. There's generally nothing wrong with asking a more experienced admin for help, too. (Private groups or other ways of coordinating can help.)

If something goes wrong and the head admins aren't there, act like you think they would. If several months go by and they still aren't there, congratulations! You're now the head admin.

Having a cute avatar can go a long way. So can cute pictures.

And the biggest thing is never be afraid to ask for help.

You don't have to pay attention to any of that, of course. Just off the cuff advice from someone who admins a lot...

--Sweetie Belle

7957906
7957918
7957928
7957932
7957949

Congratulations to all of you!

Haven't really been paying much attention to this, but congratulations all the same!

7957892
Well, I never thought I'd be an admin of anything. But now that I'm here, I promise I'll do my best to help out anyway I can. Thank you for the chance. Still a little afraid of my newfound responsibilities, but I'm also excited about working together with you guys.

7957892
Congratulations to all the ones chosen for admin positions! :D

7957928
Congratulations!