User generations
A generation or gen, is a user-made term used to categorize users based on when they first joined the site.
Please note that there are no exact boundaries for generations, rather it's decided on by the mind itself.
Usually, these are used to discriminate against people who joined in newgen, called "newfags", adding to the exclusive and degenerate nature of OWOT. Adding to that, the people doing this are usually "newfags" themselves, therefore making them hypocrites.
Super-Oldgen(2010 - 2017)
Users who were involved in the community even before the launch of the current OWOT on October 8th, 2017.
They could have been part of Andrew Badr's original OWOT – which ran from 2010 to 2015 – or participated in the multiple revivals that were attempted after its shutdown. Almost all of them were veteran users of Your World of Text.
Such users include:
- The two admins: FP and InfraRaven
- Andrew Badr
- Other members closely related to the OWOT development effort
- The Man Hating Zone(Seemingly present on the old OWOT)
- Kkb
- Ace Lebron
Oldgen(2017 - 2019)
Users who joined shortly after the current OWOT's creation, after October 8th, 2017 but before 2020.
These were the early days of the site when the userbase was still small.
There were controversies and drama during this time, but OWOT was relatively peaceful in comparison to the new landscape that would emerge around 2020.
2017
2018
- d9eoead
- Hello
- Happyworld392
- Fernsy(April 2018)
- Banksy(Under a different username which they can no longer remember)
2019
Midgen(2020 - 2022)
Users who joined from 2020 to 2022.
It was around this period that the site started to gain traffic, solidifying the drama-filled culture that we know today. This was likely the most active time in the site's history. It was also dominated in large part by trolls such as Elon musk, the Man Hating Zone, and PinkiePie, many of whom were primarily active in frontpage chat.
Despite heavy toxicity, many users look upon this era with nostalgia, seeing it as a more active/interesting time for the community. Trolls from this time, while controversial, were also viewed as interesting people (and many had no shortage of supporters), whereas many of the biggest trolls from the next era were simply hated with no silver linings.
Examples include:
- realredtext-
- PinkiePie
- BlindwrinklesTheW
- Neon1246(2021-2022)
2020
- Caioz(March 1st, 2020)
- J.R.T.(Discovered the site on June 2020, but would not become active until August 2024)
- AndreiXYZ(July 31st, 2020)
2021
- CarpNamedCarl
- TheJealousUserOWOT
- Bzuki(February 6th, 2021)
- e_g.(Early 2021)
- GraviTraxFan(Mid 2021)
- Memesscience(June 2021)
- Polonez(July 2021, though his account was made in September)
- Fernozzle(December 26, 2021)
- Rscr(A YWOT user who would periodically join the OWOT Discord to check in, but did not become active until August 2024)
- Dat Hack3r(But did not become active until 2023)
2022
- Meimei
- Yosicat(Could have been earlier)
- Many people from TextWall, including:
- lime.owot(August 24th, 2022)
- Europe2048
- Dimka
- nonaem
- KKosty4ka(June 1st, 2022)
- JamelBurger(July 25th, 2022)
- Falling1(October 2022)
Newgen(2023 - 2025)
Users who joined from 2023 to 2025.
This era marks the start of stricter moderation for OWOT, with users continuously pushing for FP to limit spam, trolling and toxicity within the community.
One of the most notable changes was in mid 2024, when Fern became the OWOT Discord's first new moderator. Upon her promotion, she cracked down on toxicity within the OWOT Discord and transformed it into a drastically different community than the rest of the site. Notable Discord users include Catha'vi, Lemuria, Akatas and Fox, all of whom joined from 2023 to 2024, and all of whom are known primarily for being active on the Discord.
Meanwhile FP would take a stronger hand in moderating the canvas and chat, executing controversial actions such as removing Frontpage chat for over a year and disabling color to deal with NSFW image pastes.
This was a very divisive period in general. Many users abhorred the increase in moderation and felt that FP was appealing to some kind of exclusive Discord "clique," while the users pushing for moderation became progressively more discontent with the spam-filled nature of the canvas. Nevertheless, the added control (particularly in the Discord) made for a community that is more welcoming and marginally less crude, though different users disagree on whether this is a good thing.
Most of the notable trolls from the past era became inactive during this period, to be replaced by newer (and even more despised) threats such as Starianna, CBAT, and Huurmoonec.
Examples include:
2023
- Skullcrush
- Wbc
- Akatas(January 26th, 2023)
- Fox(Created account on August 25th, 2023)
- Gunful(March or April, 2023)
- Estay(April 15th, 2023)
- Kystova(August 26th, 2023)
- Kalkyulaytor(September 2023)
- Starianna(October 2023)
- Lemuria(November 2023)
2024
- CBAT
- Huurmoonec
- Catha'vi(Early 2024)
- DrInfamous(February 2024)
- GradientMan(March 4th, 2024)
- JRT(August 8th, 2024, but found the site in 2020)
- Mr. Black(August 2024)
- Rscr(August 2024, but found the site in 2021)
- Crazy Cat Lady(November 19th, 2024)
2025
- NextOS
- Deaddoll
- 🚫/Prohibit
- YEET Te2(May 2nd, 2025)
- JanTechPL(June 11th, 2025)
- Schjessu(November 7th/8th, 2025)
- PixelMess(November 15th, 2025)
Newer gen(2026 - 2028)
Users who joined from 2026 to 2028.
As of October 2025 none of them have appeared yet, but it's fascinating to think that future OWOTers are already crawling about the internet, getting closer to the site day by day. They will one day be seen as veterans, and the times before their arrival will dissipate into the haze of nostalgia.
Who knows what strange personalities the next three years will bring.
2026
- tbd
2027
- tbd
2028
- tbd
Trivia
- According to the 2024 OWOT Unofficial Survey, which collected responses from 58 users, the median join date for OWOT users was October 16th, 2022.