to your old self:

[KSProductions]

since nearly EVERYONE made some life choices in the forums/server that they regretted, i thought i’d ask an entertaining question lol

if you met yourself PRE-SHUTDOWN (could be whether or not that version of you has already been informed of the impending shutdown), what will you tell them
can be spoilers for the future, advice, telling them to stop posting those weird messages that all of forums can see, etc.

i’d lowkey tell my old self to PLEASE block some specific people that really weren’t good for me and to reconsider posting some cringe messages that i will 100% regret in 3 years LOL along with just not doing some things cuz in the long run i discovered i was just being an idiot
and to also try to connect with certain people more because i had a brokenlens friend pass away a little over a year after the shutdown and it made me sad that i never talked to her as much as i should have even though she tried to initiate some conversations with me

Lots of things I regret in the past, the things I would say to myself is to be more respectful to others and be more involved in the actual game. Especially on this server, I regret the toxicity I had to some because there wasn't a really good reason for the behavior I had. Also, I spend more times on the freaking forums than in the game, which is the whole point of this server. I missed opportunities to make more positive memories and friends.

I was definitely cringe back in the day, but I'm honestly glad I had those moments because it's fun to see how I was as a literal child (besides the toxicity of course). It reminds me of a time where I was more free, especially now where we have responsibilities as adults. Without the cringe, I wouldn't be the person I am today, so in a weird way I am thankful for it. The server and my actions in helped me learn about myself now and what I can do to be better in the future.

Also, if I was toxic or hurt anyone in the past, IM SO SORRY!

View reply.

 

[omega_saucy]

I just realized I haven't posted an actual response LOL sorry Maegan

It's gonna be a lengthy yap btw sorry for being like the second coming of Slicer lmao I feel like you guys need context

Brokenlens or its community isn't something I experienced before, although I've been in such a tough spot of my life around the year the server shut down. That was when I struggled with my senior year in high school. To add to that, the Hive removed all of their community discussions in their forum site and made it strictly for reports and player support. A part of those is a passion project co-written by me that my friend created. It's a story about Minecraft Hunger Games made for the forum community, and it was pretty much a hit until it was removed and the audience dwindled. The Hive-related community I've been in has been awful, because they didn't really listen to me when I set boundaries for myself. The presence of certain people together with bad jokes mocking my circumstance made me lash out several times. I immediately lost a creative outlet and a group of people, though moved onto the Cubecraft forums around 2023. I didn't expect that they wouldn't really appreciate my work so I called it quits and ended the project for good in 2024. It did make me feel awful about myself, thinking maybe I'm not likable enough or that I'm not that good enough for my work to be enjoyable. It also affected my studies to the point where my grades dwindled just because of a bunch of people who didn't care about me. Around late 2024 to 2025 I got roped into a group of people I thought I could be safe confiding in, but they're pretty much awful lmao. Despite that though, I finally got to find a supportive group of people, and I got accepted into a handful of top universities in the Philippines.

Before I give out my actual answer I wanna thank @madder yeeter, @_xMaegann, and @SoftwareSlicer along with a couple of our friends in our community for establishing a safe space. I believe after coming from harmful environments everyone needs something they can be safe in more than ever. I'm glad to be a part of it too o7

And now, to answer the question, I think I’ll be telling my past self from 2022 a few things. First is to establish my boundaries better, and to for real stop interacting with people who cross the line. It's not worth my time trying to please others at the cost of my health. I know it sounds bad for past me but I would tell myself that FHG (the MC Hunger Games story thing) should be cancelled for good, and just reuse some of the ideas in a different story that's even better. The idea did sound bad because I wanted to prove myself that I can make something good and that I’m writing it as a way to fight back against the Hive, but I eventually have a better idea of doing a similar written work in the future, without having to do the passion project itself. In the end, it's not really worth catering to people who cross my boundaries and make fun of me. They didn't have a sliver of a care for my work in the first place. I’ll tell myself that I found people who will appreciate me better despite my flaws. They probably haven't realized it yet but it’ll definitely hit those people that I was out there doing cool stuff for them, and now that I'm gone they won't have any of those anymore. I guess it's their loss lmao. Also, I probably should tell myself to stop ghosting my “friends” and just flat out block them. They don't care about your wellbeing, so why care about how they think of you? And yeah, have some time to reflect so I won't lash out at other people, and so I’ll be able to see that there are people who genuinely care for me more clearly.

Lastly, I'll tell myself that everything will be fine. Bad things just happen sometimes, but you gotta deal with it and face it. You don't have to do it alone though, I'm sure everyone has a group of supportive people they can go to. Maybe you haven't found them yet, but, eventually, in the right time, you'll find your place. Things may seem awful and hard at first, but after overcoming them, you'll get to experience the fruit of your suffering. You guys deserve everything you've fought and worked hard for, so continue to do the good fight and enjoy the fruits of your hard work.

View reply.

 

[_xMaegann]

definitely have a lot of things to say and consider, but i'll try to organize my thoughts the best that i can

will definitely agree regarding safety on meeting and talking to specific people—while majority of the community was great, there were a few people out there who were much of a bad influence to my younger self; i wish i could encourage my younger self to block and avoid these people rather than keep engaging—this is actually a frequent issue i deal with to this day in other servers i moderate when users forward reports of getting weird messages or harassment; i constantly encourage these users to block/ignore and report once we help them with the issue, but for some reason some of these users refuse to block/ignore like '???' crazy to see how we've come to a full circle with the younger generations

i will admit, when reviewing some of the older forum posts and what not, it definitely was a uh, humbling experience—this server/forums was greatly responsible into giving me a moment to reflect and consider what i needed to improve as a person, and how i can proceed with that needed change; if it wasn't for this server, i actually wouldn't have volunteered for the other featured minecraft server, the hive, a place that i still volunteer even if they resigned their former 'helper' role—i've had lots of fun engaging with the community even though i am quite busy these days regarding with school and other real-life endeavors!

but i will advise to my younger self that kindness, truth, and compassion always prevails, even during the darkest and our lowest points in our lives; these traits are quite infectious, but a good kind of way—even if some people don't tend to show much reaction to it or say it doesn't make much of a difference, it really does! you never know how much you can impact someone's perspective or attitude if you spread compassion




feels weird to say but i actually did talk to someone who changed their pfp to black the other day—it was honestly surprising and awkward to see that people still do this, but it has come to my attention that it's mostly younger people that still do this

for people who are dealing with any struggles at the moment, please don't shut yourself out, there are many people out there who truly care about you and willing to reach out to you for anything you might be dealing with; even if they might not offer any solutions that you're looking for, they can still be a listening ear and offer compassion; for any personal struggles or emergencies, you are more than welcome and highly encouraged to reach out to your designated local helpline as these are people trained to handle these types of cases—other than that, you are not alone, and you're doing great!

that’s so real tho i just REFUSED to cut contact with people for so long until more harm was done and i don’t know why i let that happen i only started cutting those kinds of people off back in 2023 and it feels so much better when you learn to step away from those who only want to harm you

it’s also really cool to see how this community was basically where it all began for you, the community is so welcoming and open that it just allows people to learn what it’s like to be part of this kind of community without being overwhelmed by more people like featured servers having like 50 people try to interact with you at once

and the advice you gave is really important- sometimes people will think that positivity is only for public display but just being kind to everyone overall will always leave an impact in ways we won’t always realize

im also surprised that i still see people every now and then who have “black pfp” moments but i love the words of affirmation at the end, people really struggle to reach out and it’s really important to know when you need to talk to someone!

View reply.

 

[_xMaegann]

Wait no I just told her y’all met I promise. Nothing more nothing more. This was also like forever ago

Yeahhhh I feel like we just unfroze Slicer from being frozen in a giant chunk of ice the last 4 years cuz clearly nothing has changed

Can we have a TLDR for the TLDR please

i can confirm i only knew about the meeting LMAO
the rest- uhh curiosity kills the cat??? i used to seriously maximize what forums spaces i can access and how much i can search throughout the site HAHAHA (peak unemployment activities)

View reply.

 

[_xMaegann]

To embrace the cringe. Live, Laugh, Love.

i missed this message smh
i think i was embracing the cringe TOO much on certain days but it added to the character development at least

View reply.

 

[_xMaegann]

I actually forgot about that time I went on your account for some time and helped you reach 10,000 Team SkyWars wins at some point, unbelievable.

LMAO WAIT YEAH THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED

View reply.

 

[_xMaegann]

I’d tell myself to break a few more rules and be myself

@Icy_Hatake idk if you remember but I enjoyed you muting me at one point

I also would tell myself that feeling alone bc old friends left and just not rlly knowing the newer players wouldn’t really matter as much and that there is literally so much there to life

i do remember something about you once saying you’re going to leave because the ogs have disappeared
i felt that way at some point too because everyone moves on at some point; but allowing yourself to make new friends is definitely important to learn

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[_xMaegann]

i would tell my old self to be more kind to the people here, to not be annoying, to respect everyone’s privacy, and to not lose my **** over a digital rank that only gives me a colored name in a minecraft server (im sorry bro i cant move on from that like why )

bro won’t let go of the “obnoxious beggar” lore it’s okay everyone grows out of it at some point LOL

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[_xMaegann]

To answer this question, I would just tell the old me to shut up and keep his mouth shut. Stay away from BrokenLens drama and avoid starting it. I would just tell him to not say anything I know that he will regret when he grows up some more. I REGRET MORE THAN MANY THINGS THAT I USE TO SAY TO EVERYBODY. I THINK I GOT COMPELLED.

drama on brokenlens was wilddd LMAO the stories i’d hear from people who used to be involved were crazy definitely not a great influence to get involved with that stuff during early teen years

View reply.

 

[_xMaegann]

Lots of things I regret in the past, the things I would say to myself is to be more respectful to others and be more involved in the actual game. Especially on this server, I regret the toxicity I had to some because there wasn't a really good reason for the behavior I had. Also, I spend more times on the freaking forums than in the game, which is the whole point of this server. I missed opportunities to make more positive memories and friends.

I was definitely cringe back in the day, but I'm honestly glad I had those moments because it's fun to see how I was as a literal child (besides the toxicity of course). It reminds me of a time where I was more free, especially now where we have responsibilities as adults. Without the cringe, I wouldn't be the person I am today, so in a weird way I am thankful for it. The server and my actions in helped me learn about myself now and what I can do to be better in the future.

Also, if I was toxic or hurt anyone in the past, IM SO SORRY!

100% agree that much of us who had spent our childhood years here had looked back on the experiences from BrokenLens to reflect about what we learned about ourselves and how to grow going forward, i don’t think it’s often that people get that kind of opportunity where they get to see the exact interactions they had during their “cringe” years in a community, and there’s just something really nice about being able to look back on those memories

View reply.

 

[madder yeeter]

I just realized I haven't posted an actual response LOL sorry Maegan

It's gonna be a lengthy yap btw sorry for being like the second coming of Slicer lmao I feel like you guys need context

Brokenlens or its community isn't something I experienced before, although I've been in such a tough spot of my life around the year the server shut down. That was when I struggled with my senior year in high school. To add to that, the Hive removed all of their community discussions in their forum site and made it strictly for reports and player support. A part of those is a passion project co-written by me that my friend created. It's a story about Minecraft Hunger Games made for the forum community, and it was pretty much a hit until it was removed and the audience dwindled. The Hive-related community I've been in has been awful, because they didn't really listen to me when I set boundaries for myself. The presence of certain people together with bad jokes mocking my circumstance made me lash out several times. I immediately lost a creative outlet and a group of people, though moved onto the Cubecraft forums around 2023. I didn't expect that they wouldn't really appreciate my work so I called it quits and ended the project for good in 2024. It did make me feel awful about myself, thinking maybe I'm not likable enough or that I'm not that good enough for my work to be enjoyable. It also affected my studies to the point where my grades dwindled just because of a bunch of people who didn't care about me. Around late 2024 to 2025 I got roped into a group of people I thought I could be safe confiding in, but they're pretty much awful lmao. Despite that though, I finally got to find a supportive group of people, and I got accepted into a handful of top universities in the Philippines.

Before I give out my actual answer I wanna thank @madder yeeter, @_xMaegann, and @SoftwareSlicer along with a couple of our friends in our community for establishing a safe space. I believe after coming from harmful environments everyone needs something they can be safe in more than ever. I'm glad to be a part of it too o7

And now, to answer the question, I think I’ll be telling my past self from 2022 a few things. First is to establish my boundaries better, and to for real stop interacting with people who cross the line. It's not worth my time trying to please others at the cost of my health. I know it sounds bad for past me but I would tell myself that FHG (the MC Hunger Games story thing) should be cancelled for good, and just reuse some of the ideas in a different story that's even better. The idea did sound bad because I wanted to prove myself that I can make something good and that I’m writing it as a way to fight back against the Hive, but I eventually have a better idea of doing a similar written work in the future, without having to do the passion project itself. In the end, it's not really worth catering to people who cross my boundaries and make fun of me. They didn't have a sliver of a care for my work in the first place. I’ll tell myself that I found people who will appreciate me better despite my flaws. They probably haven't realized it yet but it’ll definitely hit those people that I was out there doing cool stuff for them, and now that I'm gone they won't have any of those anymore. I guess it's their loss lmao. Also, I probably should tell myself to stop ghosting my “friends” and just flat out block them. They don't care about your wellbeing, so why care about how they think of you? And yeah, have some time to reflect so I won't lash out at other people, and so I’ll be able to see that there are people who genuinely care for me more clearly.

Lastly, I'll tell myself that everything will be fine. Bad things just happen sometimes, but you gotta deal with it and face it. You don't have to do it alone though, I'm sure everyone has a group of supportive people they can go to. Maybe you haven't found them yet, but, eventually, in the right time, you'll find your place. Things may seem awful and hard at first, but after overcoming them, you'll get to experience the fruit of your suffering. You guys deserve everything you've fought and worked hard for, so continue to do the good fight and enjoy the fruits of your hard work.

This is soo mountain height awesomeness bro..

View reply.

 

[_xMaegann]

I just realized I haven't posted an actual response LOL sorry Maegan

It's gonna be a lengthy yap btw sorry for being like the second coming of Slicer lmao I feel like you guys need context

Brokenlens or its community isn't something I experienced before, although I've been in such a tough spot of my life around the year the server shut down. That was when I struggled with my senior year in high school. To add to that, the Hive removed all of their community discussions in their forum site and made it strictly for reports and player support. A part of those is a passion project co-written by me that my friend created. It's a story about Minecraft Hunger Games made for the forum community, and it was pretty much a hit until it was removed and the audience dwindled. The Hive-related community I've been in has been awful, because they didn't really listen to me when I set boundaries for myself. The presence of certain people together with bad jokes mocking my circumstance made me lash out several times. I immediately lost a creative outlet and a group of people, though moved onto the Cubecraft forums around 2023. I didn't expect that they wouldn't really appreciate my work so I called it quits and ended the project for good in 2024. It did make me feel awful about myself, thinking maybe I'm not likable enough or that I'm not that good enough for my work to be enjoyable. It also affected my studies to the point where my grades dwindled just because of a bunch of people who didn't care about me. Around late 2024 to 2025 I got roped into a group of people I thought I could be safe confiding in, but they're pretty much awful lmao. Despite that though, I finally got to find a supportive group of people, and I got accepted into a handful of top universities in the Philippines.

Before I give out my actual answer I wanna thank @madder yeeter, @_xMaegann, and @SoftwareSlicer along with a couple of our friends in our community for establishing a safe space. I believe after coming from harmful environments everyone needs something they can be safe in more than ever. I'm glad to be a part of it too o7

And now, to answer the question, I think I’ll be telling my past self from 2022 a few things. First is to establish my boundaries better, and to for real stop interacting with people who cross the line. It's not worth my time trying to please others at the cost of my health. I know it sounds bad for past me but I would tell myself that FHG (the MC Hunger Games story thing) should be cancelled for good, and just reuse some of the ideas in a different story that's even better. The idea did sound bad because I wanted to prove myself that I can make something good and that I’m writing it as a way to fight back against the Hive, but I eventually have a better idea of doing a similar written work in the future, without having to do the passion project itself. In the end, it's not really worth catering to people who cross my boundaries and make fun of me. They didn't have a sliver of a care for my work in the first place. I’ll tell myself that I found people who will appreciate me better despite my flaws. They probably haven't realized it yet but it’ll definitely hit those people that I was out there doing cool stuff for them, and now that I'm gone they won't have any of those anymore. I guess it's their loss lmao. Also, I probably should tell myself to stop ghosting my “friends” and just flat out block them. They don't care about your wellbeing, so why care about how they think of you? And yeah, have some time to reflect so I won't lash out at other people, and so I’ll be able to see that there are people who genuinely care for me more clearly.

Lastly, I'll tell myself that everything will be fine. Bad things just happen sometimes, but you gotta deal with it and face it. You don't have to do it alone though, I'm sure everyone has a group of supportive people they can go to. Maybe you haven't found them yet, but, eventually, in the right time, you'll find your place. Things may seem awful and hard at first, but after overcoming them, you'll get to experience the fruit of your suffering. You guys deserve everything you've fought and worked hard for, so continue to do the good fight and enjoy the fruits of your hard work.

this is very dedicated engagement icl LMAO

but it’s a very good story and I’m sure many people here relate to it in one way or another, because going through the “searching for people who accept you” phase of growing up is really difficult since people pleasing during that period feels like a survival skill (“if people don’t like me or my work, what is my worth?” and then that directly affecting your personal life and mental health)

especially when you struggle to cut off those people because you always hope that maybe they do care and will be concerned about you, but they end up just being bad influence and harmful to your mental health

seeing all the interactive and creative threads people have written in this forum over the years (stories, mafia games, qotds, text games, conversations, etc.), im sure everyone would have been devastated if community discussions were purged as well like hive did, because as much as I’ve met a ton of people through the in-game server, I feel like meeting people through the forums or any platform beyond the game was also really pleasant

I’m so glad you found the group of people who finally appreciate you for who you are, you do deserve it all because you do make good writing pieces and you truly are enjoyable to be around, thank you for sharing

View reply.

 

[omega_saucy]

especially when you struggle to cut off those people because you always hope that maybe they do care and will be concerned about you, but they end up just being bad influence and harmful to your mental health

dude I FELT THIS IN MY BONES you have no idea....

thank u for sharing your insight bro i wish more people get to see what we have been saying

View reply.

 

[_xMaegann]

dude I FELT THIS IN MY BONES you have no idea....

thank u for sharing your insight bro i wish more people get to see what we have been saying

ofcc <3 i’ve been through that myself a couple times with people from irl, brokenlens, and hive gave some people one too many chances to show if they do think of me as a friend; it’s relieving to finally cut them off and find people who treat you better AND encourage you to become a better person

View reply.

 

[Gracious]

since nearly EVERYONE made some life choices in the forums/server that they regretted, i thought i’d ask an entertaining question lol

if you met yourself PRE-SHUTDOWN (could be whether or not that version of you has already been informed of the impending shutdown), what will you tell them
can be spoilers for the future, advice, telling them to stop posting those weird messages that all of forums can see, etc.

i’d lowkey tell my old self to PLEASE block some specific people that really weren’t good for me and to reconsider posting some cringe messages that i will 100% regret in 3 years LOL along with just not doing some things cuz in the long run i discovered i was just being an idiot
and to also try to connect with certain people more because i had a brokenlens friend pass away a little over a year after the shutdown and it made me sad that i never talked to her as much as i should have even though she tried to initiate some conversations with me

What would I tell my younger self? Probably something about how I acted back then. Though it makes total sense: between 10 and 18 you're just figuring things out and trying stuff to see what fits. I definitely said things I probably should've just kept to myself. But , we all keep evolving our whole lives. Just by looking back and reflecting every now and then, you keep learning and moving forward c;

View reply.

 

[IAmZathan]

since nearly EVERYONE made some life choices in the forums/server that they regretted, i thought i’d ask an entertaining question lol

if you met yourself PRE-SHUTDOWN (could be whether or not that version of you has already been informed of the impending shutdown), what will you tell them
can be spoilers for the future, advice, telling them to stop posting those weird messages that all of forums can see, etc.

i’d lowkey tell my old self to PLEASE block some specific people that really weren’t good for me and to reconsider posting some cringe messages that i will 100% regret in 3 years LOL along with just not doing some things cuz in the long run i discovered i was just being an idiot
and to also try to connect with certain people more because i had a brokenlens friend pass away a little over a year after the shutdown and it made me sad that i never talked to her as much as i should have even though she tried to initiate some conversations with me

HOLD ON I JUST REMEMBERED THAT PERSON YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE I HEARD THE NEWS TOO... Very heartbreaking rest in peace Shane 🕊

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[diky27]

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[cursedd]

looking back at everything from an adult perspective i’d definitely tell my younger self to not be afraid to block people & it’s okay to not engage in drama. i was scared of upsetting people if i blocked them, which led to many arguments with people about pointless bs + putting up with stuff i shouldn’t have at that age. but now i’ll block someone on social media if i don’t like their tone lol hindsight is 20/20 because why was i 13 arguing with people around my current age. i recently told an irl friend the brlns lore and explaining it out loud to someone not in the community made me realize how ridiculous it all was LMAO
had i had that mindset back then it definitely would’ve saved me from a lot of stress. brlns brought me many good memories and lifelong friendships, but also things that’ll unfortunately always stick with me even though i’ve healed and matured.

on a brighter note, i’d also reassure myself that i’m still close friends with the same people i met on brlns. i was terrified of getting in trouble for talking to people online & losing contact with my friends, but thankfully everything worked out

View reply.

 

[Strel]

since nearly EVERYONE made some life choices in the forums/server that they regretted, i thought i’d ask an entertaining question lol

if you met yourself PRE-SHUTDOWN (could be whether or not that version of you has already been informed of the impending shutdown), what will you tell them
can be spoilers for the future, advice, telling them to stop posting those weird messages that all of forums can see, etc.

i’d lowkey tell my old self to PLEASE block some specific people that really weren’t good for me and to reconsider posting some cringe messages that i will 100% regret in 3 years LOL along with just not doing some things cuz in the long run i discovered i was just being an idiot
and to also try to connect with certain people more because i had a brokenlens friend pass away a little over a year after the shutdown and it made me sad that i never talked to her as much as i should have even though she tried to initiate some conversations with me

I was so immature back then and terrified of my parents finding out about this (my parents would have been PISSED if they knew). but I'm really glad I found this place though because I definitely would not be myself today if I hadn't. I would definitely tell myself to cut off some people IRL and also not let some things affect me so much. They were terrible influences and were not making my life happier and in the long run, insignificant. Also it's ok to block and ignore people online and you shouldn't feel bad about it. Also don't post some of those cringe messages lol. Also, it is going to work out in the end. Yea life kinda sucks but you are going to make it this far at least.

View reply.

 

[stefan12plays]

since nearly EVERYONE made some life choices in the forums/server that they regretted, i thought i’d ask an entertaining question lol

if you met yourself PRE-SHUTDOWN (could be whether or not that version of you has already been informed of the impending shutdown), what will you tell them
can be spoilers for the future, advice, telling them to stop posting those weird messages that all of forums can see, etc.

i’d lowkey tell my old self to PLEASE block some specific people that really weren’t good for me and to reconsider posting some cringe messages that i will 100% regret in 3 years LOL along with just not doing some things cuz in the long run i discovered i was just being an idiot
and to also try to connect with certain people more because i had a brokenlens friend pass away a little over a year after the shutdown and it made me sad that i never talked to her as much as i should have even though she tried to initiate some conversations with me

this is random mmg but hiii maegannnnn!!!!

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