Wow, I was able to log into this account! O.O It may be for the last time though.
When I tried to upload my latest pic on New Year's Eve, NewGrounds blocked me from logging in and informed me that it doesn't allow users to use VPNs※. Although I want you to have a choice as to whether or not you protect yourself from tracking and surveillance, it's my opinion that as many people should be using VPNs as possible — obviously, I use one.
If NewGrounds is trying to suppress this very basic level of protection, then that means that the people behind the site really want to know where we live ... and that means that I really want to stop them from finding out.
So, if it's a matter of allowing NewGrounds to track me or avoiding the site, then I'll probably choose to avoid the site. This is a pity, because the site hosts some excellent artwork and many kind viewers.
However, I was able to log in to write this, so perhaps the problem was temporary. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If this is my last message here, then I hope that you enjoyed the pics that I posted, and I appreciate all of you who let me know that you did. So long, and thanks for all the fish! ☺
.
※ A VPN is an inexpensive service that allows internet users to create a layer of protection between themselves and a) websites that want to trace visitors to their homes and b) internet providers who want to record the sites that their customers visit. VPNs are particularly important in communist countries and other dictatorships where governments block unapproved websites.
Myth00zilleh
soo... update on this? I don't use a VPN but I'm definitely not against them, being the peasant of the world that I am.
I'm curious if Newgrounds is really doing this... yeah, just a follow up
MalcolmD
Newgrounds was really doing it, but the situation has improved, and I can only speculate why logging in became so difficult at the time.
I've been able to log in quite a few times since then with no problems, and occasionally the site will require that I use a confirmation code sent to my email address.
There are probably times when sites expect more malicious activity from a particular IP address and therefore become more suspicious of it, and perhaps that was the reason for my issues in late 2023. On the other hand, perhaps Newgrounds programmers implemented a security measure that they believed was appropriate, and then they pivoted when they noticed that it was more troublesome than expected. 🤷