We’re turning 2 today! It’s been a rather fun ride and I think it’s safe to say that we’ve definitely honed in to a pretty good rhythm and vibe here around the site. We’ve added some talented people to help keep bringing the awesome to all of you, our beloved readers!

When I check out our first post it’s funny to think about those first conversations Dan and I had about starting a site. What angle would we take? How would we differentiate ourselves from the other sites out there? Would it be enough to get us into E3? I’m not entirely sure we did exactly everything we said we would but it seems like forever ago that I came into work and Dan had registered www.bitsbytespixelssprites.com and set up a site overnight.

What are some of your favorite posts or BBPS moments?

Ok people, here’s the skinny. You would not f’ing believe how many people hotlink images, not just from here but from everywhere. It’s infuriating to say the least, and robbery when’s all said and done. If you’re going to steal someone’s image, the least you can do is save it and upload it to your own damn site instead of stealing my bandwidth. Myspace, forums, Ebay auctions, people’s own sites… it’s an endemic problem that I’m finally sick and tired of.

So, I’m going to try and put a stop to it, but I want to be very careful not to break functionality on people’s RSS readers and other places where proper credit it due. What I mean to say is that I don’t want the readers of this site to have to jump through ANY hoops to enjoy the content here.

So, I’ll be making a change on the server to hopefully stop the hotlinkers. If this change has any adverse affect on you as a reader, please please please email me ASAP and let me know so I can fix it. I mean it.

So you’ve probably noticed some slow speed issues on the site the last few weeks, rest assured we have. But after making a ton of changes and streamlining the site, we finally figured out it was a hosting issue. When they told me it wasn’t their fault, I went back to the drawing board. After numerous nights of wanting to bludgeon myself to death I came back round to it being a hosting issue. They didn’t care so I decided to change hosting companies. Bye guys, I’ll take my business elsewhere.

That elsewhere is a company called A Small Orange. So far so good, and I can’t say enough good things about them. They’ve been fast to respond to my questions and helped get the site set up quickly. If you’re ever looking for good cheap hosting (starting at $25 a year), check em out!

We’ll see how the site is once Monday hits and the traffic starts in earnest but I really think we’ve gotten to the core problem.

I know what you’re thinking, there’s something new about us… Did we get some new clothes? Maybe lost a few pounds?

Nah, we just did some editing to our CSS page!

Seriously though, you’re looking at TheBBPS version 3! We’ve been making HUGE strides lately, and wanted to class up the joint a bit ’round here. Don’t worry, we’re still focused on goofing off… just check out the byline.

What we really wanted to do was clean up the interface. There was simply FAR too many links and words in those old sidebars. Funny how that happens… When TheBBPS version 2 first hit the sidebars weren’t packed, but over time it just got crazy. So we’re stripping it all off and starting over.

Over the next few days/weeks you’ll see functionality get added in as I get used to coding widgets and what-not. Right now the “Related” and “Similar” posts stuff isn’t working, so that’s first on my list. Then the “recent comments.” I’ve got my work cut out for me, no doubt.

So, while we’re in the construction phase… is there anything you’d love to see here?

Ahh, April Fool’s…. what a pain in the ass. Every year we get to spend the day trying to figure out who think’s it’s funny to try and be clever. The obvious jokes are fine, and fun… but the ones that you want to be real always turn out to be jokes and just piss you off. Others are totally unbelievable anyways so why bother (The Wii is getting online? Preposterous!).

And besides, we joke around all the time here anyways… we just don’t feel like it’s cool to try and fool you guys. Now if you’ll excuse me I have to get back to that early build of World of Warcraft on the DS…. oh, you didn’t hear?

As you may or may not have noticed, this morning we had our first posting from our new addition, Christina Winterburn…. formally known as Faith. She wrote for Destructoid for quite some time and also handles her own blog, The Girl Gamer.

Even though she’s Canadian, we’re still happy as hell to have her here. She’s pretty kick ass at what she does, and since we specialize in kick-assery she’s obviously a perfect fit.

So please join me in saying welcome!

Does nobody else find it ironic that two guys who used to get beat up by the high school football team went on to work for NFL Films?

For those of you that may not be aware, our fearless leaders Kevin and Dan have been sunnin’ and funnin’ in Phoenix AZ just waiting their turn to work whatever television magic they work beyond the doors of the NFL broadcast booth. If you’re at all jealous, take some solace in the fact that they’ll be only a few hundred feet from the game but still have to watch it on TV in a trailer just like the rest of you poor schlubs.

I just wanted to wish our boys in the field and all of you filthy Madden fans a happy Super Bowl weekend. I hope the men in tight pants that you favor defeat the men in tight pants that other people favor. Go kickball!

PS: That hot little number in the photo is our own Kevin out on the Super Bowl field. I have but one thing to say to him: cut your damned hair, you look like you’re twelve.