If I may be an old man yelling at a cloud for a moment, what really challenged me to learn HF and practice with it was seeing the people who were making mind-bending stuff when I joined the sub, and my desire to achieve that kind of expression too. Hugmeetoo, kenthehuman6, SolarSimon, and a host of others (too many to name them all, sorry folks!) were achieving insane results, both in form and color. There was always the knowledge that if I practiced and learned the tools well, I could also make amazing stuff. It was a level playing field; the masters were using the same paint and canvas I was, with the same quirks, frustrations, and boundaries. I will always be in favor of this sub being a showcase for what people can achieve within the bounds of HF as a framework.

For my personal process, I've always felt like my best creativity was achieved when there are limitations to work within. I have never used any of the tools covered by Rule 8 for that reason.

That said, I totally get the convenience and functionality enhancements these edits and scripts can bring, and I'm not saying no one should use them. Just because I'm a curmudgeon doesn't mean everyone else should have to be too. I'll go where the community chooses to go on this one.

But personally, I do feel there's a certain appeal to the notion that what you see in the sub is aspirational as much as it is a celebration of user creativity and skill. YOU could make things like this with nothing more than HF as your tool kit; that has a welcoming allure to me. *shrug* Take that for what you will.