Welcome to Smogon! Take a moment to read the Introduction to Smogon for a run-down on everything Smogon, and make sure you take some time to read the global rules.
I spent so many hours in the early 2010s trying to contribute to get promoted to voice. Once I was there it felt unreal. I got promoted up to moderator and back down now. Thanks to everyone who made Showdown enjoyable. I learned more than I could ever imagine. It's not an exaggeration to say that my journey as an engineer started on Pokemon Showdown.