net lingo question

[Verdandi]

I was pondering the origin of "OMG PONIES!!!1!!" today and realized if anyone would know, it's this bunch. I've always thought the "ponies" part evolved as such: "OWNED -> POWNED -> PONIES" and thus went from exclamation of derisive ownage to one of general delight. I vaguely recall witnessing this transformation around the time of the early years of EQ. However, seeing as I spent much of those early years happily roaming in circles in Everfrost, I could also have been hallucinating. I may also be overinflating our gamers' importance in net culture here. (Overimportant? Me?? Heavens no... )

Anyone have further clues in the Case of the Powned Ponies?

[Yalum]

I think the birth of this meme was Slashdot's relaunch as Pinkdot on April Fools Day, 2006. That's the first place I encountered it, anyway, and Google didn't disabuse me of the notion within 30 seconds.

I'm fairly certain any resemblance to pwnage is coincidental, and it's just an exclamation that one is as excited as a little girl with a pony.