Help me preserve TotalFreedom

[videogamesm12]

This is being cross-posted from the Discord server. Please spread this message as far and wide as possible.

I want your help​

It's kind of hard to believe, but TotalFreedom is turning 15 years old this year. Many of us ended up growing up with the server or gaining skills we would have otherwise not gotten because of it, and it's honestly impressive that such an old community like ours has managed to weather so much nonsense over the years that would have likely broken other communities long ago. I am so thankful for all of you.

TotalFreedom was once a server where very little information was actually preserved or archived. The server worlds were wiped very often and server logs were periodically cleared. In fact, many people of the time didn't think that archiving anything about the server would be so important to its long term survival. With that in mind, in October 2016 I started archiving the server using the resources, knowledge, and judgement I had available. Some people even joined me on this effort. While this led to so much historically important information being preserved and then later archived later on, there is still a lot of information and data missing or incorrect. I was far from a perfect archivist, and now that I'm feeling the effects of this.

To celebrate TotalFreedom's 15 year anniversary, I'm asking you, the community, for help. I believe that many of you may have information connected to the server that I simply don't have. It could be on an old computer or even nested deeply into an old backup, it really doesn't matter. For the next few weeks, I'd like for us to come together once again and start looking through the past to make sure that TF and the impact it left on all of us isn't forgotten and lost in time like tears in the rain.

How you can help​

There are so many ways you can help contribute information, even if you think you might not have anything significant. Here are just some of the possible ways you can help, and this is far from complete:

• Do you still have your old computers or even backups of them from the days you played the server for the first time?
• How about copies of world downloads Mark provided back in the old days that you downloaded for personal use?
• Were you a bit of a chaotic force who would try to gain unauthorized access to information you weren't supposed to have, like accidentally publicized server backups or even data breaches? I don't judge anymore.
• Did you ever have conversations with literally anyone about the server?
• Did you maintain a screenshot hosting service that many administrators used back in the day?
• Were there major events on the server you were a part of?
• Do you still maintain contact with old staff members or players who are no longer part of the community?
• Were you in a privileged position of power at some point which gave you access to information the average player couldn't?
• Did you record any videos of the server?
• Are you eager to contribute to the wiki about the server and help build it using information you remember?
• Were you in any Skype or Discord groups pertaining to the server during your time on TotalFreedom?
• Did you record any VCs you had on TotalFreedom platforms with other users?

If you literally fit any of these categories or believe you can help in any way possible, please get in touch with me. Don't hesitate. Do it. For the entire month of November, I would like for us to begin coordinating events, voice calls, and more to get as much information preserved as possible.

We're all in this together. Let's make this happen.