His Divine Shadow
Administrator
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2002
- Messages
- 18,971
- Points
- 38
Some of you (judging by at least one thread) have picked up on the closure of the TT's. This was a surprise and not one to me. As some may know, I am an administrator there in addition to my role at the TMF. Unfortunately, the current host is unable to continue bearing the cost of hosting the TT. I had wondered when, not if, this day would come, and I have been thinking of what to do. The TT has many memories, a lot of history, and much to want to preserve. It opened eighteen years ago. Amazing, isn't it? The site is old enough to be a member of itself! It has outlasted many commercial websites. Think about what was famous on the internet in 2002, and look now. TT outlasted so many. And they say tickling is silly. =P
What I wondered when I pondered what might happen to the TT is how to preserve it when this day came. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to host it on its own, and I am not certain that is the best option. There is no denying that the TT has become much, much slower in recent years. It's been a long time since I had to do any moderation there. Paying a considerable sum I don't have (and there are few active staff anymore) to keep it alive and standalone is a little hard to think about at this stage.
I am exploring, with the other TMF staff, incorporating the TT's posts and media into the TMF to preserve it. This would not be meant to be the TMF taking over the TT. Instead, it would be a way to preserve important history and keep a big piece of the tickling community from fading into the ether forever. For a long time, the TT was where everyone, even people who were not regular members, would go when the TMF was down. The reverse was just as true. Many members active on TT were active on the TMF, and many artists and authors found a start in one forum before going to another. In some ways, we are two main streets in a big tickling town. Broadway and Boulevard, if you will.
Nothing is certain about the next steps yet. I am focused on saving all the files and database (thankfully, I managed to scrounge up the funds to keep the server going another month). I would love to hear folks's memories of TT. Not gone, and not forgotten. Just waiting in a cocoon to come out in a different form to live on long into the future.
I think I can speak for the entire TT staff when I saw that it has been a pleasure to help run the community for these many years. Being able to make a space where so many could share their thoughts, media, and community was a real treat. I am glad the TMF continues, and I hope to find a way to keep the TT alive in a meaningful way.
What I wondered when I pondered what might happen to the TT is how to preserve it when this day came. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to host it on its own, and I am not certain that is the best option. There is no denying that the TT has become much, much slower in recent years. It's been a long time since I had to do any moderation there. Paying a considerable sum I don't have (and there are few active staff anymore) to keep it alive and standalone is a little hard to think about at this stage.
I am exploring, with the other TMF staff, incorporating the TT's posts and media into the TMF to preserve it. This would not be meant to be the TMF taking over the TT. Instead, it would be a way to preserve important history and keep a big piece of the tickling community from fading into the ether forever. For a long time, the TT was where everyone, even people who were not regular members, would go when the TMF was down. The reverse was just as true. Many members active on TT were active on the TMF, and many artists and authors found a start in one forum before going to another. In some ways, we are two main streets in a big tickling town. Broadway and Boulevard, if you will.
Nothing is certain about the next steps yet. I am focused on saving all the files and database (thankfully, I managed to scrounge up the funds to keep the server going another month). I would love to hear folks's memories of TT. Not gone, and not forgotten. Just waiting in a cocoon to come out in a different form to live on long into the future.
I think I can speak for the entire TT staff when I saw that it has been a pleasure to help run the community for these many years. Being able to make a space where so many could share their thoughts, media, and community was a real treat. I am glad the TMF continues, and I hope to find a way to keep the TT alive in a meaningful way.
