Hi everyone. Ellis here, new owner and operator of the Hypnagogic Archive and the Hypnagogic Forums. During the last few months we've undergone some significant changes in staff. We know the last few months have been hard on the community as a whole, especially considering the allegations that came out over our former Vice President. We just want you to know that everything is taken care of and as of now, the Archive is under completely new management. We plan on taking things in a bold new direction from here. Don't worry, the things you've come to know and love aren't gone. We will be moving to a new host soon, but aside from that there won't be many changes. please check your inboxes regularly for new information as it comes out.
I feel confident in saying that the Archive is looking fresher and more up-to-date now than ever, our technical team has worked on improving the search index function, and my office is full of fun knick-knacks and various references. Someone left a long list of sites I should start on, abandoned Angelfire sites with some working video and audio download links. I'll be sure to give them a try and see how they work. When I was young I remember having a lot of fun on Angelfire, it was a good service and it's a shame they shut down. Same with Netscape and all the other apps back then. That's why I work at the Archive, to ensure these memories don't get lost to time. If you're in possession of a strange video that isn't uploaded on YouTube and you'd like the Hypnagogic Archive to upload it to our YouTube channel, and you don't believe the copyright owner would mind, feel free to hit us up at hypnagogicarchive@protonmail.com. We check the inbox regularly so seriously, don't hesitate to send us some stuff. The crazier, the better.
I also feel it's worth mentioning that the Hypnagogic Forums is a 100% free volunteer-run effort. Not only do we offer our services for free, we never ask for donations. We keep costs low. Thank you to all our supporters, who stuck with us thick and thin through the controversy. Don't worry, we've taken on a lot of fresh talent and we're not going anywhere anytime soon.
Hey again hypnoheads. Ellis here. Recently we were featured in the news on a tech blog. You probably heard about it, but if you didn't, we made the "top 20" list for all the Web 1.0-themed websites, alongside such legends as Superbad.com and Milk.com. And just to be honest here, it's flattering. When I came on board a little over 2 months ago I never guessed the Archive would be compared to all these legendary net art projects. I'm not sure if you would call the Hypnagogic Archive a net art project, considering most of the things we host aren't ours, but Hey, there you go. We're a home for the content you won't see anywhere else.
I've been having a lot of fun with the crew here. My office has been fixed up and all the resources are organized correctly. We also have an editing room with a lot of fun old equipment. Some Amiga consoles running on AmigaOS 4.1. What they say about the Amiga is true- during its run, it really was superior as far as graphics and digital art is concerned. We also have a rare 80s graphics system called the Mindset, it's a puzzle to run but I think we have it under control. A lot of other fun stuff, too. In a few months you might want to watch out for some Hypnagogic Archives Originals, produced by our own people with authentic equipment. These will be labeled as such and released weekly on the Forums. The buzz around here is positively electric.
Anyway, it's great to see the Archive getting some real exposure on the larger net. Many people have forgotten about us since our launch, especially since we switched management. Some old users thought we died completely or something. Maybe it's better that way, people who find the Archive are often taken aback. That's about all the news for this month. If you have anything interesting from back in the day to send to us, don't hesitate. We love getting your stuff and putting it into compilations. Without your incredible work, the Archive wouldn't be possible.
Hey, what's up. It's been a hot second. It seems like a few members of our community are confused with a few of our new features, so I figured I should hop on here and explain them for you.
The "mix" function has been kind of messy lately. It was programmed by Shelby, one of our interns. She recently took a Raspberry Pi course and thought she had what it took to create some working software, so she put it to the test. Unfortunately the tool she designed, which has been up on the Forums for about a week now, doesn't always work as promised. To use it, you have to post 2 images, and then Shelby's AI will go to work and mix them together. Sometimes it leads to a 404 page. According to reports from users, it does that about 75% of the time. We're sorry about that. Shelby is hard at work on getting the bugs ironed out, she says that if she can't fix it in a week she'll scrap the project. it's been confusing for people.
The other big news this week is a false rumor that's been circulating- that the Archive sells your data, or that we're a puppet of the North Korean Government. I'd like to take this time to promise you that both these rumors are false. We've written lines of code to protect you and your privacy, and we're a 100% America-based institution. On the forums this week one of our employees wrote a sticky post debunking several of these rumors. I'm not going to put any more effort into debunking them, so if you're interested you should go and read that.
The only bug we've had this week has been that sometimes the links are broken, or will lead you to a page you weren't meaning to go to. In keeping with our old-fashioned roots we code everything in HTML, so this is a little embarrassing on our part. Don't worry, though. It should be fixed in a few days. Just know that when you complain to us at our inbox, we listen and we work hard on fixing it and getting it patched. Thanks for bringing these things and more to our attention, we're a small team so sometimes it's hard for us to spot everything. You guys are just the coolest.
Ellis
You guys told us and we listened! Over the last 20 days you told us which forgotten programming you'd like to see appear here on the Archives, and we did our best to track it down and put it up. These included a rare public access talk show with some memorable moments, a personal vlog from 2006, and a fondly remembered skit from 2012. Above all else, we found this activity interesting because you were willing to show us and the rest of the community your personal favorites. You have some good taste!
We even had some members of the Something Awful forums come over and rate each submission. We didn't ask for it, but they really put their time and effort in ranking each one in a list. We don't know exactly why you do what you do, but we're grateful all the same and we look forward to other potential collaborations in the future.
I hate to say it, people, We knew it was coming from a mile away, and you probably could, too- we're going to have to close down the Hypnagogic Forums on the 30th. There are a few reasons for this. First and foremost, not enough people use them, and since we don't ask for donations we have to pay the server costs out of pocket. This is very expensive and time consuming, and it's a burden when we also need to search for lost works that could be years or even decades old. That's the first reason.
We've also made this choice based on the conclusion that they're really unnecessary when you think about it. There are many other ways the Hypnagogic Archive community can communicate. In fact, we feel they're so unnecessary that we're not even going to go to the trouble of making them visible to the public eye. If you have any threads or conversations you'd like to keep, be sure to screenshot them before the 30th, because at 4:00 P.M. Universal Standard Time we're going to wipe the whole thing. We estimate that once the forums are gone we could have as much as a few terabytes left for more of the content you've come to expect from us. You heard that right, terabytes of data just lying around, wasted by the forums. Still, plans at this stage are rough, so please bear with us as we navigate these uncertain waters.
We know some of you will be upset about this decision, but at the end of the day you're a minority. Most of our users have never even bothered to log on. If you want to archive the forums for future generations to look back on, now is your chance. We're not going to do it for you, we're overworked as it is and we have a lot of things to catalog. We hope you understand.
Ellis
Thanks to everyone who attended this year's HypnoFest at the secret location near Woodhaven, Michigan. It was inspiring to see how many people came to show their content on our equipment. With the admission fees we collected, we were able to buy more storage space, which will really help us out in the long run, keep our staff paid and everything. We know we don't regularly ask for donations on our site, so to have everybody come together voluntarily at Woodhaven was nice. Most of our staff is composed of volunteers who have their own jobs elsewhere, but with the extra from the Hypnofest we won't need to worry about running out of data. In archival, that's important.
This is actually the second Hypnofest, the first one was all the way back in 2010 close to Melrose, New Mexico, when the Archive was under completely different management. While we've tried to distance ourselves from that, we felt it was key to follow in the original fest's footsteps and arrange the event in a completely random location.
Kudos go out to all the people who showed up with strange home movies to share, but especially to Gene Newport and his film "Hedonistic Tendencies," as well as Mariah Knorwood with her short study "The Infestation." Here at the office we've really been getting some kicks from these, and we can generally agree they were the best. Thanks also to Gus who brought those little Greek things with the olive leaves and the rice stuffed inside. I forget what they're called, but they were good.
If you didn't make it to this year's HypnoFest, or for whatever reason you weren't able to attend, that's fine. The proceeds were so good and the attendance was so high we've decided to hold another one sometime. If you'd like to attend, be sure to sign up for our quarterly newsletter, because that's the only way you'll find the secret location of the next one. It'll be hidden somewhere inside so you'll have to read all of it, no skimming or you'll probably miss it. We hope to see you there, though, wherever it is. As with any event, it takes a lot of planning and location-spotting. We'll also probably make the next one free. Just some thoughts, again. Nothing is set in stone yet.
That's all this month. Look forward to showcasing all our new entries soon.
It's been a pretty crazy week here at the Archive. The lockdown has forced us to work from home, meaning that our resources have been cut in half. Nonetheless, we're going to try and weather it out. Any port in a storm, as they say. I've stocked up on junk food and Nintendo 64 cartridges and I'm going to try to complete all the classics in a marathon. That's as good a use of my time as any, I figure. The last week we haven't received many video clips from you, and that's understandable considering what the world is going through. I'll be honest with you, I'm scared. But I think we can make it through. Humanity has been through worse.
Once you're stocked up, tune in this Thursday at 10:00 P.M. for a special live stream on the Hypnagogic Archives YouTube channel. One of our members thought it would be fun to cut together a weird blend of health and safety P.S.A.s from the 50s and 60s and turn them into an audio collage. The livestream will also feature some really cool stuff filmed on December 31, 1999, on New Year's Eve, right as the new Millennium rolled around. that should help you take your mind off this lockdown. Remember when everyone thought the Y2K bug was going to end the world? Similar hysteria now. Calm down, pour yourself a cup of tea and you'll be all right.
That's about it this week. Tune in for the Hypnagogic Lockdown Livestream, it'll be a lot of fun. Kudos to everyone who's helping each other and their local communities these days. Hope to get back to my office soon.
I don't mean to brag or anything, but when I was younger I used my college's Usenet boards quite a bit. This set me in the upper echelons above my peers, who mainly used MySpace (Or, God forbid, early Facebook!) Love it or hate it, there's no denying that Usenet is an important chapter in the history of computing. This is why I'm excited to announce that our intern Shelby has surprised us with her electronic wizardry once again, she's found a cache of funny posts from years gone by, against all odds. The extent to which some of our employees can uncover this stuff is staggering. Anyway, that's the only news this month. Keep it weird, people!
We've been having some changes lately so I'll ask that everyone stay with us here. First of all, we've moved over to Neocities, an HTML-based web hosting service inspired by the classic Geocities. That would explain why you've been having some trouble finding us. Don't worry, we're hard at work transferring all the old content over here. By the time you see this a lot of it will have been posted. We have to go through and add code to each paragraph to ensure proper preservation of these works. Give us time and soon the Archive will look brand spanking new.
Secondly, you might notice most of the videos on the Hypnagogic Archive YouTube channel are gone, except our newest entry (A really cool CGI space rendering from 1999). This clip was apparently crafted by someone named Johan Alm. The rest of the videos were accidentally deleted during the site-to-site transfer. The good news is, one of our senior staff had all the videos backed up on his thumb drive. he's still looking for it but hopefully he'll have it soon. In the meantime, if Mr. Alm would like to contact us for an interview about his awesome space videos, which we really enjoyed, hit us up at hypnagogicarchive@protonmail.com. We regularly do interviews with the creators whose videos we feature. And if Mr. Alm wants his video taken down off our channel, then by all means, it's his right to do so. We hope you'll bear with us as we try to get the rest of the videos back. This could take a while.
The new Neocities site will also feature a cool Guestbook you can sign, and over the next months our staff has some other cool features planned. We know you were all disappointed when the Hypnagogic Forums went offline in 2019, so we might bring those back and implement them on the new site. No promises, though. As an archival site our biggest regret is not having preserved the Hypnagogic Forums. In hindsight, this was a tremendous loss of over 5 years of raw data and information shared among members of our community. We promise you that if we create a new forum, we'll have at least 3 backups in place if and when it shuts down again.
Anyway, that's all the news this week. keep your eyes peeled for the gradual return of your favorite freaky content... keep it weird, people!
Hey, it's been a hot minute. Ellis here. First of all, let me thank you for your continued support. The turnout over here at Neocities has been even greater than we got on our previous host, and you avid fans have been directing a lot of traffic (and oddities) toward us. So that's pretty cool. It's great to see the Hypnagogic family grow and develop. We've come a long way!
One of our media sleuths, Dan, has been describing some of you as forward and outgoing, offering up new information about long-buried treasures that otherwise would have fallen down the pit of obscurity. However, it's at night when he's working late that you guys direct some- well, less than cordial vibes his way. And we'd like to ask you not to hate on Dan. He's a hard worker and really loves what he does. His contract with us clearly states that he has to monitor the phone line for tips, and while we have a night assistant, he sometimes stays a few hours extra just because he can. That's how motivated this guy is. So please, don't make his job any harder. All we're trying to do is create a universal knowledge base, and it's a worthy endeavor.
I don't want to be a narc or anything, but we might have to report this to the authorities if this continues and get some of your phone lines shut down. Please use our number productively. If you have a hot tip, a resource, a memory, or anything of that nature. Again, thank you.
Well, guess who just came back from a local garage sale with a particularly nifty box of Betamax tapes- that's right, our trusted associate Gene! According to him, they were about ten cents each and sitting in a box under the table on the front lawn. Our team is currently looking through them and we'll be sure to upload anything of interest, as well as add their contents to our ever-growing catalog. About a week ago we lost some of our junior staff over a minor disagreement. If you'd like to fill their shoes, work here, and enjoy the experience of a lifetime, please send us your resume at hypnagogicarchive@protonmail.com and we'll look into it. All applicants are welcome!
The discovery of these Betamax tapes is a good example of the callous and often brutal treatment shown to recorded film and video projects. According to Gene, these tapes were without cases or even labels, and this has made documenting their contents a real challenge for our reduced staff. Remember, if you own any betamax or VHS tapes, be sure to take good care of them and clean your VCR or Betamax player heads OFTEN. It may seem like a lot of extra work, but the preservation of media is a cause worth pursuing.
What else this month? Oh, yeah- we were mentioned by the Auraria Star in an article. We think that's pretty cool, and if anyone in Auraria is interested in learning more about our operation, you know where to find us. That's about all for now. Like I said, we are strapped for volunteers currently, but will get these Betamax tapes processed as soon as possible. Most of them seem to be amateur recordings of a college football game, taken on an early Camcorder. For legal reasons, I can't divulge more than that yet, however if they are uploaded they could be used in the future as a valuable historic document.
I'm writing this at 2 AM so excuse me if I seem a little out of it. Something came up here at the Archive last week and we just want to say, to Trevor's family, we are truly sorry. We did everything we could. I am certain, having known Trevor for a long time, that he was a hard worker and this is how he would have wanted to go. This is the first case I've had to make a public statement about something like this in an official capacity as owner/operator of the Archive. Just know that if there was anything I could have done, I would have done it. Trevor was a great friend with a good sense of humor and a strong disposition, and he will be missed.
We are currently under investigation by the Hygiene Sheriff's Office and will do everything in our power to cooperate with law enforcement, as well as their forensics team. To Mr. and Mrs. Carlyle, as well as your daughter Joanna, I have personally written out checks, which should get to you by this monday at the latest. Again, I sincerely apologize and hope Trevor lives on in your hearts. He certainly does in ours.
Ellis
Hey out there, all you collectors of temporal ephemera! Just thought I should update the blog, because it seems a few of you have been experiencing issues with accessing the archive for whatever reason. Some of you have e-mailed us about how when you click on our link it takes you to a blank screen. I think we've got it worked out. Shelby, our Archival Dept. Head, has been tinkering with it. She says that the bug was caused by a faulty line of code, and that it doesn't appear any viruses or malware breached our system. I guess I'll trust her judgment on that front.
There is one other issue I think you deserve an explanation about, that being the public lawsuit that was recently filed against us. While several details have been omitted from the document on the Hygiene Office's website, we can assure you that our legal team will spare no expenses in keeping the Archive operative for the time being. Hopefully we'll be able to beat the County at this frivolous lawsuit and prove that our organization is legitimate. A lot of these rural folk don't tend to be the most open-minded when it comes to technology and the dissemination of readily accessible information at the push of a button. But we know better, don't we?
Also, thank you for your kind words and submissions via our e-mail address at hypnagogicarchive@protonmail.com. Remember- if you have ANY questions regarding our methods, maintenance, archival efforts, or anything else, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We love answering your questions and keeping you up-to-date on all the latest from the Hypnosphere! Nothing is going to stop us!
Ellis
Hey there everyone, Ellis again. Just putting out a little message to anyone in the Hygiene area. We know that the local community hasn't been very receptive to the archive, ever since the archival building was put up in 1996, but we're going to ask for your help, if you read this. Recently, two items from our collection were stolen. For some context, I came in here around 8 in the morning and Dan was sleeping on the job at the front desk. He told me he must have only been out for about an hour, but I reprimanded him and then did a thorough search of the premises.
Sure enough, someone had broken in. Now, I'm not saying it was one of you. You're all decent people. But these items in particular were not for public consumption. They were very personal. I know what you're saying. "Ellis, you're all for the complete and total preservation and access to all media ever recorded." That's hyperbolic, OK? Some things should remain private. So if you think you know where we could find these things- if you even have an inkling regarding where they could be- please tell us. We've been looking for them all day and we've contacted the sheriff but he seems unwilling to cooperate. Typical Hygiene behavior.
The worst-case scenario would be that whoever took these things would upload them to the internet. One item in particular should not be uploaded in its entirety to YouTube or any other video-sharing platform. So we hope you help us track these things down. If you have any tips, let us know at hypnagogicarchive@protonmail.com.
Thank you to everyone who submitted content to us. As archivists, we rely on user-submitted data and the like. Without it, we would be nothing. A compilation on our YouTube channel is now up for public viewing. Among the submissions was a video from the collection of Bogos Inc, headed by CEO Carl Bogos. Several of these videos you sent us were pretty weird, but we included them anyway. Oddly enough there were no home movies or concert recordings, which are what we usually get. A lot of Super 8 film reels and Hi-8 tapes, too.
But we do nonetheless appreciate how so many of you took the time to e-mail us with your interesting content. There are a lot of erstwhile memories that slip through the cracks, get lost in the fervor of the 9-to-5 lifestyle, and here at the Archive time stands still because we stand by our mission: to preserve the past through any means necessary. Once again, thank you.
Anyone here on the Front Range Corridor knows just how hot it can get. But I mean, WOW, has this summer been a scorcher, not only for here in Hygiene, but all the way as far down as Denver. Record temperatures hit last week at around 107°. As you may have guessed, keeping all our materials safe- especially the older film reels- is a real chore when it gets this hot. Not to worry, however. The Archive is equipped with state-of-the-art insulation and an air filtration system, as well as our own proprietary cleanroom, so your favorite tapes are sitting pretty, safe and secure from the elements.
On a lighter note, Shelby has been making regular trips to the Walmart in Longmont to stock us up with juice and tea. Thanks for that, Shelby. I honestly don't know what we'd do without you. Javier has been away on a trip for about a week conducting some research in New Mexico- can't say when he'll be back, but he's not missing out on much. You know things are getting pretty crazy when reported temperatures down in New Mexico are cooler than they are up here.
Just a reminder to everyone out there to stay cool and calm, and above all else to stay hydrated with the beverage of your choice. Heat can make us do some crazy things- things we might regret down the line. Heat has been proven to affect the psychological wellbeing of people, so just remember that no matter how hot it gets, it's not worth doing anything stupid over. Even if the sun is beating down on you and sweat is dripping from your brow and the heat doesn't end even when it's midnight and you're caught in the pitch dark abyss of the all-consuming high plains, it's critical to stay cool, and calm, and measure every move with the agility and tact of a chess player.
ｙｏｕ＇ｒｅ ｓｏ ｔｉｒｅｄ， ｌｉｔｔｌｅ ｍａｎ． Ｓｏ ｖｅｒｙ ｅｘｈａｕｓｔｅｄ． ｃｏｍｐｌｅｔｅｌｙ ｓｐｅｎｔ．
ｒｅｆｌｅｃｔ ｕｐｏｎ ｗｈｅｒｅ ｙｏｕ ｆｉｎｄ ｙｏｕｒｓｅｌｆ ｉｎ ｔｈｅ ｅｔｈｅｒ． Ｙｏｕ ｍａｙ ｎｏｔ ｒｅａｌｉｚｅ ｉｔ ｎｏｗ， ｂｕｔ ｙｏｕｒ ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ ｉｓ ｓｉｇｎｉｆｉｃａｎｔ． Ｓｔｒａｎｇｅｌｙ ｆｉｔｔｉｎｇ．
ｔｈｅ ｆｕｔｕｒｅ ｗａｉｔｓ．
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