Our mission statement

The purpose of this website is first and foremost to archive as much content relating to Fall Out Boy as possible. The main purpose of having a Discord is to make it easy for those who want to archive, share resources, chat, and have fun together.

What is being archived?

When the FOBAT Discord server was initially created, the first platform we employed for this project, the goal was to archive as much Fall Out Boy-related content as possible. This includes videos, photos, web elements, physical merch, etc. While this still holds true, we also function as an archive for the late 90s to early 2000s Chicago hardcore scene, as relating to FOB’s origins. Researching early FOB history means discovering how integral hardcore punk music is to the band. Bands from this scene that have ties to FOB are prioritized in our archiving efforts.

Why archive all of this in the first place?

The short answer is that it is fun; the long answer is that, in general, archiving information is necessary for the world to function, but a lot of FOB’s extensive history has been lost to time/is relatively unknown. Something I’ve noticed within band culture is the large amount of misinformation and rumors that are constantly perpetuated, and I want to do something about it.

Where is the actual archive?

Right now, all archived material sits on an external hard drive owned by a FOBAT admin, and some on the FOBAT Google Drive, keeping in mind copyright. It is a slow process, but the goal is to have everything eventually transferred to our website, www.fobarchive.com, which is funded through donations yearly.

What is the website all about?

Think of our website as a combination of Wikipedia and the Internet Archive for Fall Out Boy. We host articles and blog posts about every topic under FOB’s umbrella while also hosting an archive of all FOB-related content.

What’s the end goal(s)?

1. A comprehensive history of Fall Out Boy that is all in one place and is easily accessible.

2. Every bit of media relating to Fall Out Boy + Chicago Hardcore that can be digitally archived onto a website in an organized manner.

Reflection of values

The main philosophy we aim to practice in the Archive is being respectful and understanding boundaries, while still trying to catalog as much history as possible. This can be displayed by giving credit to the many artists and photographers the band has worked with throughout the years. Moreover, members of our community should only contact people in relation to our research if we have explicitly given permission and not pester people for responses. It is easy to notice that in the FOB fanbase, people frequently cross the line with things they say/claim in public and share things without even knowing where they came from/without permission. We want to try and make an effort to change that from being the “standard”.

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If you would like to join our Discord server, please be sure to read the following MEMBERSHIP AND POSITIONS information before participating (These are not the rules, but general info to help you best understand the function of the Discord server)

Who can contribute / How can I join?

Anyone who joins as a member of the Discord can contribute to a search by following the search document’s instructions and posting all findings within the correct channels in the Discord. It is not required to be part of searches to be in the Discord.

Only those who have shown to be untrustworthy/purposeful plagiarists are banned from working on our behalf.

Talking to random individuals

If a search requires anyone to reach out to someone not within the Fall Out Boy fandom, such as a band member from another band, an executive, a photographer, a friend of FOB’s, etc- you will need expressed permission to do it on the server’s behalf. Most likely, if it is needed, we will contact the individual through the official FOB Archive social media’s/email. Bring your request to a moderator, and they will speak with Spookadoodle, the project owner, to discuss whether or not to contact that person. We cannot stop an individual from contacting someone on their own, but we ask that you don’t do it on our behalf without consulting the team first.

Coming across “non-pc content”

When it comes to archiving the early 2000s internet, there is no avoiding some distasteful things/non-pc content. It is recommended that, as long as it is not crucial to the archive, do not share it with the entire server. If you are unsure about whether something you stumble across could be controversial, speak to a moderator about it. Moreover, if necessary, there is a sensitive-topics channel for individuals 17+ for archiving potentially mature materials. Although it is understandable to be disappointed when seeing that type of behavior, even from people you admire, it has to be understood that the goal of this archive is archiving, not to discuss the morality of what we are preserving. If you have an issue with this sentiment, please speak to the moderators.

FOB-affiliated people in our server

We are extremely grateful and privileged to have Guav, a friend of Pete’s, in our server as an active participant. Please do not harass him non-stop with questions, especially personal questions/questions relating to Fall Out Boy controversies. Guav is not a spokesperson for Fall Out Boy or any of the band members individually. Please also use reason and try not to research/archive anything of Guav’s that may seem too personal/unrelated to his Fall Out Boy connections. These same rules apply to other FOB friends who are active online or affiliated with us, such as HeyChris and Dirty.

Differentiating server from the overall fandom

Personal beef/discourse is to be kept private and uninvolved with our efforts. However, persons who violate our server rules will be banned. Abuse and discrimination shall not be tolerated. If someone’s presence in the server makes you uncomfortable, please talk with the mod team. We cannot promise we will take action against them, but we will hear out your story and try to do the best we can to solve the issue. We do not tolerate sexual abusers, groomers, pedophiles, racists, or bigots on our server, so if it has anything to do with those topics, please let us know, and we will take the action that is needed.

How does someone get “more involved?”

There are different kinds of work you can do to participate in the server. This is all volunteer work, so you are obviously not obligated to do anything. We are happy to have anyone join regardless. However, if you would like to contribute more, here are some tips on how to do that: