← Explore the archive

Archive / 2009 · 05

The 2009 call for help: sustaining a public internet experiment

In May 2009 the original site invited people with useful skills to get involved. That small announcement reveals an important part of the project’s history: the work needed to keep it running.

New editorial reading of a historical post. Original topic and URL preserved; commentary below is not an unaltered reproduction.

The invitation in the original post

The 19 May post asked interested people to introduce themselves and explain how their skills could contribute to the site’s development. Although the surviving URL uses “take over,” the recovered text is a general invitation to contact the operators.

It does not identify a completed transfer, a purchaser or a final ownership arrangement. We do not use the URL wording as evidence that a sale occurred. Nor is the preserved page an announcement that the current domain is for sale.

An index needs more than a calculation

Even a simple public experiment needs ongoing work: keeping the site available, documenting its method, handling abusive submissions, preserving sources and answering questions about the data. If those tasks depend on a small group, continuity can become as important as the original idea.

This observation does not tell us why any particular period of the old archive is missing. It identifies a practical issue that the new chapter can address explicitly.

The new invitation

Today’s project is again open to contributions, with clearer starting points. Researchers can help define a pilot. Technical partners can contribute to accessible and reliable operation. Sponsors can support a defined piece of work rather than purchase influence over an index.

The current partnership invitation and sponsorship principles are separate from the historical post. If you have an idea, contact info@ratethegod.com with the contribution you would like to make.

Sources & verification

  1. Original historical source

Editorial review: 6 September 2026. Found an error or another archive? Please contact us.

The next chapter

The archive is open. Voting returns soon.

Join the launch newsletter, propose a research project, or help support an independent GodIndex.