The Autobox

Hello. Hi. Feels like it's been a minute since I've done one of these, hasn't it? Haven't really used the Steam group for a while. Maybe don't breathe in too deeply, there was a lot of dust kicked up. Don't mind the clutter, we'll clean it up later.

I know in the past whenever I've written up an announcement like this it's typically heralded some kind of big shakeup; in the interest of making this a stress-free read, I'll say up front that this isn't that kind of post. I'm just feeling sentimental and wanted to share. Those of you who have been around for a while will know that I have a bit of a flair for the melodramatic sometimes. I hope you won't mind if I indulge it for a bit as I mark this milestone for our community.

This year - technically the very end of last year, I'm a little late - the Autobox as we know it today is ten years old. Over the last decade, this community has changed its shape. We've changed hands and passed torches. Some have drifted in, and some have drifted away. But at its core, it has always been "us." To some degree, even though most of the group has moved away from Garry's Mod, I still think of us as that same group that met playing on the Club Gaming server in 2013. I never imagined back then that we'd still be around today, let alone that we'd become a community that would be to others what Club Gaming was for us. But here I am, ten years later, trying to find the words to express how much the Autobox has come to mean to me. I've found some; they are not enough, but they will do.

To those of you who have just recently joined us: I hope you find a place here. I know the divide between the private and public sides of our community can be offputting; I hope to give more of a sense of life to the fishtank soon.

To those of you who will join us in the future: I hope you've stumbled upon us from a positive influence. Maybe a friend you love and trust has invited you, or maybe you've heard about us from somewhere else. Maybe you're one of those who drifted away at some point, or didn't realize we're still around. Regardless - welcome. I hope you enjoy your stay.

To those of you who have been here for a long time: I hope that the space we've created is one that makes you feel welcomed. I hope that you feel the same powerful sense of community that I feel when I think about all we've been through together. And I hope, going forward, that the Autobox continues to be a place you can call home on the internet. I am so proud to have been a part of this community for so long, and I am so happy to share it with all of you. I've literally grown up alongside so many of you, in more ways than one. I am a better person for having you all around me. No matter where we all may be in the world, you will always be my family.

I love you all, even if I'm bad at expressing it. Here's to another ten years.