TF2chan

TF2chan was/is a chan for Team Fortress 2 slash fanac. It was the most popular and influential space for Team Fortress 2's slash fandom for many years. A good amount of early TF2 fandom BNFs got their start on TF2chan. An addition, several long running memes and TF2-specific tropes originated from the messageboard, such as Tentaspy, Nazi Medic, and DICKS EVERYWHERE. Left 4 Dead, another Valve game, had its own section on the website.
Although TF2chan was anonymous, "namefagging/tripcoding" was common and accepted. Many of its fanartist users could be recognized based off their art styles alone in their posts. TF2chan had a "no anime and furries" policy as a gatekeeping measure. Original characters and self-inserts were also frowned upon. No minors were allowed on the forum.
In 2014-2015, after years of use, the forum became deserted following a larger migration of its userbase over to Tumblr. Much of its fanfic has since been re-hosted on Archive of Our Own. 
In following years, opinions regarding the forum's culture and fanwork output by both its former userbase and TF2's newer fanbase have been mixed. This is due in large part to fannish drift and loss of overall cultural context. Most of TF2's fanbase as of the 2020s have only heard of the website through word of mouth and rumor, and likely have never used a messageboard themselves, let alone were familiar with messageboard culture circa 2009. Some former regulars have expressed discomfort with what they saw as a culture of casual racism on the board, including offensive nicknames for Demoman, a Black character"Interview with Lakida." "s: oh boy I remember a LOT of casual racism on the chan. like the 'nickname' for demoman.
l: Yyyyyeah. It’s why kilo bounced and why I eventually bounced.", accessed June 14, 2024.. Others disagree with this characterization.
TF2chan goes on and offline, and it is currently unstable for its use as a forum as of December 2023. It runs on Kusaba X. There was also an active PaintChat Room. The website also hosted secret santas, called TF2chan Secret Santa Exchange, for three years (2011-2013), and it had its own steam group called TF2 Circlejerk.
==Before 2008==
Before 2008, most of TF2's Slash was shared on online forums and imageboards, such as 4chan's /v/, Oekaki, plus4chan, YouTube, and Valve's own Steamcommunity forum. TF2chan was created so that these fanworks wouldn't be flamed by non-slash fans or otherwise deleted for being adult content. Although no posts from 2008 currently exist on TF2chan itself, its steam group has posts from as early as March 2008.
==Rules==
Along with Global Rules, there was also rules specifically for Art Boards. Legal and Addendum information was available as well.
==Etiquette==
Along with Rules, there were also etiquette suggestions.
== The Crocosnipalypse ==
During the summer of 2010, troublesome moderation made many regulars of the forum leave. This summer is referred to as The Crocosnipalypse by the mod team which replaced the previous one.
== DICKS EVERYWHERE ==
DICKS EVERYWHERE was implemented as a word filter. The exact phrase likely comes from when TF2 fans not accustomed to shipping culture found the adult works on the website, complaining that the website had "dicks everywhere." When clicking on a board, there's a chance for a horde of floating dick gifs to fly across the screen. This was added in an update in 2013.
== Threads of Note ==
* Toast to the TF2 fandom by PerryJ, where regulars reminisce on the board and Team Fortress 2 fandom as a whole.
* Ideas to Make This Site Suck Less by Cat Bountry, recommending ideas for the boards future in 2013.
* On the subject of /workshop/ by Nevvyland, suggesting the board went downhill with the introduction of /workshop/.
== TF2chan from 2015-current ==
== References/Further Reading ==
Category:Team Fortress 2
Category:Forums
Category:2008 Forums
Category:Chans
Category:2000s Forums
Category:2010s Forums
Category:Slash Forums