Project Overview:
The #MakingHistory project, spearheaded by the Open Media Network (#OMN), aims to create a decentralized and community-driven archive of the "commons" – a collection of grassroots, activist, and historical material shared (federated) across a wide network of people and community groups and organisations. By leveraging the existing infrastructure and principles of the OMN, the project democratizes access to information and empowers people and communities to curate and preserve their shared heritage.

* Archiving Nodes: Establishing archiving nodes within the OMN network to enable people to selectively archive hashtags and content of interest, providing a decentralized and distributed approach to content preservation.

* Lossy View: Implementing a "lossy" view that allows people to visualize what content is backed up across the network, enabling informed decisions on archiving priorities and focus areas.

* Collaboration with Institutions: Collaborating with institutions such as libraries, archive.org, universities, and other traditional archival entities to ensure structured backup and preservation of archived content in more formalized settings.

Project Implementation:
The implementation of the #MakingHistory project involves several key steps:

* Instance Setup: Establishing archiving nodes, equipped with specialized templates for archiving and preserving content. These nodes allow users to contribute to the archive by selectively archiving hashtags and relevant content.

* Lossy View Serendipity: Developing a lossy view that provides people with insights into what content is backed up across the network. This feature will enable people to make informed decisions about their archiving efforts and prioritize content preservation based on community needs and interests.

* Collaborative Partnerships: Building partnerships with traditional archival institutions to ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of archived content. These partnerships will involve sharing archived material and collaborating on preservation initiatives to ensure the sustainability of the archive.

Funding Needs:
To realize the objectives of the #MakingHistory project, funding support is required for:

* Technical Development: Paying skilled developers to build and maintain the code and rollout archiving nodes, lossy view feature, and wider technical aspects of the project.

* Community Engagement: Conducting outreach and engagement efforts to onboard people and communities to the archiving nodes, as well as raising awareness about the project and its goals.

* Collaborative Partnerships: Establishing and maintaining partnerships with traditional archival institutions, including coordination efforts and resource sharing for long-term preservation.

Impact:
By supporting the #MakingHistory project, funders will contribute to the creation of a federated decentralized and community-driven archive of grassroots, activist, and historical material, preserving the collective heritage of diverse communities. The project aims to democratize access to information, empower people and communities to create, curate and preserve their shared history, and foster collaboration between grassroots initiatives and traditional archival institutions.

Conclusion:
The #MakingHistory project represents a pivotal opportunity to democratize archiving and empower communities to preserve their shared heritage in a decentralized and collaborative manner. With funding support, we can realize this vision and build a resilient and inclusive archive that celebrates the diversity and richness of our collective history. Thank you for considering this funding proposal.