Online archives are vanishing, taking our history with them.
The article discusses the looming threat of a "Digital Dark Age" as online archives, including Google's URL shortener service, are disappearing. This phenomenon is exacerbated by social networks shutting down, digital journalism sites closing, and companies removing their online products, leading to a significant portion of the web becoming inaccessible. The degradation of links and the shift towards digital storage without proper preservation mechanisms are causing concern. Efforts such as the Wayback Machine are vital for preserving digital content, but they face challenges like paywalls and AI blocking. The article highlights the importance of digital archives in maintaining our collective history and memory, and warns against the risks of self-inflicted cultural amnesia.
The article discusses the looming threat of a "Digital Dark Age" as online archives, including Google's URL shortener service, are disappearing. This phenomenon is exacerbated by social networks shutting down, digital journalism sites closing, and companies removing their online products, leading to a significant portion of the web becoming inaccessible. The degradation of links and the shift towards digital storage without proper preservation mechanisms are causing concern. Efforts such as the Wayback Machine are vital for preserving digital content, but they face challenges like paywalls and AI blocking. The article highlights the importance of digital archives in maintaining our collective history and memory, and warns against the risks of self-inflicted cultural amnesia.
