Meet the Activist Archivists Saving the Internet From the Digital Dustbin

When a website is shut down, its contents are at risk of being lost forever. That's where the Archive Team comes in.

By Mark Hill
May 12, 2021 9:15 PMMay 12, 2021 9:14 PM
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(Credit: rawf8/Shutterstock)

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Websites die constantly. The sheer size of the internet makes it feel like a permanent fixture, but individual pages only live an estimated 90 days before they change or vanish. At the same time, every single page has potential historical value. Maybe a future scholar will want to read a local news article that disappeared when the paper redesigned its website, or a political candidate is purging troublesome old statements. Perhaps someone will just want to revisit a video that made them laugh decades ago.

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