Stephen Downes

The reason my website exists is that I learned early on that, contrary to what people say, the web is not forever. Databases can become corrupt, content can be moderated out of existence, discussion boards can be closed or acquired, companies can go out of business, governments can try to change history. I haven't tried to archieve other people's content beyond my own summaries, partially for legal reasons but mostly for practical reasons. In this post, Ian O'Byrne argues we should set aside these reasons and start archiving now. Track every draft, he writes, capture the 'behind the scenes', archive on publication, and support rich metadata. "By embracing a culture of redundancy, openness, and community engagement, we can ensure that the web remains a reliable, enduring home for research and teaching. Let's start today, because the history we save now will be tomorrow's foundation."