Podcast Summary
Link Rot: 40% of web pages from 2013 are no longer accessible due to Link Rot, caused by people stopping payments for domains or intentionally removing content, and the decentralized nature of the web emphasizes up-to-date information which can lead to the loss of valuable old information.
While you can currently enjoy fantastic discounts on advanced gaming systems like the Alienware M18 laptop at Alienware.com, the internet is facing a different issue: Link Rot. This phenomenon refers to the disappearance of online content, with almost 40% of web pages from 2013 no longer accessible. Reasons for this include people stopping payments for domains or intentionally removing content. However, according to Claire Stanton from Harvard Law School's Library Innovation Lab, the decentralized nature of the web and its emphasis on up-to-date information contribute to this issue. While it's beneficial for information to be editable and updated, the removal of old information can be detrimental to those who still need it. So, as you take advantage of the limited-time deals at Alienware.com, remember that preserving digital information is an ongoing challenge.
Web archiving challenges: The decentralized nature of the internet and evolving technology make web archiving a constant challenge, with bot detection being a recent obstacle.
The decentralized nature of the internet, which was once a feature, now poses significant challenges for archiving and preserving historical web content. The infrastructure and technology of the web are constantly evolving, making it a cat-and-mouse game for those trying to archive websites. A recent example of this challenge is the increasing use of bot detection technology by websites, which can block archiving bots and make it difficult to preserve the content. Despite these challenges, the importance of archiving web content for historical and cultural heritage reasons remains crucial.
Alienware deals: Alienware's Black Friday and July deals offer savings on powerful next-gen PCs, gaming monitors, and electronics, including the M18 laptop with Intel Core i9 processor, awe-inspiring visuals, liquid cooling, three-dimensional audio with Dolby Atmos, and impressive overclocking potential. Shop online at Alienware.com/deals for access to leading-edge gaming technology and free shipping.
Alienware's Black Friday and July deals are now live, offering savings on next-gen PCs, gaming monitors, mice, and other electronics. The Alienware M18 laptop, in particular, is a powerful option with an Intel Core i9 processor, awe-inspiring visuals, liquid cooling, three-dimensional audio with Dolby Atmos, and impressive overclocking potential. Shopping online at Alienware.com/deals grants access to leading-edge gaming technology and free shipping. Regarding the topic of link rot, research indicates that government and academic websites are more prone to becoming unavailable due to their consistent change of content and administration. The problem of link rot is a growing concern as older content on the internet becomes more likely to disappear. However, it's unclear if the rate of link rot is accelerating. The web is constantly evolving, and as time passes, older content becomes increasingly vulnerable to disappearance.
Digital infrastructure and historical record: The shift from browsers to proprietary apps on phones for internet access poses a challenge to preserving historical records and understanding our past and current society in the future due to the loss of access to important information and context caused by broken links.
The way we interact with the digital world has significantly changed over the past few decades, and this shift has important implications for our historical record and understanding of culture. Many people no longer use browsers to access the internet but instead rely on proprietary apps on their phones. This digital infrastructure holds a vast amount of information and heritage, but what happens when these sites expire or contain broken links? The loss of access to important information and context can be frustrating in the present, but the real impact is on our ability to understand our past and current society in the future. As Professor Jonathan Zitrin of Harvard Law School Library stated, "society can't understand itself if it can't be honest with itself," and the changing web makes it difficult to be honest with ourselves about our history. According to Pew Research, around half of Wikipedia pages, a quarter of government websites, and a fifth of news sites contain broken links. The inability to access historical records is a downside for society as a whole.
Digital content preservation: Organizations like the Internet Archive help preserve digital content, ensuring valuable information and history are not lost forever, even when popular sources disappear
Even when popular websites and sources of history, like MTV News, disappear unexpectedly due to financial issues or other reasons, organizations like the Internet Archive can help preserve their content for future generations. Last month, MTV News, which had been a staple of music and pop culture news for over two decades, suddenly disappeared when its parent company Paramount Global shut it down. Despite the website's closure, the Internet Archive stepped in to preserve the content by creating a searchable collection on the Wayback Machine. This is a reminder that it's important to have organizations dedicated to preserving digital content, as it ensures that valuable information and history are not lost forever. This is especially crucial for areas like music and pop culture, which shape our collective memory and identity. So, even when it seems that something valuable has been lost, there's always a chance that it can be preserved and made accessible once again.