The Importance of Archiving in a Fragmented Digital Culture

This chapter explores the decline of monoculture in the digital landscape and the crucial role of archiving in preserving internet history. It emphasizes the need for careful documentation amidst the fragmentation of online experiences and the spread of misinformation.

Transcript

chevron_right

Play full episode

chevron_right

Transcript

Episode notes

Thank you to BRITA for supporting the podcast, helping us keep our deep dives going, and, of course, keeping us hydrated! Check out BRITA here: https://www.brita.com.au/turnonthetaste

In this episode, I explore the evolution of digital decay and the preservation efforts by non-profit organisation The Internet Archive, owner of the Wayback Machine. I look at instances of mass content erasure online— such as Myspace, Vine, and Gawker— before answering the question: Why is it so important that we preserve internet history?

Timestamps:

00:40 Intro

3:44 What is the Internet Archive and why was it created?

8:40 Challenges and threats to the Internet Archive

12:58 Lost social media: Myspace & Vine

16:04 The importance of longevity and information protection

17:31 The Internet Archive as a “check” on media

23:03 Archiving content & misinformation

Find our podcast YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC18HclY7Tt5-1e3Z-MEP7Jg

Subscribe to our weekly Substack: https://centennialworld.substack.com/

Join our Geneva home: https://links.geneva.com/invite/7eb23525-9259-4d59-95e3-b9edd35861a5

Follow Lauren on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenmeisner_/