Link: The quickly disappearing web

Every few days, I receive emails inquiring about hard-to-find articles I've authored from different people such as researchers and journalists, expressing their frustration about broken links. They are individuals eager to trace back ideas and deepen their understanding of various cultural dialogues, but are hindered by missing online content.

A recent study by the Pew Research Center highlights that approximately 38 percent of webpages available in 2013 are no longer accessible. Digital decay occurs due to various reasons such as URL changes or the disappearance of entire websites, posing significant challenges especially in the realm of news and academia.

I myself have resorted to using the Wayback Machine to retrieve lost content and now preemptively upload PDFs of my work to my personal site. This is my effort to safeguard my articles, stemming from numerous experiences of losing them to website closures and unrepaired system hacks.

Defining oneself as a "writer" becomes complex when your works are elusive, creating a crisis of professional and personal identity. The vanishing of one's creative outputs feels akin to a metaphorical death, diminishing both the visibility and interpretability of their work.

The internet, once seen as a perennial archive, now experiences frequent losses of data and content, reshaped by the dissolution of websites and the whims of their owners. The false permanence of digital information challenges historical preservation and personal legacy, casting a shadow of impermanence over digital media.

This ongoing issue sparks important discussions about what should be preserved and who decides what remains part of our collective memory. This dialogue is crucial in shaping how we value careers, artistic contributions, and ultimately, how we preserve our cultural heritage. #

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Yoooo, this is a quick note on a link that made me go, WTF? Find all past links here.