[game_preservation] Preserving Websites

[Melanie Swalwell]

As a very general comment, this is something that National Libraries 
tend to be interested in.  I know this from an n of 2.  Some have 
initiatives in this area (eg. the Pandora Project, at the National 
Library of Australia), while others point to the Wayback Machine.  It 
now seems to be a relatively straightforward thing for such institutions 
to accept that websites constitute "digital culture" and so are worthy 
of keeping in some way.  Getting the corresponding argument about 
software accepted is, however, another thing entirely.


Andrew Armstrong wrote:

> We need to look at some point into helping preserve websites - 

> especially ones that simply cease to be. I brought this up off list a 

> bit with Henry and Simon a while back - what pipqued my interest again 

> was this:

>

> http://www.gamecyte.com/rip-gamecyte-2008-2009

>

> A site I don't think I've ever visited, and if not then I can't recall 

> it from memory. It was operating for an entire year, and I'd no clue. 

> Well, it's stopping - but no doubt this is something to preserve in 

> some way if they then switch off the hosting next month.

>

> The IA crawlers are okay in general, for sites which don't go out of 

> business or offline, and if they are setup properly. However many 

> sites are not crawled often enough, certainly not to the level of 

> accuracy that would be acceptable for preservation (see the example 

> HotU!)

>

> Jason Scott created a task force more dedicated to grabbing sites 

> while they are still online, 

> http://www.archiveteam.org/index.php?title=Main_Page - I will join 

> their group to see how they operate, and see if I can help or do 

> something.

>

> This is a possible project we can look at working on continually - 

> while the IGDA is both a developer orientated group (give or take) and 

> hasn't got the funding to do a physical archive, I can help put my 

> efforts into this (along with any help we're able to get) just because 

> I don't think many other places (any other places?) think about this 

> and other area's we're working on.

>

> My thoughts are to maybe just for now list websites which are 

> basically shutting with their "death date" and then requesting off the 

> owners/webmasters if possible an archived copy of the site for at 

> least dark storage on the Internet Archive, if not public access. I've 

> no idea if the more accurate/on demand Wayback scanner is another 

> route to take, although doens't that require payment to use? (while we 

> have no money ;) )

>

> Thanks in advance to anyone provides a comment, I'd not mind knowing 

> if this was worth working on in the future.

>

> Andrew

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-- 
Dr Melanie Swalwell
Senior Lecturer, Screen and Media
& Course Coordinator, B. Media
Flinders University
GPO Box 2100
Adelaide SA 5001

125B Humanities Bldg

Ph: +61 8 8201 2619
Fax: +61 8 8201 3635

melanie.swalwell at flinders.edu.au