How to save websites for long periods of time
A common pattern we’ve seen with websites – especially for academic groups – is for them to remain active for several years before funding runs out. Then what? Usually the site disappears from the internet forever. And when this happens valuable research and other useful information disappears with it. Link rot is real: studies have found that 98% of everything on the web is gone in 20 years. For this reason, we’ve started using Arweave to save working static copies of our WordPress websites ‘permanently’. Clients have really appreciated it. And we’ve grown to see the potential of using Arweave’s long-term storage with WordPress. This seminar at WordCamp Vancouver 2023 unpacks the issue of link rot, introduces Arweave, and demonstrates the practical steps for preserving your WordPress website for generations.
See slides or notes from the talk given at WordCamp Vancouver in 2023