Topic: Wayback Machine

Brewster Kahle of the Internet Archive discussed the potential for AI to make digital libraries more interactive and searchable. Despite ongoing copyright lawsuits in the U.S., the organization continues to archive over a billion URLs daily, with the Wayback Machine now hosting 900 billion pages. The archive also preserves unique collections, such as 78rpm records and the recently deleted MTV News digital archives.

CNN aired a hit piece on Dr. Joseph Mercola, labeling him the "ultimate super spreader" of COVID-19 misinformation. The report relies on data from the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which placed Mercola at the top of their "Disinformation Dozen" list. The hosts note that the Wayback Machine has reportedly removed Mercola's archives and question the funding of the UK-based non-profit behind the list.

A data leak from the UK's National Health Service (NHS) revealed that its COVID-19 app was designed to collect extensive personal information, including sexuality, occupation, and vehicle registration. Although the information was briefly posted and then removed from a government website, it was preserved on the Wayback Machine. This incident has fueled concerns about the long-term goal of implementing a universal digital identification and tracking system.

Johns Hopkins University recently retracted an article from its newsletter that analyzed U.S. death rates during the pandemic. The analysis, presented by Genevieve Briand, suggested that total deaths in 2020 remained consistent with previous years, with COVID-19 deaths potentially offsetting declines in deaths from heart disease and influenza. Although the university pulled the article citing a need for further review, the content remains accessible via the Wayback Machine.

MSNBC host Joy Reid issued a public apology for homophobic blog posts from a decade ago. Initially, she claimed her blog had been hacked, but later "owned" the comments while simultaneously stating she did not recognize the person who wrote them. The apology is criticized as a "PC cop-out" that uses passive-aggressive language to avoid true accountability.

Archival clips reveal Senator Chuck Schumer previously advocated for a "grand" military parade in New York City, contradicting current Democratic opposition to Trump's proposal. Similarly, clips of Barack Obama taking credit for a "booming" stock market are used to highlight media hypocrisy, as current commentators criticize Trump for doing the same. The "Wayback Machine" segment aims to expose shifting political narratives.

The entire archive of the defunct GeoCities web hosting service has been made available as a one-terabyte torrent. The hosts discuss the importance of saving web pages as PDFs or local files to prevent information loss due to "404" errors and corporate shutdowns.