Should the Web Be archive.org?
There’s a consensus that porting the [LinuxJournal site] to archive.org is the answer. Jon Udell, a highly respected developer says on Twitter that redirecting to archive.org, as Doug Kaye does, is the “gold standard” for preserving sites.
I’ve always resisted this, instead preferring that we take steps to make the web itself more permanent.
Archive.org is great, but I agree that it’s unsatisfying that the Web itself can’t be preserved.
I understand the complaints, and no, the web should not just be Archive.org (which I cherish for its unparalleled ability to archive not just websites but content as well), but how would the "native preservation" function? People are not going to pay for hosting and domain fees indefinitely for dead sites. Archive.org seems like a decent home for dead sites.