{"id":455321,"date":"2022-05-30T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-30T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-is-link-rot-and-how-does-it-threaten-the-web\/"},"modified":"2022-05-30T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-05-30T12:00:00","slug":"what-is-link-rot-and-how-does-it-threaten-the-web","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-link-rot-and-how-does-it-threaten-the-web\/","title":{"rendered":"#What is Link Rot, and How Does It Threaten the Web?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3a867a003b4\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3a867a003b4\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-link-rot-and-how-does-it-threaten-the-web\/#%E2%80%9CWhat_is_Link_Rot_and_How_Does_It_Threaten_the_Web%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;What is Link Rot, and How Does It Threaten the Web?&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-link-rot-and-how-does-it-threaten-the-web\/#What_Is_Link_Rot\" >What Is Link Rot?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-link-rot-and-how-does-it-threaten-the-web\/#Why_Does_Link_Rot_Happen\" >Why Does Link Rot Happen?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-link-rot-and-how-does-it-threaten-the-web\/#Whats_So_Bad_About_Losing_Old_Websites\" >What\u2019s So Bad About Losing Old Websites?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-link-rot-and-how-does-it-threaten-the-web\/#Whats_the_Solution_to_Link_Rot\" >What\u2019s the Solution to Link Rot?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWhat_is_Link_Rot_and_How_Does_It_Threaten_the_Web%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;What is Link Rot, and How Does It Threaten the Web?&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-786233\" data-pagespeed-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/broken_link_hero_1200x675.jpg?width=398&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 400w, https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/broken_link_hero_1200x675.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/broken_link_hero_1200x675.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A broken link illustration on a blue background\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-vector\/broken-chain-link-vector-icon-wreck-538496779\">Arcady\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you\u2019ve been browsing the web and hit a 404 error page or an unexpected redirection, you\u2019ve seen link rot in action. Over time, the links that hold the web together break, threatening our shared cultural history. Here\u2019s a look at why that h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ens.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Link_Rot\"><\/span>What Is Link Rot?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Link rot is when links in websites break over time, creating a broken or dead link. By \u201cbroken link,\u201d we mean a link that no longer points to its intended target from when the link was first made. When you click one of these broken links, you get a 404 error or you see the wrong page or website.<\/p>\n<p>Link Rot is common. A 2021 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dash.harvard.edu\/bitstream\/handle\/1\/37367405\/NYT Link Rot.pdf\">Harvard study<\/a> examined hyperlinks in over 550,000 New York Times articles from 1996 to 2019 and found that 25% of links to specific pages were inaccessible, with the rate of decay growing dramatically depending on how old the links were (for example, about 6% of 2018 links were dead verses 72% of 1998 links). Another <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/libres.uncg.edu\/ir\/uncg\/f\/F_Oguz_URL_2016.pdf\">study<\/a> found that out of a set of 360 links gathered in 1995, only 1.6% still worked in 2016.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Does_Link_Rot_Happen\"><\/span>Why Does Link Rot Happen?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The web is a fluid, decentralized medium with no centralized control, so content can become unavailable at any time without warning. Servers come and go, websites shut down, services migrate to new hosts, software gets updates, publications shift to new content management platforms and don\u2019t migrate content, domains expire, and more.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s another related problem on the web called \u201ccontent drift,\u201d where the link remains functional but the content contained in the link has changed since the original link, which can cause trouble because the original author of the link intended to point to different information.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_So_Bad_About_Losing_Old_Websites\"><\/span>What\u2019s So Bad About Losing Old Websites?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s the nature of the world that things decay and disappear. To keep information alive is an active process that takes time, energy, and effort. So the main problem with link rot is not necessarily that we need to store all information forever, but that electronic information and references have potentially become more fragile and vulnerable than paper ones primarily used in the past.<\/p>\n<p>Many authors of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2021\/5\/21\/22447690\/link-rot-research-new-york-times-domain-hijacking\">journalistic articles<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bmcbioinformatics.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/1471-2105-14-S14-S5\">academic papers<\/a>, and even <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abajournal.com\/magazine\/article\/link_rot_is_degrading_legal_research_and_case_cites\">court decisions<\/a> use web links as a citation mechanism for providing vital sources of context to information presented. It\u2019s been a problem with Wikipeda too. As Jonathan Zittrain explained in a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/technology\/archive\/2021\/06\/the-internet-is-a-collective-hallucination\/619320\/\">2021 article<\/a> about link rot for <em>The Atlantic<\/em>, \u201cSourcing is the glue that holds humanity\u2019s knowledge together. It\u2019s what allows you to learn more about what\u2019s only briefly mentioned in an article like this one, and for others to double-check the facts as I represent them to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If links break and sources become unavailable, it\u2019s much harder for a reader to judge whether the author has honestly and accurately represented the original source of information. And even beyond linking, some websites provide information online that can\u2019t be found anywhere else. Losing those pages create gaps in humanity\u2019s collective knowledge and holes in the fabric of our shared culture.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_the_Solution_to_Link_Rot\"><\/span>What\u2019s the Solution to Link Rot?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Experts consider link rot and content drift to be <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/news.ycombinator.com\/item?id=27688090\">endemic to the web<\/a> as it is currently designed. That means it\u2019s a part of the web\u2019s fundamental nature that will not go away unless we try to actively correct or mitigate it.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most effective solutions to the link rot problem so far emerged in 1996 with the Internet Archive, which has maintained a public archive of billions of websites for the past 25 years. If you find a broken link, visit the Internet Archive\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/web\/\">Wayback Machine<\/a> and paste the link into its search bar. If the site has been captured, you\u2019ll be able to browse the results. Or if the site recently went down, it may be possible to view the original content from a cached copy that Google stores.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the Internet Archive, a Harvard-led project called <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/\">Perma.cc<\/a> captures permanent versions of websites with the aim of long-term academic and legal citation. A consortium of libraries maintains the links, so they should stick around for a while. The goal is to create links that don\u2019t rot\u2014they should persist as long as the Perma.cc archive is maintained.<\/p>\n<p>Other potential solutions to link rot are still on the bleeding edge, including potential <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/devops.com\/can-web-3-0-solve-the-linkrot-crisis\/\">Web 3.0 solutions<\/a> and distributed data hosing thanks to protocols such as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ipfs.io\/\">IPFS<\/a>. Although ironically, hundreds of years from now, it\u2019s possible that the only websites from this era that survive will be those that people printed out on paper. Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Print Web Pages Without Ads and Other Clutter<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/786227\/what-is-link-rot-and-how-does-it-threaten-the-web\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;What is Link Rot, and How Does It Threaten the Web?&#8221; Arcady\/Shutterstock.com If you\u2019ve been browsing the web and hit a 404 error page or an unexpected redirection, you\u2019ve seen link rot in action. Over time, the links that hold the web together break, threatening our shared cultural history. Here\u2019s a look at why that&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":455322,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/broken_link_hero_1200x675.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-455321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=455321"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455321\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/455322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=455321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=455321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=455321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}