Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1337
GitHub will store all of its public open source code in an Arctic vault
At its Universe Developer Conference two days ago, GitHub announced its Archive Program -- its plan to preserve all of its open source software for future generations. The program will see this data stored on an ongoing basis across various data formats and locations, including in the Arctic World Archive, a vault hidden 250 meters within an Arctic mountain in Svalbard. The Doomsday seed vault is just around the corner.
The data is stored on reels of film coated with iron oxide powder. It can be read by a computer or -- in the event of a global power outage -- a human with a magnifying glass. Crucially, this film will last for 1,000 years. Among the first data deposit at the vault is the source code for Android and Linux operations systems, as well as a range of programming languages, web platforms, cryptocurrencies and AI tools. GitHub is planning on having all active public repositories stored by February 2020.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 19 2019, @06:29AM (2 children)
Would there not be inactive projects worth keeping for prosperity?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 19 2019, @06:34AM
Not to mention all the spam and deleted projects.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by eravnrekaree on Tuesday November 19 2019, @03:14PM
Inactive projects may still be used, it could be due to the project being mature so it no longer needs frequent updates, but people may still be using it. Inactive projects also should be preserved for a historical interest. It is also often the case that after the original author has stopped working on a project, others may in the future decide to use the project and find it useful in the future, maybe even years later. Just because it is inactive does not mean it won't be useful to someone else.