Together, these uncertainties and frustrations speak to why it’s important to preserve sites like Gawker in their original condition. While digital archives provide a valuable service—buffering against the total loss of the internet’s past and showing us sites as they once were—they can’t replace sites themselves.
I’m not arguing the worth of the written word on Gawker.com and its importance 100 years from now. I’m arguing that all written-works should be preserved, even those on Gawker.com.