archive of shut-down Geocities released as 1TB torrent - GoFuckYourself.com

CYF · 10-29-2010, 04:29 PM

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/201...-torrent.shtml

Quote:

Archive Of Geocities Released As A 1TB Torrent
from the archiving-history dept

In early 2009, Yahoo announced that it was going to put Geocities out of its misery and finally shut down the site entirely, even as it was still getting 11 million unique visitors per month. Soon after the announcement, we had heard about some projects to try to archive the entire site (with some claims that it couldn't be done in time). The actual shut down occurred almost exactly a year ago, and yet a group calling itself The Archive Team is apparently releasing its entire Geocities archive, blinking flashing "under construction signs" and all, as a nearly 1 TB torrent. They don't think they got everything, but do believe they archived "a significant percentage" of the site.

GrouchyAdmin · 10-29-2010, 04:34 PM

I can't think of a better way to waste a terabyte than old geocities pages. Boy, howdy.

BIGTYMER · 10-29-2010, 04:36 PM

Good stuff man!

signupdamnit · 10-29-2010, 04:37 PM

The thing is someday this information might be considered near priceless to someone. Hard to believe, but true.

Like this:

Quote:

ruth (profile), Oct 29th, 2010 @ 8:29am

This is where I am. I don't have the space for all that. All I care about is my friend's profile. I would love to read it. She was an avid Geocities user...she took her life about 3 yrs ago & would be nice to reflect back on what she wrote. If I could just download her profile only. But not all of geocities.

Highest Def · 10-29-2010, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrouchyAdmin

I can't think of a better way to waste a terabyte than old geocities pages. Boy, howdy.

Headed to Best Buy now.

Funny story, but as usual, the comments on that article are where it gets REAL funny.

trevesty · 10-29-2010, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by signupdamnit

The thing is someday this information might be considered near priceless to someone. Hard to believe, but true.

Yep, exactly. Someone on here who maybe started on geocities then launches the next Google.

rowan · 10-29-2010, 05:19 PM

I do search engine research and data mining so I'm interested in this. Wouldn't it be kind of geeky cool to have a search engine dedicated to indexing stale websites from geocities? :D

Question is whether 1TB is the size of the raw data, or the (heavily?) compressed archive...

$5 submissions · 10-29-2010, 05:21 PM

11 million uniques a month.

camgirlshide · 10-29-2010, 05:26 PM

Of course we need to consider the legal implications of putting this content back on the web.

iSpyCams · 10-29-2010, 05:27 PM

I wonder what it would take to get it back up, and if it would even be legal to put it back up.

rowan · 10-29-2010, 05:29 PM

Looks like it's already being done:

http://www.reocities.com/neighborhoods/
http://www.oocities.com/
http://www.archive.org/web/geocities.php

signupdamnit · 10-29-2010, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowan

I do search engine research and data mining so I'm interested in this. Wouldn't it be kind of geeky cool to have a search engine dedicated to indexing stale websites from geocities? :D

Question is whether 1TB is the size of the raw data, or the (heavily?) compressed archive...

I'd kill to get raw access to archive.org's database. Talk about the ultimate in data mining. They used to offer it and I recall seriously considering it and reading some of the details but the links to more information about it seem dead.

Quote:

Can I search the Archive?

Using the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, it is possible to search for the names of sites contained in the Archive (URLs) and to specify date ranges for your search. We hope to implement a full text search engine at some point in the future.

Quote:

Who has access to the collections? What about the public?

Anyone can access our collections through our website archive.org. The web archive can be searched using the Wayback Machine.

The Archive makes the collections available at no cost to researchers, historians, and scholars. At present, it takes someone with a certain level of technical knowledge to access collections in a way other than our website, but there is no requirement that a user be affiliated with any particular organization.

http://www.archive.org/about/faqs.php

http://www.archive.org/web/researche...nded_users.php (dead link - but if I remember right it gave a lot of information on how the collection worked and gaining access after requesting it. I believe they took it offline mainly due to funding and technical issues -- at least that's what I think the page claimed last when I read it?)

They also tried to grab a lot of Geocities stuff: http://www.archive.org/web/geocities.php

Hopefully they merge this new collection with their own.

</rambling about archive.org since someone got me thinking of it from another topic>

rowan · 10-29-2010, 05:41 PM

Copying the entire archive.org database would present some technical challenges! That's like 30 partial archives of the entire internet :D

PAR · 10-29-2010, 05:46 PM

Download it..
Toss it on a server..
Add banner..
Let people make simple blogs on the same url.

signupdamnit · 10-29-2010, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowan

Copying the entire archive.org database would present some technical challenges! That's like 30 partial archives of the entire internet :D

No kidding! But finally implementing the full text search would be the ultimate accomplishment -with regexp as well would be badass. I'm surprised Google hasn't picked it up although it'd probably bring up all sorts of new copyright and privacy issues as all that shit comes back alive. But man... all that information.

garce · 10-29-2010, 05:48 PM

archive.org has more of my old work archived than I do.

Elli · 10-29-2010, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garce

archive.org has more of my old work archived than I do.

you can say that again!

Chris · 10-29-2010, 06:08 PM

my mom started an adoption search service on geocities and now runs a fulltime private investigation firm that specializes in adoptions .. all from her geocities site :P

BlackCrayon · 10-29-2010, 07:24 PM

i wish i could get my site out of that mess.

Angry Jew Cat - Banned for Life · 10-29-2010, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by signupdamnit

The thing is someday this information might be considered near priceless to someone. Hard to believe, but true.

Like this:

Develop a way to sift through all that crap efficiently, and you could have yourself an excellent database to mine content from

10-29-2010, 04:34 PM	#2
GrouchyAdmin Now choke yourself! Industry Role: Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 12,085	I can't think of a better way to waste a terabyte than old geocities pages. Boy, howdy. __________________ AIM: GrouchyGfy

10-29-2010, 05:21 PM	#8
$5 submissions I help you SUCCEED Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The Pearl of the Orient Seas Posts: 32,195	11 million uniques a month. __________________ Need a NON-ADULT income stream? We build your YOUTUBE CHANNEL for only $20 per video! For Hire: $3/hour or $400 per month Marketing Specialist Virtual Assistants

10-29-2010, 05:26 PM	#9
camgirlshide Confirmed User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,558	Of course we need to consider the legal implications of putting this content back on the web. __________________ Useful adult webmaster links - Alphabetical list of solo models with webcam Stats on my best converting affiliate programs - camgirlshide webmaster blog complete list of affiliate programs I use.

10-29-2010, 05:29 PM	#11
rowan Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 17,393	Looks like it's already being done: http://www.reocities.com/neighborhoods/ http://www.oocities.com/ http://www.archive.org/web/geocities.php Last edited by rowan; 10-29-2010 at 05:30 PM..

10-29-2010, 06:08 PM	#18
Chris Too lazy to set a custom title Industry Role: Join Date: May 2003 Location: icq: 71462500 Skype: Jupzchris Posts: 27,880	my mom started an adoption search service on geocities and now runs a fulltime private investigation firm that specializes in adoptions .. all from her geocities site :P __________________ [email protected]

10-29-2010, 04:36 PM	#3
BIGTYMER Junior Achiever Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Walled Garden Posts: 17,066	Good stuff man!

10-29-2010, 05:19 PM	#7
rowan Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 17,393	I do search engine research and data mining so I'm interested in this. Wouldn't it be kind of geeky cool to have a search engine dedicated to indexing stale websites from geocities? :D Question is whether 1TB is the size of the raw data, or the (heavily?) compressed archive...

10-29-2010, 05:27 PM	#10
iSpyCams Amateur Gynecologist Industry Role: Join Date: May 2009 Location: Medellin Posts: 4,436	I wonder what it would take to get it back up, and if it would even be legal to put it back up.

10-29-2010, 05:41 PM	#13
rowan Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 17,393	Copying the entire archive.org database would present some technical challenges! That's like 30 partial archives of the entire internet :D

10-29-2010, 05:46 PM	#14
PAR Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,835	Download it.. Toss it on a server.. Add banner.. Let people make simple blogs on the same url.

10-29-2010, 05:48 PM	#16
garce Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Toronto Posts: 7,103	archive.org has more of my old work archived than I do.

10-29-2010, 07:24 PM	#19
BlackCrayon Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ottawa Posts: 19,631	i wish i could get my site out of that mess. __________________ you don't know you're wearing a leash if you sit by the peg all day..