Internet Archive

Was at a meeting yesterday at the Golden Gate Club in the Presidio in San Francisco. When we drove in, I noticed a sign that said, “Internet Archive” by a non-descript, old Presidio base building. It was the HQ of Brewster Kahle‘s Internet Archive (IA).

I was compelled to pay ’em a visit since I’ve been enamored with this phenomenal project since its inception, and often use the Wayback Machine, various content, or poke around inside Ourmedia.org (housed and managed by the IA). A guy named Tim and I headed over there right after the meeting. A sign on the door said they were open on Friday 1-4pm for drop-in’s (appointments only otherwise) and we turned around to leave. Tim said, “Hey! It’s after 1pm and it’s Friday” so we went inside.

Since everything is stored as bits on servers housed elsewhere, there isn’t much to see. Didn’t matter. As a huge fan of the IA for a very long time, it was simply a delight to be there. Bumped into JD Lasica again (heads up Ourmedia, is an author…more here) and we chatted briefly. Our tour guide Paul gave us a nickel tour and we chatted a bit.

If you’re not aware of IA…you should be. In the future, cultural anthropologists will praise the foresight and vision of Brewster Kahle. Even I am so delighted by the old training films, World’s Fair footage, old auto commercials, and other elements that give even the casual observer a glimpse into culture and times gone by.