The Way Forward
Contributing to the metadata supply chain and bridging the information gap. DARA plans for the future.
We had another meeting with Wayback Machine’s managing director on Thursday. Wayback is a part of the Internet Archive, established in 1996, and its MD is certainly one of the most influential people in the world when it comes to archives.
Since inception ‘The Archive’ has sought to define standards for archival and influence legislation surrounding copyright. They operate dozens of projects, great and small, and they archive all kinds of media, including music and video.
Outside of the Internet Archive, whose aspiration is to create a Library of Alexandra 2.0, there are dozens of organisations worldwide - academic, governmental, charitable, private - who are concerned with the business of knowledge preservation.
The Metadata Supply Chain
Mass archival of knowledge demands rules and structure when it comes to organising and indexing billions of assets.
In order for DARA to best contribute to the ecosystem of knowledge preservation we will attempt to honour these open standards, and where necessary elaborate on them. Standards like MARC 21, ZWI and WARC will be observed as we continue to develop DARA, and we will apply for membership to the plethora of organisations involved in defining these standards.
Standards compliance in DARA will permit data sharing between ourselves and other data aggregators and knowledge collectors. By observing standards our products are more likely to add value to the archival and publishing industries and strengthen the metadata supply chain.
The Way Forward
We have always said that partnership, collaboration and participation is the best way for DARA to develop and grow. We now add standards compliance to that list.
As with the tree which symbolises our project, our roots grow steadily and organically in the fullness of time. The relationships we develop with others are cultivated with patience and precision.
We are grateful for the time the leaders of these organisations have already given us, whether Greg Newby (Project Gutenberg), Mark Graham (The Wayback Machine), Brendan Eich (Brave), Luke Mulks (Brave), Tim Chambers (KSF), Larry Sanger (KSF), or any of the many others we’re in contact with.
In gratitude we support their initiatives as well as our own. We try to match their advice and support with imagination and drive. We would not reach out to them if we didn’t believe we had something original to offer.
So henceforth we have an open line with The Archive as we seek to cultivate what should prove a symbiotic and mutually beneficial relationship.
After all, how could we in good faith create something like a personal Wayback Machine without consulting the Wayback Machine itself? Of course we couldn’t, and we’re happy to say we won’t.
Bridging the Gap
Project DARA has often echoed the words of Project Gutenberg founder Micheal S. Hart, the Internet pioneer who envisioned “bridging the gap between the information rich and the information poor.”
DARA will help bridge this gap by bridging the technological and cultural gaps which have hitherto prevented Micheal’s dream from reaching fruition, at least until now.
Thanks, and have a great weekend.
The DARA Team
Unstoppable Knowledge, Forever DARA.