Sites are constantly changing, updating with stories and even new layouts, making it a challenge to find something you read or saw years ago. If your online writing is on a third-party site, anything they do could spell the end of your work online. In today’s political climate, keeping a record of political promises or missteps is more important than ever. If you’re not using Archive.org’s Wayback Machine to dig up (or save) old pages, tweets about your former employer, or images, you should get in the habit.
It’s easy to archive whatever page you’re on with a bookmarklet, according to Poynter’s Ren LaForme and Kristen Hare. As journalists, they use the site to save pertinent stories that may prove useful to revisit in the future.
Archving the site using the Wayback Machine ensures they (or anyone else) can view the content in its original form, before anything is edited or removed.
If you’re a Chrome user, the Wayback Machine Chrome extension is perfect for archiving current pages or viewing the most recent or oldest archived version.
These free Wayback Machine hacks will make you a better online sleuth | Poynter