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QuestionsWhat is the Wayback Machine? How can I get my site included in the Wayback Machine? How can I have my site's pages excluded from the Wayback Machine? What is the Archive-It service of the Internet Archive Wayback Machine? Can I link to old pages on the Wayback Machine? Why isn't the site I'm looking for in the archive? What does it mean when a site's archive data has been "updated"? Who was involved in the creation of the Internet Archive Wayback Machine? How was the Wayback Machine made? How large is the Wayback Machine? What type of machinery is used in this Internet Archive? How do you archive dynamic pages? Why are some sites harder to archive than others? Some sites are not available because of robots.txt or other exclusions. What does that mean? How can I help the Internet Archive and the Wayback Machine? Where is the rest of the archived site? Why am I getting broken or gray images on a site? How do I contact the Internet Archive? What is the Wayback Machine's Copyright Policy? Why is the Internet Archive collecting sites from the Internet? What makes the information useful? Do you collect all the sites on the Web? Is there any personal information in these collections? Who has access to the collections? What about the public? Can people download sites from the Wayback? How do you protect my privacy if you archive my site? What does 'failed connection' and other error messages mean? Why are there no recent archives in the Wayback Machine? How does the Wayback Machine behave with Javascript turned off? Where does the name come from? How do I cite Wayback Machine urls in MLA format? How can I get pages authenticated from the Wayback Machine? How can use the pages in court? |
The Wayback MachineWhat is the Wayback Machine? How can I get my site included in the Wayback Machine?
The Internet Archive Wayback Machine is a service that allows people to visit archived versions of Web sites. Visitors to the Wayback Machine can type in a URL, select a date range, and then begin surfing on an archived version of the Web. Imagine surfing circa 1999 and looking at all the Y2K hype, or revisiting an older version of your favorite Web site. The Internet Archive Wayback Machine can make all of this possible. How can I get my site included in the Wayback Machine? Much of our archived web data comes from our own crawls or from Alexa Internet's crawls. Neither organization has a "crawl my site now!" submission process. Internet Archive's crawls tend to find sites that are well linked from other sites. The best way to ensure that we find your web site is to make sure it is included in online directories and that similar/related sites link to you. Alexa Internet uses its own methods to discover sites to crawl. It may be helpful to install the free Alexa toolbar and visit the site you want crawled to make sure they know about it. Regardless of who is crawling the site, you should ensure that your site's 'robots.txt' rules and in-page META robots directives do not tell crawlers to avoid your site. When a site is crawled, there is usually at least a 6-month lag, and sometimes as much as a 24-month lag, between the date that web pages are crawled and when they appear in the Wayback Machine. In some cases, crawled content from certain projects may appear in a much shorter timeframe — as little as a few weeks from when it was crawled. Older material for the same pages and sites may still appear separately, months later. Yahoo is closing Geocities. Now what? The Internet Archive has set up this page to help people submit Geocities sites for preservation: http://www.archive.org/web/geocities.php Yahoo also provides this information: http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/geocities/close/ How can I have my site's pages excluded from the Wayback Machine? You can exclude your site from display in the Wayback Machine by placing a simple robots.txt file on your Web server. Here are directions on how to automatically exclude your site. If you cannot place the robots.txt file, opt not to, or have further questions, email us at info at archive dot org.
What is the Archive-It service of the Internet Archive Wayback Machine?
For information on the Archive-It subscription service that allows institutions to build and preserve collections of born digital content, see http://www.archive.org/about/faqs.php#Archive-It Can I link to old pages on the Wayback Machine? Yes! The Wayback Machine is built so that it can be used and referenced. If you find an archived page that you would like to reference on your Web page or in an article, you can copy the URL. You can even use fuzzy URL matching and date specification... but that's a bit more advanced. Why isn't the site I'm looking for in the archive? Some sites may not be included because the automated crawlers were unaware of their existence at the time of the crawl. It's also possible that some sites were not archived because they were password protected, blocked by robots.txt, or otherwise inaccessible to our automated systems. Siteowners might have also requested that their sites be excluded from the Wayback Machine. When this has occurred, you will see a "blocked site error" message. When a site is excluded because of robots.txt you will see a "robots.txt query exclusion error" message. What does it mean when a site's archive data has been "updated"? When our automated systems crawl the web every few months or so, we find that only about 50% of all pages on the web have changed from our previous visit. This means that much of the content in our archive is duplicate material. If you don't see ""*"" next to an archived document, then the content on the archived page is identical to the previously archived copy. Who was involved in the creation of the Internet Archive Wayback Machine? "The original idea for the Internet Archive Wayback Machine began in 1996, when the Internet Archive first began archiving the web. Now, five years later, with over 100 terabytes and a dozen web crawls completed, the Internet Archive has made the Internet Archive Wayback Machine available to the public. The Internet Archive has relied on donations of web crawls, technology, and expertise from Alexa Internet and others. The Internet Archive Wayback Machine is owned and operated by the Internet Archive." How was the Wayback Machine made? Alexa Internet, in cooperation with the Internet Archive, has designed a three dimensional index that allows browsing of web documents over multiple time periods, and turned this unique feature into the Wayback Machine. How large is the Wayback Machine? The Internet Archive Wayback Machine contains almost 2 petabytes of data and is currently growing at a rate of 20 terabytes per month. This eclipses the amount of text contained in the world's largest libraries, including the Library of Congress. What type of machinery is used in this Internet Archive? Much of the Internet Archive is stored on hundreds of slightly modified x86 servers. The computers run on the Linux operating system. Each computer has 512Mb of memory and can hold just over 1 Terabyte of data on ATA disks. However we are developing a new way of storing our data on a smaller machine. Each machine will store 1 terabyte. For more information go to www.petabox.org. How do you archive dynamic pages? There are many different kinds of dynamic pages, some of which are easily stored in an archive and some of which fall apart completely. When a dynamic page renders standard html, the archive works beautifully. When a dynamic page contains forms, JavaScript, or other elements that require interaction with the originating host, the archive will not contain the original site's functionality. Why are some sites harder to archive than others? If you look at our collection of archived sites, you will find some broken pages, missing graphics, and some sites that aren't archived at all. Here are some things that make it difficult to archive a web site:
Some sites are not available because of robots.txt or other exclusions. What does that mean? The Internet Archive follows the Oakland Archive Policy for Managing Removal Requests And Preserving Archival Integrity The Standard for Robot Exclusion (SRE) is a means by which web site owners can instruct automated systems not to crawl their sites. Web site owners can specify files or directories that are disallowed from a crawl, and they can even create specific rules for different automated crawlers. All of this information is contained in a file called robots.txt. While robots.txt has been adopted as the universal standard for robot exclusion, compliance with robots.txt is strictly voluntary. In fact most web sites do not have a robots.txt file, and many web crawlers are not programmed to obey the instructions anyway. However, Alexa Internet, the company that crawls the web for the Internet Archive, does respect robots.txt instructions, and even does so retroactively. If a web site owner decides he / she prefers not to have a web crawler visiting his / her files and sets up robots.txt on the site, the Alexa crawlers will stop visiting those files and will make unavailable all files previously gathered from that site. This means that sometimes, while using the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, you may find a site that is unavailable due to robots.txt (you will see a "robots.txt query exclusion error" message). Sometimes a web site owner will contact us directly and ask us to stop crawling or archiving a site, and we endeavor to comply with these requests. When you come accross a "blocked site error" message, that means that a siteowner has made such a request and it has been honored. Currently there is no way to exclude only a portion of a site, or to exclude archiving a site for a particular time period only.
When a URL has been excluded at direct owner request from being archived, that exclusion is retroactive and permanent. How can I help the Internet Archive and the Wayback Machine? The Internet Archive actively seeks donations of digital materials for preservation. If you have digital materials that may be of interest to future generations, please let us know by sending an email to info at archive dot org. The Internet Archive is also seeking additional funding to continue this important mission. You can click the donate tab above or click here. Thank you for considering us in your charitable giving. 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. Where is the rest of the archived site? Why am I getting broken or gray images on a site? Broken images (when there is a small red "x" where the image should be) occur when the images are not available on our servers. Usually this means that we did not archive them. Gray images are the result of robots.txt exclusions. The site in question may have blocked robot access to their images directory. You can tell if the link you are looking for is in the Wayback Machine by entering the url into the Wayback Machine search box at archive.org (http://www.archive.org/web/web.php ). Whatever archives we have are viewable in the Wayback Machine. The archived webpages are meant to be a “snap shot” of past Internet sites. Please note that while we try to archive an entire site, this is not always possible. That is why some images or links might be missing. Additionally some sites do not archive well and we cannot fix that. There is a list of common problems that make a site difficult to archive: http://www.archive.org/about/faqs.php#12. If you see a box with a red X or a broken image icon that means that we unfortunately do not have the images. Files over 10MB are not archived in this “snap shot” of the website. The best way to see all the files we have archived of the site is: http://web.archive.org/*/www.yoursite.com/* Please note that there is a 6 - 14 month lag time between the date a site is crawled and the date it appears in the Wayback Machine.
How do I contact the Internet Archive? All questions about the Wayback Machine, or other Internet Archive projects, should be addressed to info at archive dot org. What is the Wayback Machine's Copyright Policy? The Internet Archive respects the intellectual property rights and other proprietary rights of others. The Internet Archive may, in appropriate circumstances and at its discretion, remove certain content or disable access to content that appears to infringe the copyright or other intellectual property rights of others. If you believe that your copyright has been violated by material available through the Internet Archive, please provide the Internet Archive Copyright Agent with the following information:
Internet Archive uses the exclusion policy intended for use by both academic and non-academic digital repositories and archivists. See our full exclusion policy. The Internet Archive Copyright Agent can be reached as follows: Internet Archive Copyright Agent Why is the Internet Archive collecting sites from the Internet? What makes the information useful? Most societies place importance on preserving artifacts of their culture and heritage. Without such artifacts, civilization has no memory and no mechanism to learn from its successes and failures. Our culture now produces more and more artifacts in digital form. The Archive's mission is to help preserve those artifacts and create an Internet library for researchers, historians, and scholars. The Archive collaborates with institutions including the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian. No, we do not collect or archive chat systems or personal email messages that have not been posted to Usenet bulletin boards or publicly accessible online message boards. Do you collect all the sites on the Web? No, we collect only publicly accessible Web pages. We do not archive pages that require a password to access, pages tagged for "robot exclusion" by their owners, pages that are only accessible when a person types into and sends a form, or pages on secure servers. If a site owner properly requests removal of a Web site through http://www.archive.org/about/exclude.php, we will exclude that site from the Wayback Machine. Is there any personal information in these collections? We collect Web pages that are publicly accessible. These may include pages with personal information. 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. How can I get a copy of the pages on my Web site? If my site got hacked or damaged, could I get a backup from the Archive?' Our terms of use do not cover backups for the general public. However, you may use the Internet Archive Wayback Machine to locate and access archived versions of a site to which you own the rights. We can't guarantee that your site has been or will be archived. We can no longer offer the service to pack up sites that have been lost. We recommend using the Warrick Tool. Please keep in mind that this is a third party and we can not promise results. Can people download sites from the Wayback? Our terms of use specify that users of the Wayback Machine are not to copy data from the collection. How do you protect my privacy if you archive my site?
The Archive collects Web pages that are publicly available the same ones that you might find as you surfed around the Web. We do not archive pages that require a password to access, pages tagged for "robot exclusion" by their owners, pages that are only accessible when a person types into and sends a form, or pages on secure servers. We also provide information on removing a site from the collections. Those who use the collections must agree to certain terms of use. What does 'failed connection' and other error messages mean? Below is a list of the main error messages you will see while searching the Wayback Machine. If you see an error message that does not have the Internet Archive Wayback Machine logo in the upper left corner, you are most likely looking at an archived page or the live web. Failed Connection: The server that the particular piece of information lives on is down. Generally these clear up within two weeks. Robots.txt Query Exclusion: A robots.txt is something that a site owner puts on their site that keeps crawlers like our own from crawling them. The Internet Archive retroactively respects all robots.txt. Blocked Site Error: Site owners, copyright holders and others who fit Internet Archive's exclusion policy have requested that the site be excluded from the Wayback Machine. For exclusion criteria, please see our exclusion policy (we use the same one used and developed by other digital repositories and archivists both academic and non-academic). Path Index Error: A path index error message refers to a problem in our database wherein the information requested is not available (generally because of a machine or software issue, however each case can be different). We cannot always completely fix these errors in a timely manner. Not in Archive: Generally this means that the site archived has a redirect on it and the site you are redirected to is not in the archive or cannot be found on the live web. Why are there no recent archives in the Wayback Machine? It generally takes 6 months or more (up to 24 months) for pages to appear in the Wayback Machine after they are collected, because of delays in transferring material to long-term storage and indexing, or the requirements of our collection partners. In some cases, crawled content from certain projects can appear in a much shorter timeframe — as little as a few weeks from when it was crawled. Older material for the same pages and sites may still appear separately, months later. There is no access to files before they appear in the Wayback Machine. How does the Wayback Machine behave with Javascript turned off? If you have Javascript turned off, images and links will be from the live web, not from our archive of old Web files. How did I end up on the live version of a site? or I clicked on X date, but now I am on Y date, how is that possible? Why can I only see 930 out of the 2000 results?
How did I end up on the live version of a site? or I clicked on X date, but now I am on Y date, how is that possible? Not every date for every site archived is 100% complete. When you are surfing an incomplete archived site the Wayback Machine will grab the closest available date to the one you are in for the links that are missing. In the event that we do not have the link archived at all, the Wayback Machine will look for the link on the live web and grab it if available. Pay attention to the date code embedded in the archived url. This is the list of numbers in the middle; it translates as yyyymmddhhmmss. For example in this url http://web.archive.org/web/20000229123340/http://www.yahoo.com/ the date the site was crawled was Feb 29, 2000 at 12:33 and 40 seconds. You can see a listing of the dates of the specific URL by replacing the date code with an asterisk (*), ie: http://web.archive.org/*/www.yoursite.com Whatever archives we have are viewable in the Wayback Machine. Please note that there is a 6 - 14 month lag time between the date a site is crawled and the date it appears in the Wayback Machine. Why can I only see 930 out of the 2000 results? The list of results displayed shows the total number of pages we have for a given domain name. This includes numerous repeats as we return to sites to recrawl their content. The reported results is this total; whereas the smaller number relates to the number of unique results only. Where does the name come from? The Wayback Machine is named in reference to the famous Mr. Peabody's WABAC (pronounced way-back) machine from the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon show. How do I cite Wayback Machine urls in MLA format?
This question is a newer one. We asked MLA to help us with how to cite an archived URL in correct format. They did say that there is no established format for resources like the Wayback Machine, but it's best to err on the side of more information. You should cite the webpage as you would normally, and then give the Wayback Machine information. They provided the following example:
McDonald, R. C. "Basic Canary Care." _Robirda Online_. 12 Sept. 2004. 18
Dec. 2006 How can I get pages authenticated from the Wayback Machine? How can use the pages in court? The Wayback Machine tool was not designed for legal use. We do have a legal request policy found at our legal page. Please read through the entire policy before contacting us with your questions. We do have a standard affidavit as well as a FAQ section for lawyers. We would prefer that before you contact us for such services, you see if the other side will stipulate instead. We do not have an in-house legal staff, so this service takes away from our normal duties. Once you have read through our policy, if you still have questions, please contact us for more information. Check out our Wayback Machine Forum |
The Internet ArchiveYes, please do. Our BitCoin address is: 17gN64BPHtxi4mEM3qWrxdwhieUvRq8R2r . Every bit helps. What's the significance of the Archive's collections?
Societies have always placed importance on preserving their culture and heritage. But much early 20th-century media -- television and radio, for example -- was not saved. The Library of Alexandria -- an ancient center of learning containing a copy of every book in the world -- disappeared when it was burned to the ground. Special projects include OpenLibrary.org (link to faq).
What is the nonprofit status of the Internet Archive? Where does its funding come from? The Internet Archive is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It receives in-kind and financial donations from a variety of sources, including, but not limited to: Alexa Internet, the Kahle/Austin Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and you. Does the Archive issue grants? No; although we promote the development of other Internet libraries through colloquia, and other means, the Archive is not a grant-making organization. How do I get assistance with research? How about research about a particular book? The Internet Archive focuses on preservation and providing access to digital cultural artifacts. For assistance with research or appraisal, you are bound to find the information you seek elsewhere on the internet. You may wish to inquire about reference services provided by your local public library. Your area's college library may also support specialized reference librarian services. We encourage your support of your local library, and the essential services your library's professional staff can provide in person. Local libraries are still an irreplaceable resource! What statistics are available about use of Archive.org?
Aggregated statistics are graphed here: Additionally, each individual item shows a download counts are shown on the details page for individuals items, and collections pages list the most downloaded items for that collection. |
QuestionsHow can I add a thumbnail image to my item's details page? How can I get iTunes to create a new playlist when I stream MP3s? How can I play OGG files on a Mac? I'm having trouble with a 'blank'/corrupted ZIP file. What do I do? How can I add a logo to the upper right corner of my collection? How can I get my tracks to show up in the right order? What kind of audio file should I submit? |
AudioHow can I add a thumbnail image to my item's details page?
First, make sure you're logged on to archive.org with the same email address you used to upload the item. The image you upload must be named identifier.jpg (where identifier is your item's identifier name) and you must choose file format JPEG in the metadata editor. To upload the image:
How can I get iTunes to create a new playlist when I stream MP3s?
As an iTunes user, you might have noticed that iTunes loads the Archive's streaming MP3s (M3U files) into your library, and subsequentially the files get shuffled and are out of order. We have come up with a solution to this problem. Step by step instructions:
That's it! If you have trouble, post a message to this forum Thanks to http://www.balnaves.com/archives/000092.php for the code, instructions, and inspiration How can I play OGG files on a Mac? On the mac, there is a free component to ogg-ify itunes. The freeware VLC Media Player will also play OGG files. http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20020424233612407 I'm having trouble with a 'blank'/corrupted ZIP file. What do I do? There are a variety of problems that may be causing this. Here are a couple of the most common. If you have a Mac running OS X, the default unzip utility (Stuffit) does not deal well with those Archive ZIP files that are 'compressed on the fly'. You may see an empty directory - if so, then try downloading Zip Tools for Mac OS X and using the drag and drop software within that to unzip your download. [Make sure you save your download to your desktop before trying things on it.] If you're having any trouble with downloads timing out or being incomplete, especially on Windows, then you may be able to use download managers such as GetRight. These will restart your download if it fails. However, some 'ZIP on the fly' downloads don't play well with download managers. If you find that to be the case, the safest thing to do is to download each track individually in a download manager. How can I add a logo to the upper right corner of my collection? First, make sure you're logged on to archive.org with the same email address you used when you created your collection. Note: Images should have a height of no more that 72 pixels.
How can I get my tracks to show up in the right order?
The most reliable way to have your tracks appear on the page in the correct order is to name the individual files with track numbers, like this: (If you have more than 9 files you need to start numbering with 01 - not 1 - otherwise the files will go in this order: 1, 10, 11, 12, 2, 3 etc.) If you have already created an item and you would like to change the file names to rearrange them correctly, do the following:
It will take a little while for the derive to finish running, but once it does you'll have all new files, in the correct order, in both the flash player and the page itself. What kind of audio file should I submit?
The archive is all about free access to information, so you should submit file formats that are easily downloadable and/or streamable for other site patrons. We prefer that you submit the highest quality file that you have available, and then we will attempt to create smaller file sizes and formats automatically with our deriver program. We recommend that you do not attempt to do any special encoding of your files - the more settings you mess around with, the less likely our deriver code will be able to process the file. If you are submitting a Live Music Archive item, please only submit Flac or Shorten files. Even for non-LMA items, these are the best formats to use. Whatever format you choose, please upload each file to your item individually (you can submit multiple files per item), in a non-compressed format. Uploading content in a .zip or .rar file makes your item unstreamable and significantly less accessible to others. If you upload .zip, .rar, non-audio formats (like .exe), or password-protected files, they may be removed by our moderators. The table below describes what file formats we will attempt to derive depending on what type of file you submit. The flash player is covering my files! How do I move it? If an item has little or no description, sometimes the flash player doesn't have enough room in the top portion of the page and covers the files below. If you don't want to add a description (which would be nice, so that people know what they're listening to), you can add extra space in the description field using paragraph tags.
Check out our Audio Forum |
QuestionsWhat is the Live Music Archive all about? What are FLAC files and how can I listen to them? Why are there no shows by band X? How do I burn FLAC files to CD as audio tracks? How do I burn SHN files to CD as audio tracks? How can I add a logo to the upper right corner of my collection? What is the status of band X for the Archive? I'm an artist who would like to be included in the Archive, what do I need to do? I have more Live Music Archive questions...who do I ask? I have a different source for a show that is already in the archive, should I upload it anyway? How can I help get bands into the Live Music Archive? What are the WAV MD5 files that are sometimes in filesets? I just uploaded a directory that contained WAV MD5 checksums, is that OK? My failure email is indicating that the text file failed. What can I do? Can bands place restrictions on material to be archived? I just uploaded a show and all the files fail the MD5 check, what's the deal? Where have all the Dave Matthews Band concerts gone? Will they be back? Why is there no Phish? What about Widespread Panic? I used to use a download manager and now it stopped working. What's the deal? What's the deal with magic number errors? Do you provide an RSS feed of new updates to the LMA? What does the 'Transferred by' field mean? Why don't I get an email when my uploads fail MD5 checksums? Can I log into an FTP server to download concerts? Can I upload live recordings that were broadcast on XM Radio or Sirius Satellite Radio? The Grateful Dead is here, when will we see Jerry Garcia recordings? The upload instructions require a 'FLAC Fingerprint' file with my recording - how can I create this? Where can I find other recordings by [trade-friendly band] that aren't in the collection? I tried downloading a show and I got a '403 Forbidden' page. Why? How do I upload a show to the LMA? How do I make corrections to shows? What file formats are accepted for contributions to the Live Music Archive? I like adding concerts. Do you have a preference on the way I put in information? About Grateful Dead concerts on the Archive What are the options for streaming a full recording? What are the options for downloading a full recording? Where can I see the rest of the 'Most Downloaded Items' in the Live Music Archive? Where can I see the rest of the 'Top Batting Averages' of shows in the Live Music Archive? How can I add a logo to the upper right corner of my collection? |
Live Music ArchiveA recording I uploaded and marked 'no lossy formats' had them created (mp3, ogg, m3u, etc...) . How can I remove them?
If you come across this situation and you are the uploader, click [edit], select the derivation option you prefer, and then 'Update'. You should see the message "Format Options Updated Successfully". Within 10 minutes the system will create a "_rules.conf" file in the recording's folder. Then, the next time the system performs an automatic sweep looking for changes, it will notice the new rules file and remove the lossy files automatically. The sweep occurs approximately twice a day, so you should see the files removed within 12-24 hours. What is the Live Music Archive all about?
This audio archive is an online public library of live recordings available for royalty-free, no-cost public downloads. We only host material by trade-friendly artists: those who like the idea of noncommercial distribution of some or all of their live material. Live recordings are a part of our culture and might be lost in 100 years if they're not archived. We think music matters and want to preserve it for future generations.
MD5 files contain checksums, strings of characters used to uniquely represent a file. These checksums enable users to verify that music files downloaded correctly. What are FLAC files and how can I listen to them?
FLAC stands for free lossless audio codec. It is an open source, lossless compression algorithm for digital music. It compresses music files to 50-60% of their original size, with no loss in quality. More FLAC information can be found on the FLAC sourceforge site and in this etree FAQ.
To listen to FLAC files: Macintosh: Download and install Cog, a multi-format audio player.
FFP files contain checksums, strings of characters used to uniquely represent a FLAC file. These checksums enable users to verify which particular source a file comes from. Why are there no shows by band X?
We'd like to make sure that a trade-friendly band would not mind having their shows in the Archive for public download. The best way for us to find out is by getting permission from a band representative or by the band's having an explicit policy that covers this type of site. If there are no shows by the band, either we don't have enough of this information to go forward with archiving, they have declined participation, or we are ready to accept shows but no one has uploaded anything yet. (Also, see the band status FAQ).
There's no setlist for this show - OR - The setlist does not match up with the number of files. Should I submit an error report?
There has been an increasing number of shows uploaded to the Live Music collection without setlist information, or the setlist was not properly matched to the files. When you notice a recording like this, please email us (etree at this domain) only if you have an updated setlist, or you are able to match the files up correctly.
How do I burn FLAC files to CD as audio tracks? You will first need to convert the FLAC files to another format that your burning program is familiar with. Windows users can use the FLAC Frontend, to convert FLAC files to WAV files, which are suitable for burning programs. For Macintosh OS X users, Scott Brown has created a tool called xACT. How do I burn SHN files to CD as audio tracks?
You will first need to convert the SHN files to another format that your burning program is familiar with. The following programs will convert SHN files to WAV files, which can be burned to a CD. More resources are listed in this FAQ. How can I add a logo to the upper right corner of my collection? First, make sure you're logged on to archive.org with the same email address you used when you created your collection. Note: Images should have a height of no more that 72 pixels. • Go to your collection's front page • Click the "Edit Item!" link next to your user name. • Click "Item Manager" near the top of the page. • Click the "checkout --edit items files (non XML)" button in the "Edit Operations" section of the form. • In Step 1 of 2, click the "Share" button. • Locate and select the image to be uploaded and click "Select". • In Step 2 of 2 click the "Update Item!" button • Return to collection front page and click "edit" link again • Find logo file at bottom of page, choose "Collection Header" from the drop down list and click submit. It might take a few minutes for the changes to appear. What is the status of band X for the Archive?
5/2006, significant site changes in progress: Formerly, you could check on the status of a band relative to the Archive on the Trade-Friendly Band Information page, which is no longer updated. This FAQ question has been updated for the new-system presentation of info. We have 3 categories:
I'm an artist who would like to be included in the Archive, what do I need to do?
We'd love to have you! Just write to us at etree at archive dot org in English giving some kind of permission for us to archive your shows for public download and noncommercial, royalty-free circulation. It does not need to be a formally worded declaration, and can come from anyone you feel has the "say-so." We just need to be clear on how you feel about the project. We will put relevant quotes onto a new "collection" page (examples) for your performances, along with a link to your official website.
At this time, video uploads are not being accepted, namely because most of the bands archived prohibit the video taping of their shows. Moreover, unlike audio, where we actually have a shot at archiving the vast majority of any given band's live concerts (in very high quality format), video is scarce and, unless made by the artist (in which case, it's typically for commercial purposes), is not of particularly good quality. The progress of my upload says 'File metadata XML invalid. Waiting for user to correct.' How can I fix this?
This is typically caused by illegal symbols being used somewhere in the information that was put into one of the forms submitted with the show (either the import form or "File Options"). Double check that the only characters being used are those visible on a standard English-language 104 key keyboard. More information and a few examples are here. I have more Live Music Archive questions...who do I ask? Feel free to email etree at archive dot org with any questions, and we'll do our best to post the answers here as soon as possible. Also, the message board is a great resource; with so many kind, knowledgable folks out there, you can often get a speedy answer to your question. I have a different source for a show that is already in the archive, should I upload it anyway? Yes! In keeping with the nature of this Archive, it is appropriate for multiple sources of the same show to be available for download. When you upload the new source, be sure to name the source in the show's top level folder to avoid confusion. Some bands do place limits on the types of sources allowed (such as soundboard recordings), so please check the policy for any given band. How can I help get bands into the Live Music Archive?
If you know of a trade-friendly live-performing band that is a good candidate for the Archive, you can initiate contact. Some tips and letter templates can be found here. When you write, make it clear you are asking about the Live Music Archive at archive.org. Don't just ask about their general taping/trading stance. We want bands to know what's up.
When I download concerts, I constantly get disconnected before the download completes. What can I do to fix this? Most web browsers now support robust http downloading. For questions, see the support website for your browser. What are the WAV MD5 files that are sometimes in filesets? MD5 checksums files are not exclusive to SHN files. An MD5 checksum can be used to ensure the accuracy of any data file (e.g. .doc, .mp3, .mpeg). Some seeders produce MD5 checksums for their WAV files, as well as for their SHN files. This is just an extra level of confirm to ensure exact copies of the original WAV files are being burned from the SHN files. Checking a WAV file with a MD5 cheksum is no different than checking a SHN file. If you use mkwACT, you can just right click on the wav MD5 and choose "verify." I just uploaded a directory that contained WAV MD5 checksums, is that OK? The WAV MD5 checksums are ignored by our robot and will not cause problems for your recording. My failure email is indicating that the text file failed. What can I do? Unlike FLAC or SHN, text files do not translate identically from 1 platform to another. Since the archive.org servers run Unix, text files created on other Operating Systems will fail their MD5check. We recommend uploaders remove any text files from their MD5's if they are having this problem. Can bands place restrictions on material to be archived?
Yes. Each band can tailor the extent of their permission to the Archive. We quote the band's wishes in the Rights section of the band's Collection page. Here are some examples of special restrictions bands have requested. We point out different cases in a band's policy information using a shorthand "Limited Flag" tag.
I just uploaded a show and all the files fail the MD5 check, what's the deal?
Please be sure that if you are choosing any upload format, you are uploading the files in "binary" mode. If you try to upload .shn or .flac files in "ASCII" mode the files will fail the MD5 check. ASCII is the standard format for encoding plain text files (actually a subset of binary), while binary is used to encode almost all other types of files. More information on binary vs. ASCII can be found here. Where have all the Dave Matthews Band concerts gone? Will they be back?
At the request of the band's management and as a result of the band's 2003 policy change, Dave Matthews Band concerts (as well as Dave Matthews solo concerts and Dave and Tim shows) have been removed from the Internet Archive. We're very sorry about this unfortunate turn of events but feel like it is important to honor the wishes of the band and its management.
Why is there no Phish? What about Widespread Panic?
Phish has decided not to participate in the Archive at this point in time I used to use a download manager and now it stopped working. What's the deal? Download managers increase your download speed by connecting to the server multiple times. Doing this does not significantly increase download speeds but dramatically hurts the performance of the server. If you wish to use queue to download from the HTTP servers, be sure you set your download program to only use one connection at a time. What's the deal with magic number errors? If you get a magic number error when listening to or decoding a SHN file, the SHN file is most likely corrupt. First, make sure the SHN file passes MD5 verification; if it does not, redownload the file. If the file passes MD5 verification and you are still getting the magic number error, leave am error report via the show details page noting the magic number error and which track the error occurs on. Hopefully others who have download the show will confirm or deny the error. If the error occurs for all downloaders, the seeder will be contacted to provide a new, uncorrupted track. Please note that there is nothing the Internet Archive administrators can do about a magic number error, becuase the only solution to the error is re-encoding the SHN file from the original WAV file. Do you provide an RSS feed of new updates to the LMA? Indeed! The URL of the feed is http://www.archive.org/services/collection-rss.php?mediatype=etree&collection;=etree You can plug this into a front end like AmphetaDesk (available at: http://www.amphetadesk.com) What does the 'Transferred by' field mean? This field indicates the person who did the original DAT/MD/Cassette to WAV conversion. Also, note that in the case of recordings made directly to laptops there is no transfer. Why don't I get an email when my uploads fail MD5 checksums?
The system currently only sends emails when MD5 files are included. This means that, if you're uploading FLAC files, you still need to generate and include an MD5 file if you want to receive informational emails about the failures. Can I log into an FTP server to download concerts?
Update (2009April): To allow us more flexibility on access, we are discontinuing FTP read access. HTTP read access (as in downloading through your web browser), remains more popular with users, and shall continue. For more information, please see the discussion forum: My in-progress upload says ' No metadata describing files found. Waiting for user to enter metadata' - what do I do?
There are 2 XML files that get created during the import of any recording in the collection: Can I upload live recordings that were broadcast on XM Radio or Sirius Satellite Radio? At this point in time, Archive.org cannot host recordings that were broadcast over either of these services. Subscribers have informed us that they were required to sign a "Terms of Use" document that forbids the recording/hosting/rebroadcasting of any material received from these services. Until we hear otherwise, these recordings cannot be hosted here. The Grateful Dead is here, when will we see Jerry Garcia recordings? The taping policy of the Grateful Dead does not extend to recordings of Jerry Garcia's other lineups. Jerry's solo work is controlled by his estate. Representatives have said No to the idea of hosting shows in the Live Music Archive.
Regarding removing the lossy files ... I edited my show, checked the box to remove them and clicked update. Now when I click update again, the box is still not checked. Why? It takes 2-10 minutes for your checking of that box to 'stick' ... see this discussion board post: http://www.archive.org/iathreads/post-view.php?id=22816 for an explanation of why. The upload instructions require a 'FLAC Fingerprint' file with my recording - how can I create this?
In Windows: I've got a great 'filler' for the recording I am about to upload to the collection - should I include it?
A 'filler' is music from a different performance in addition to the main recording, typically used to fill up extra space on a CD. Sometimes the filler is a different artist, other times it is the same artist, but a different show and date. Where can I find other recordings by [trade-friendly band] that aren't in the collection? If the artist is OK with Internet trading, you may be able to find downloadable recordings through http://bt.etree.org. Also, check http://db.etree.org to find people who have copies of shows and who may be willing to trade. Etree.org has additional trading forums at http://forums.etree.org Lastly, you can check out a band's own fan forums and mailing lists. Good luck! In contrast, the Live Music Archive forum at the Internet Archive is not a good place to post about trades, or to ask for shows that are not yet archived here, whether or not the band presently has a section here. Moderators may delete these posts. More posting etiquette tips for that forum are here. I tried downloading a show and I got a '403 Forbidden' page. Why? As part of the new (as of May 2007) QA/QC checks that the archive conducts on shows that are uploaded, more refined checks are conducted on shows. For more detail, see this forum post: http://www.archive.org/iathreads/post-view.php?id=124098 What happens though, when a show either fails it's md5 check, it's internal flac checksum check, or is missing an info.txt file, every non .xml file in the show fileset (the flac files, the mp3's, etc) all become non-downloadable. If you try and click any of the music files, you will be taken to a webpage titled "403 Forbidden" that will say: "Forbidden You don't have permission to access "ARCHIVE.ORG_Server/show_location/file" (specific to your show file) on this server. **** What this means is that the uploader has a problem with their show files, and as a measure to 'stop the spread' of bad files, the system is preventing people from downloading until the uploader contacts the archive to fix the show. If you as a user find a show that has the above problem, please check back later and once the uploader has fixed the problem, the show will be downloadable as normal. How do I upload a show to the LMA?
As of 5/2006, the upload method has changed significantly. Here is a walkthrough in PDF with screenshots. Another text description is here.
How do I make corrections to shows?
Sometimes people make typos or other mistakes on uploads, or leave gaps in info that can be filled in later. You can help supply good information for archived items. Here is the current best method to submit corrections:
What file formats are accepted for contributions to the Live Music Archive?
Currently, the Live Music Archive will only accept audio files in either of two lossless formats: FLAC (.flac) or Shorten (.shn). Please Note that MKW files (.mkw) are *NOT* an acceptable file format for your contributions because they lack cross-platform compatibility (Mac users are unable to play or decode MKW files) I like adding concerts. Do you have a preference on the way I put in information? First of all - thank you so much for contributing to the Archive. Yes, here are some guidelines that will help us maintain good records for each concert.
About Grateful Dead concerts on the Archive Audience-made Grateful Dead concert recordings are available as downloads while available soundboards are accessible in streaming format only. The Grateful Dead is being separated from the Live Music Archive into its own collection (with its own forum) to avoid confusion about lossless availability. The metadata and reviews for shows and recordings, even those not available for regular download, will remain available for those who maintain direct links. No filesets have been deleted from the Archive; certain items are simply not public now. Prior to our completing the changes, text files are easily referenced at a separate database. At this time, the Grateful Dead collection is not open to public uploads. The Grateful Dead Internet Archive Project (GDIAP) will continue its direct management of this collection for the time being. As far as we know, there has been no change to standard GD fan trading. It is common for bands to have policies that differ between fan trading, versus archiving here. What are the options for streaming a full recording?
Hi-Fi: An MP3 playlist, readable by most players, that has the addresses of MP3 files encoded with a variable bit rate. Lo-Fi: An MP3 playlist, readable by most players, that has the addresses of MP3 files encoded with at a constant bit rate of 64 kilobits per second. These files are ideal for users with slower Internet connections. What are the options for downloading a full recording? Update 5/2006: Please note that due to a major system transition, many items' ZIP files (for their "Lossless" links) have been deliberately disabled for the time being. Engineers are still working on the best method for the new system. Lossless: A ZIP file containing Shorten files or Flac files. Unlike formats like MP3, lossless formats are true to the original - there is no degradation in quality. Hi-Fi: A ZIP file containing MP3 files encoded with a variable bit rate to deliver high quality at roughly 160kilobits per second. Lo-Fi: A ZIP file containing MP3 files encoded at a constant bit rate of 64 kilobits per second. These files are ideal for users with slower Internet connections. Other Web Options: All files are displayed as individual links on any item's details page. Web-based download managers can be set up to download all the files you want from the page, as a group. For Firefox, the extension DownThemAll is a popular option. BitTorrent: Some Items that are downloadable via HTTP are also downloadable via a BitTorrent client; these items show a 'Torrent' link next to the 'HTTP' download link. (To trigger creation of a BitTorrent file for an item in the LMA that does not yet have one, write a review for it, e.g. "Make me a Torrent!"). Note: only items downloadable via HTTP can be downloaded via BitTorrent. Where can I see the rest of the 'Most Downloaded Items' in the Live Music Archive? To view the entire Live Music Archive (everything in the "etree collection") sorted by 'Most Downloaded Items' go to this link: http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=collection%3Aetree&sort;=-%2Fmetadata%2Fdownloads And here's one that lists everything but the Grateful Dead (like the one on the LMA front page): Where can I see the rest of the 'Top Batting Averages' of shows in the Live Music Archive? To view the entire Live Music Archive sorted by 'Batting Average' go to this link: http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=collection%3Aetree&sort;=-%2Fmetadata%2Fndba Check out our Live Music Archive Forum How can I add a logo to the upper right corner of my collection? Please email the logo to the admin email address (etree at this domain). Images should have a height of no more than 100 pixels, and be no wider than 200 pixels. How are download counts calculated? Downloads are calculated per item page, per IP address, per day. If you stream a show today, that's one download. If you view the txt file tomorrow, that's another download. If you download every file from a show's page the next day, that counts as one more download. If you download the same file a thousand times the day after that, that still only counts as one more download. |
QuestionsHow do I report that something's wrong with a book? How do I read the books in other formats, like ePub, Mobi, DJVU? What equipment does the Bookmobile use to print and bind books? What is the directory structure for the texts? What is OpenLibrary? How can I make my book available via OpenLibrary.org? How do you remove line breaks from the Gutenberg texts? What is the best way to link to a book? Can I volunteer for the book project? I see some books from a series, but not all. How can I access the rest? |
Texts and BooksI'd like to upload a book. What format should it be in? How do you do your sponsored scanning for Contributing Libraries?
Probably the simplest way to contribute a text item currently is as a pdf. That way, the entire set of images can be submitted as a single file, and there are no special naming requirements, beyond ending the filename with ".pdf". If the pdf has no hidden text layer (i.e., isn't searchable), then after doing OCR, Archive.org creates a second pdf with a text layer.
How do you do your sponsored scanning for Contributing Libraries? The Smithsonian Institution shares this video about the scanning Archive.org does to help make more of their Libraries' materials accessible:
One Do It Yourself approach can be found here:
For more on uploading, see How do I report that something's wrong with a book?
If you see an error with a book digitized by the Internet Archive, we'd appreciate knowing about it! Please send an email with the URL (web address) of the book, and description of the problem, to info -at- archive.org In some cases, you may know of alternate information about a book that is supplemental to the library bibliographic record. (For example, a new, more modern transliteration of an author's name.) To share additional information like the above, you may wish to post it using the option to write a review of a book. Your additional information will then be available for everyone to see.
Please see http://www.archive.org/about/faqs.php#62. How do I read the books in other formats, like ePub, Mobi, DJVU?
What equipment does the Bookmobile use to print and bind books? You can find a list of all the hardware and software used in the bookmobile here: http://www.archive.org/texts/bookmobile-in_it.php
You can also see a movie of a book being made here: http://www.archive.org/details/HowToMakeABookmov
What is the directory structure for the texts?
Note re the instructions below: In order to store all the texts that the archive has, and will eventually acquire, the directory structure is: cover of the book, some in legal and some letter. doc is Microsoft Word, and sxw is OpenOffice. LEGACY FORMATS: This could be OTIFF | PTIFF | TXT.
What is OpenLibrary? How can I make my book available via OpenLibrary.org?
The Open Library is a project of the Internet Archive (archive.org), a non-profit organization in San Francisco, guided by the goal of universal access to human knowledge. Our small team is working to create a web page for every book ever published, at openlibrary.org. Some facts about Open Library you might like to know: There is more information on the Open Library site itself: About OpenLibrary.org Frequently Asked Questions Developer Center Many authors write in to ask how they can make their book available as a free download via OpenLibrary.org. Here's one option: Since OpenLibrary.org is a user-editable project, you can sign in to OpenLibrary.org to create a page for your book. You can upload the book to Archive.org (see information above), and link to the copy you upload to Archive.org. You have the option of choosing a particular Creative Commons license for your work, or making a custom statement on what specifically people can or can't do with your item. Remember that if you wish people to contact you regarding use permissions, you'll need to provide contact information, such as a mailing address or website. Some uploaders choose to include this information in the description field.
How do you remove line breaks from the Gutenberg texts? In Word use find and replace 3 times: Step 1. Find two paragraph markers - ^p^p Replace with a neutral character ~ or # or @ Step 2. Find one para markers - ^p Replace with a single space (This might take about 10-15 minutes on large files) Step 3. Put 2 para markers back in - find ~ Replace ^p^p What is the best way to link to a book?
Every book in the Archive has an identifier. For example, RomeoAndJuliet. To link to the book, you should use the following URL: Can I volunteer for the book project? Volunteers are welcome to come to our San Francisco location! We need your help to scan books! Please contact info at archive.org for more information. I see some books from a series, but not all. How can I access the rest?
Many contributing libraries work with the Internet Archive to scan and provide online access to books. To ask about whether there are plans to include additional volumes, or other particular books, you can contact the Contributing Library. You may wish to also consult http://www.archive.org/about/faqs.php#195 and http://openlibrary.org/bpl
Check out our Text Forum and have you seen OpenLibrary.org, a new beta project of Archive.org? What is a book identifier? How is it generated?
For all items at archive.org, the "identifier" is a unique sequence of letters (with numbers also permitted) that is the basic unit of identification of an item. It travels with the digital object, and is involved in all ways of accessing or otherwise referring to an item. You see the identifier at the end of an archive.org URL (web address). For this URL: http://www.archive.org/details/lifeworksofabrah112linc the identifier is "lifeworksofabrah112linc". For sponsored scanned books, the Internet Archive uses a custom algorithm to generate each book identifier. Example: hereismytitle00auth Using this algorithm, up to 16 characters are pulled from the 245 field in the MARC record (MARC is a library catalog record format), and these make up the first part of the identifier. Then, whatever volume information the loader indicates shows up immediately after that (for monographs this will usually read 00). And then the first 4 letters of the creator are pulled from the MARC 100 field. The algorithm also has rules that pull out any articles or punctuation to decrease the chances of duplicating an identifier. If a duplicate identifier is generated, the person loading the book record at the beginning of the digitization process is notified, and manually edits it to make it unique. |
QuestionsWhat software can play the downloaded movies? Why do I get errors when I try to play a movie? Can I use these movies in FinalCutPro -- in the Quicktime format? Sometimes when I play a movie, the video is choppy or very pixelated. Why is that? Who owns the rights to these movies? Is there a discussion list about the movies? Are there other similar archives on the Web? What are those animations associated with each movie and how did you make them? How do I make DVD's from Internet Archive movies? How can I make a DVD using linux? What kind of movie file should I submit? How can I embed a flash player with my movie on my web page? How can I add a logo to the upper right corner of my collection? |
MoviesWhat software can play the downloaded movies?
VLC Media Player is the most versatile player we've found for playing the wide variety of movies found in the Archive. And, it's free! We also recommend MPlayer. For Windows: For Mac OSX and 9: Some Mac users have written to us suggesting MPlayer (OS X), BBDEMUX, and MPEG2DECX -- free on www.versiontracker.com. For more details, troubleshooting, and how to play movies on other operating systems, see this how-to page. Why do I get errors when I try to play a movie?
The best all-around, free player is VLC Media Player - it handles most of the movie files you will find on this site. If you're seeing errors when you try to play movies, please try downloading VLC and using that instead. This clears up many people's problems. Here are some other possible problems:
If you still have trouble, post your question to the moving images forum. Can I use these movies in FinalCutPro -- in the Quicktime format? You can Re-encode Mpeg2 movies to quicktime for FinalCut Pro using Cleaner5.0.2 using the following settings. There is no de-interlacing, so you don't lose anything. The files increase in size 10 fold, so make sure you have enough HD space. This procedure gives you quicktime movies suitable for use with final cut. Cleaner 5 -- if you don't have 5.0.2, you can download.0.2 from the terran.com site. Some have had good results with their decoder cards. compare a few films done both ways on a good monitor with scopes and see which method is best. If you still have trouble, post your question on our discussion list ([email protected]) or write to us at info at archive dot org. -- NEW -- One of the simplest ways to transcode movies from MPEG-2 to DV format for editing is to use the freeware utility MPEG Streamclip (Mac OS X and Windows) available at squared5.com. It offers many settings and maintains video/audio sync.Sometimes when I play a movie, the video is choppy or very pixelated. Why is that?
Try downloading the movie to your computer and watching it locally. Sometimes choppiness occurs when we can't stream it to you quickly enough (because your connection is slow or our servers are overloaded). If you're watching an MPEG-4 that we derived from an original MPEG-2, we first reduce its size to 320 x 240 - a quarter of the resolution of NTSC video. We then translate it at 350 kbps, which is really borderline for that resolution. You see errors occasionally because there simply isn't enough bandwidth available, so the MPEG-4 encoder either drops frames - resulting in jerky or choppy motion - or drops macro blocks - resulting in blurred or pixelated video. That is the price we pay for the small file size - 80 MB for a 1/2-hour clip is really very small in the digital video world. If this is the case, download the original MPEG-2 to solve the problem. Who owns the rights to these movies?
This will vary from movie to movie. Many of the movies and collections are licensed with Creative Commons Licenses. Uploaders may designate whether or not an item has a CC License. If they do so, the Creative Commons logo will appear on the left hand side of the movie's detail page. Click on this logo to see details about the specific type of license that the uploader has assigned to the movie. Archive.org cannot guarantee the accuracy of uploader-provided information. Some films may have the contact information listed for the filmmaker. If the information is provided, feel free to contact the filmmaker or organization the film comes from. Is there a discussion list about the movies? Yes — our list is about both movie content and technical issues. You can subscribe at [email protected]. Are there other similar archives on the Web?
There are many sites that allow users to upload videos, but most of them only display very low quality video and/or do not let you download the videos. As far as we know, this is the only site that presents high-quality downloadable movie data files with such liberal use restrictions. See the Links page at Prelinger Archives for a number of sites that may be useful to researchers or those seeking specific films or footage. What are those animations associated with each movie and how did you make them?
The animations on the details pages and on the browse pages are animated GIF files. In most cases, still shots from each minute of the program were grabbed and saved as JPG files (these are the thumbnails which you can reach by clicking on the "View thumbnails" links). Then a tool called ImageMagick was used to create the animated GIF files from the JPGs. We try to create an animated gif for every movie when it is uploaded (it may take a while to appear), but there are some file formats and/or encoding settings that make this difficult. If an animated gif hasn't appeared for your item by the day after you uploaded it, we probably couldn't make one for your item.
There are several programs you can use to stream movies in the Archive. Because we allow users to upload video files in any format, the same player will not always work for every single file, so it's a good idea to have a couple of programs available that you can try. Also, some files simply can't be streamed. Usually, this happens when the program that created the video file uses a codec that our software doesn't understand. So if you click on a stream link and get an "unsupported media" sort of error, use the download links instead. Here are some free players that might come in handy: Quicktime VLC Media Player So, if you were trying to stream the movie Duck and Cover found at http://www.archive.org/details/DuckandC1951 you would: VLC will stream mp4, avi, mpg and other file formats, so it is quite useful for viewing the majority of the files in the archive. Real Player We support two bitrates: 32Kbps-192Kbps for modem and ISDN users plus 256Kbps-450Kbps for DSL and cable-modem users.
We attempt DVD, VCD, and MP4 streaming for broadband. We want these parameters to easily work with low-end video editors. An editable file is a file which can be downloaded and used in an editing program. The MPEG-4 are the highest bitrate versions we could do with the linux mpeg-2 to mpeg-4 conversion tools we use. These files can be read directly into FinalCut-Pro from Apple, and can be converted to mov using Quicktime-pro and read directly into iMovie from Apple. How do I make DVD's from Internet Archive movies? Please read this forum posting about how to create DVDs from many of the movies found in the Archive: http://www.archive.org/iathreads/post-view.php?id=26467. If you have further information to add, please email us. How can I make a DVD using linux? An Archive user sent in the following instructions for creating DVDs on a linux system: To do this under linux from the command line: This requires a few common programs. Using any modern package distribution of linux installing these should be quite simple.
You may upload movies that you own the copyright to, or that are in the public domain. We are not copyright lawyers, and copyright is a tricky business, so you may want to consult a copyright researcher to clear material before you use it. You may also want to check this list of movies that one of our volunteers has already researched. Here is some general information on the subject that may help you decide if your movie is okay to upload. The information below applies to films produced in the United States only. 1) Is there a copyright notice visible in the film? It is usually visible with the title or at the end of the film. If the work was made in 1923 or earlier, it is probably public domain and can be uploaded. NOTE! Restored versions of the film or new soundtracks for silent films can have more recent copyrights that are still valid - usually a copyright notice for a new soundtrack or restoration will appear in the film. For works made from 1923 to 1949, post a question to the movie forum on this site before you upload. The copyright could have been renewed and there isn't a way online to check a film's copyright status. For works made from 1950 to 1963, you can check the title at the Library of Congress Copyright Database for copyright renewals: http://www.copyright.gov/records/cohm.html . This will list copyright renewals for most films. If the copyright notice is 1964 or later, the copyright is probably still valid and the film should not be uploaded unless you are the copyright holder. 2) Is the copyright notice in the correct format? It needs to state three things - the word 'copyright' or the copyright symbol or '(c)', the year and who owns the copyright? If it is missing one of those elements or if there is no notice, it could be public domain. If you aren't sure, please post a question to the movie forum on this site. 3) Is the film foreign (not from the U.S.)? Foreign titles might not have a copyright notice, but still may be copyrighted in their country of origin. Traditionally the U.S. wouldn't recognize the copyright of a foreign film unless it was registered in the U.S. That has recently changed with the GATT treaty. Many foreign works had their copyrights restored. Please post a question to the movie forum on this site about these films before you upload. What kind of movie file should I submit?
The archive is all about free access to information, so you should submit file formats that are easily downloadable and/or streamable for other site patrons. We prefer that you submit the highest quality format that you have available, and then we will attempt to create smaller file sizes and formats automatically with our deriver program. MPEG2 files are the easiest file type for us to deal with. We recommend that you do not attempt to do any special encoding of your files - the more settings you mess around with, the less likely our deriver code will be able to process the file. Whatever format you choose, please upload each file to your item individually, in a non-compressed format. Uploading content in a .zip or .rar file makes your item unstreamable and significantly less accessible to others. If you upload .zip, .rar, non-video formats (like .exe), or password-protected files, they may be removed by our moderators. The table below describes what file formats we will attempt to derive depending on what type of file you submit. How can I embed a flash player with my movie on my web page? It's really easy to embed our flash player with your movie into your web site. To do so, go to the item page for the movie you want to embed. Then click the flash player as if to watch the movie. When you do, you'll see a small question mark beneath the player. Click on this and you'll get the instructions and code you need to embed the movie into your web page. Check out our Moving Images Forum How can I add a logo to the upper right corner of my collection? First, make sure you're logged on to archive.org with the same email address you used when you created your collection. Note: Images should have a height of no more that 72 pixels. • Go to your collection's front page • Click the "Edit Item!" link next to your user name. • Click "Item Manager" near the top of the page. • Click the "checkout --edit items files (non XML)" button in the "Edit Operations" section of the form. • In Step 1 of 2, click the "Share" button. • Locate and select the image to be uploaded and click "Select". • In Step 2 of 2 click the "Update Item!" button • Return to collection front page and click "edit" link again • Find logo file at bottom of page, choose "Collection Header" from the drop down list and click submit. It might take a few minutes for the changes to appear. |
Downloading Content
Update (2009April): To allow us more flexibility on access, we are discontinuing FTP read access. HTTP read access (as in downloading through your web browser), remains more popular with users, and shall continue. For more information, please see the discussion forum: What are some good FTP clients?
Update (2009April): Please note that to allow more flexibility on access, we are discontinuing FTP read access. HTTP read access (as in downloading through your web browser), remains more popular with users, and shall continue. FTP can yet be very useful for your uploads. Here are a few FTP clients that users found to work well:For Windows Users
To download the files on a PC, right click the link to the file, and select "Save Target As" or "Save Link As" (or something similar depending on which browser you're using). On the Macintosh, hold the button down while the mouse is over the link, and when the menu comes up, select "Save Target As". Update (2012July): some Internet Archive items may be downloaded via the BitTorrent protocol using the link Torrent on the item's webpage. Download via BitTorrent requires an up-to-date BitTorrent client, see the FAQ on Archive BitTorrents for more information. |
QuestionsIf I remove my account, will my items also be removed from the Archive? I forgot my password, what can I do? What is the difference between a virtual library card and an account? How do I change my screen name? What happens if my email address changes? How can I change my email address? What is an Open ID? Do I have to register for one to use Archive.org? |
Virtual Library Cards (AKA Accounts)If I remove my account, will my items also be removed from the Archive? No, your items will stay on archive.org once you delete your account. If you would like your items removed, please contact us at info AT archive DOT org. I forgot my password, what can I do? As long as you remember the email address which you originally used when signing up for your virtual library card, you can use this form to have your password emailed to you. Bear in mind that your password will be sent in clear text, which means that anyone who views the email (or anyone with sophisticated "packet sniffing" software) can obtain your password. For this reason you should return to the Internet Archive website once you have your old password and change it to something new. When I attempt to log in using my username and password, I am told that the username or password is invalid. What could be wrong? There are several things to keep in mind when you encounter this error.
What is the difference between a virtual library card and an account? These two terms are used interchangably. You can use this form to change your password. How do I change my screen name? You can use this form to change your screen name. What happens to my forum posts and movie, software, audio, and book reviews when I change my screen name? Your old reviews and posts will be updated with your new screen name. What happens if my email address changes? How can I change my email address?
You can use this form to change your email address. However, be aware that if you change the email address for your account, you will no longer be able to "edit" files posted from your old email address. If you would like to have your items' ownership transferred to a new email address, send an email to info AT archive DOT org from your OLD email address (the one you want to get rid of - that's how we know you own the items) and tell us which address you'd like to change it to. You can use this form to remove your account. What is an Open ID? Do I have to register for one to use Archive.org?
For what an Open ID is and how you can use it, see http://openid.net
My account is locked. What can I do? It is likely that your account was locked because you uploaded multiple items that seemed to have rights issues or the content you uploaded was inappropriate for the Archive. If you do have rights to the content you uploaded and you believe it is appropriate for Internet Archive, please contact us with your thoughts at info AT archive DOT org. |
FreeCacheBoth Squid and mod_proxy are great for reducing the load on web servers, and we encourage everybody to use them. The disadvantage of these caching proxies are that they only work "vertically", i.e., they reduce the bandwidth downstream from the originating web site to the users' browsers. That web site still gets 1 download per (non-cascading) proxy. The FreeCache system works more "horizontally", i.e., FreeCaches fill themselves up from neighboring FreeCaches if at all possible. Hence, the load on the originating web site is much lower. FreeCache and caching proxies are complementary technologies. Both can be used to reduce the impact on web sites. FreeCache is a demand-driven, distributed caching system. Cooperating caches exchange files without burdening the original site too much. BitTorrent is good and similar to FreeCache in that it balances download "horizontally". BitTorrent uses other BitTorrent clients for this balancing; these clients often become un-available after a particular file is not popular anymore. The FreeCache system utilizes permanent FreeCaches that don't go away (although particular files get flushed out after a while). Unlike BitTorrent, the FreeCache system is transparent to the end-user. No new client or server software is required, and the files do not need to be converted. To offer a file via the FreeCache system, all you need to do is prefix the URL with http://freecache.org/ What files are being served by FreeCache? FreeCache can only serve files that are on a web site. If the link to a file on that web site goes away, so will the file in the FreeCaches. Also, there is a minimum size requirement. We don't bother with files smaller than 5MB, as the saved bandwidth does not outweigh the protocol overhead in those cases. What's a good download manager? We like wget, because you can tell it to play nice and go slow. It's highly configurable and very powerful. Wget runs on all Unix platforms (incl. Mac OS X), and it comes standard with Cygwin on Windows. If you prefer something graphical, Mozilla's built-in download manager works fine. |
QuestionsWhat do I need I to know to use DocuComp in the WayBack Machine? What Archive Pages are comparable? Why should I compare results of past Web pages? Where can I find out more about DocuComp? Some images are missing in my comparison? Certain links or actions are not working in the comparison results? |
DocuCompDocuComp is a sophisticated technology that compares inserted, deleted, replaced and moved text and content in Web pages. It's patented algorithm has been specially designed and licensed for use in the Wayback Machine. What do I need I to know to use DocuComp in the WayBack Machine? You only need to know the basic functions of the Wayback Machine. Begin by typing an URL into the Wayback Machine and hit the 'Take Me Back' button. Once you've found your choices on the results page, click the 'Compare Archive Pages' button in the upper right hand corner of the page. The reloaded page will have a series of check-boxes before each page date. Check any two dates and select the 'Compare two dates' button in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. The system is designed to automatically generate results for any URL's indexed by the Wayback Machine. What Archive Pages are comparable? You can compare any two pages from the Archive's library dating from 1996 to the present (approximately 55 billion pages). Why should I compare results of past Web pages? Access to the Archive's Collections is provided at no cost to you and is granted for scholarship and research purposes only. The DocuComp feature is intended to provide interesting insight into how content on pages in every field-- from the government to entertainment to business sites-- changes over time. Where can I find out more about DocuComp? Please visit the ww.docucomp.com site. DocuComp is a widely-used technology that is licensed by it's parent company, Advanced Software, into many of the software products and content management systems available today. Formerly a standalone application for Advanced Software, the company now focuses exclusively on licensing the DocuComp technology and patent to software vendors. When compared pages contain different images, only the new (or latest) set of images is shown. Images that were either changed or removed are not displayed in the comparison results. Some images are missing in my comparison? In certain cases, images within the Web pages are not available. Not all images are archived nor are retrievable from the original site. If they no longer exist on the original site then the images will not be available and not displayed within the archived pages. Certain links or actions are not working in the comparison results? Links to other pages may not be live if those pages (or links) no longer exist and are not in the archive library. Also, javascript enabled links and actions are disabled in the comparison results to prevent errant scripts from being run. After comparing two pages, the upper frame on the results page includes a hyperlink to report results which return any page faults. By clicking this hyperlink, an automatic error report is generated to both the Internet Archive webmaster and DocuComp's technical team. If you wish, there is an additional help screen to describe the issue. Please keep in mind that with over two billion pages to index and compare, not all being created alike; some pages will differ greatly and not have a common frame of reference to effectively compare. Can I copy and use my results? The results of any comparison done on the Internet Archive site are governed by the terms of use listed at: http://www.archive.org/about/terms.php. Additionally, any use of the DocuComp trademark or logo without express written permission by Advanced Software, Inc and any of it's affiliates is prohibited by law. Guidelines for Press, Magazines and General Media DocuComp is a registered trademark of Advanced Software, Inc. Please contact the company at (866) 329-7480 or [email protected] for background information on the company's history, technology data, or to schedule executive interviews. |
QuestionsHow did you digitize the films? An article on re-coding Prelinger Archive films to SVCD so you can watch them on your DVD player. Do I need to credit the Internet Archive and Prelinger Archives when I reuse these movies? Do I need to inform the Internet Archive and/or Prelinger Archives when I reuse these movies? How can I get access to these movies on videotape or film? What parameters were used when making the Real Media files on the website? Are there restrictions on the use of the Prelinger Films? Can you point me to resources on the history of ephemeral films? Why are there very few post-1964 movies in the Prelinger collection? |
Prelinger MoviesHow did you digitize the films? The Prelinger Archives films are held in original film form (35mm, 16mm, 8mm, Super 8mm, and various obsolete formats like 28mm and 9.5mm). Films were first transferred to Betacam SP videotape, a widely used analog broadcast video standard, on telecine machines manufactured by Rank Cintel or Bosch. The film-to-tape transfer process is not a real-time process: It requires inspection of the film, repair of any physical damage, and supervision by a skilled operator who manipulates color, contrast, speed, and video controls. The videotape masters created in the film-to-tape transfer suite were digitized in 2001-2003 at Prelinger Archives in New York City using an encoding workstation built by Rod Hewitt. The workstation is a 550 MHz PC with a FutureTel NS320 MPEG encoder card. Custom software, also written by Rod Hewitt, drove the Betacam SP playback deck and managed the encoding process. The files were uploaded to hard disk through the courtesy of Flycode, Inc. More recently, Prelinger films have been digitized and uploaded by Skip Elsheimer at AV Geeks. The files were encoded at constant bitrates ranging from 2.75 Mbps to 3.5 Mbps. Most were encoded at 480 x 480 pixels (2/3 D1) or 368 x 480 (roughly 1/2 D1). The encoder drops horizontal pixels during the digitizing process, which during decoding are interpolated by the decoder to produce a 720 x 480 picture. (Rod Hewitt's site Coolstf shows examples of an image before and after this process.) Picture quality is equal to or better than most direct broadcast satellite television. Audio was encoded at MPEG-1 Level 2, generally at 112 kbps. Both the MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 movies have mono audio tracks. To convert the MPEG-2 video to MPEG-4, we used a program called FlasK MPEG. This is an MPEG-1/2 to AVI conversion tool that reads the source MPEG-2 and outputs an AVI file containing the video in MPEG-4 format and audio in uncompressed PCM format. We then use a program called Virtual Dub that recompresses the audio using the MPEG-1 Level 3 (MP3) format. This process is automated by the software that runs the system. An article on re-coding Prelinger Archive films to SVCD so you can watch them on your DVD player. See archived version of www.moviebone.com/ Do I need to credit the Internet Archive and Prelinger Archives when I reuse these movies? We ask that you credit us as a source of archival material, in order to help make others aware of this site. We suggest the following forms of credit: Archival footage supplied by the Internet Moving Images Archive (at archive.org) in association with Prelinger Archives or Archival footage supplied by the Internet Moving Images Archive (at archive.org) or "Archival footage supplied by archive.org" Do I need to inform the Internet Archive and/or Prelinger Archives when I reuse these movies? No. However, we would very much like to know how you have used this material, and we'd be thrilled to see what you've made with it. This may well help us improve this site. Please consider sending us a copy of your production (postal mail only), and let us know whether we can call attention to it on the site. Our address is: Rick Prelinger How can I get access to these movies on videotape or film? Access to the movies stored on this site in videotape or film form is available to commercial users through Archive Films, representing Prelinger Archives for stock footage sales. Please contact Archive Films directly: Archive Films/Archive Photos Please visit us at www.prelinger.com/prelarch.html for more information on access to these and similar films. Prelinger Archives regrets that it cannot generally provide access to movies stored on this Web site in other ways than through the site itself. We recognize that circumstances may arise when such access should be granted, and we welcome email requests. Please address them to Rick Prelinger. The Internet Archive does not provide access to these films other than through this site. What parameters were used when making the Real Media files on the website? Rod Hewitt posted some very useful information here Are there restrictions on the use of the Prelinger Films? There are no restrictions. You are warmly encouraged to download, use and reproduce these films in whole or in part, in any medium or market throughout the world. You are also warmly encouraged to share, exchange, redistribute, transfer and copy these films, and especially encouraged to do so for free. Any derivative works that you produce using these films are yours to perform, publish, reproduce, sell, or distribute in any way you wish without any limitations. Descriptions, synopses, shotlists and other metadata provided by Prelinger Archives to this site are copyrighted jointly by Prelinger Archives and Getty Images. They may be quoted, excerpted or reproduced for educational, scholarly, nonprofit or archival purposes, but may not be reproduced for commercial purposes of any kind without permission. If you require a written license agreement or need access to stock footage in a physical format (such as videotape or a higher-quality digital file), please contact Getty Images. The Internet Archive does not furnish written license agreements, nor does it comment on the rights status of a given film above and beyond the Creative Commons license. We would appreciate attribution or credit whenever possible, but do not require it.
Can you point me to resources on the history of ephemeral films? See the bibliography and links to other resources at www.prelinger.com/ephemeral.html. Why are there very few post-1964 movies in the Prelinger collection? Largely because of copyright law. While a high percentage of ephemeral films were never originally copyrighted or (if initially copyrighted) never had their copyrights properly renewed, copyright laws still protect most moving image works produced in the United States from 1964 to the present. Since the Prelinger collection on this site exists to supply material to users without most rights restrictions, every title has been checked for copyright status. Those titles that either are copyrighted or whose status is in question have not been made available. For information on recent changes in copyright law, see the circular Duration of Copyright (in PDF format) published by the Library of Congress Check out our Prelinger Archives Forum |
Search TipsCan I see a list of the most downloaded movies? Every collection within Moving Images has a "Most Downloaded" list in the right-hand column of the page. However, if you'd like to see a complete list of all of our most downloaded movies, click here. Can I see a list of the most downloaded audio files? Every collection within Audio has a "Most Downloaded" list in the right-hand column of the page. However, if you'd like to see a complete list of all of our most downloaded audio items, click one of the links below:
Can I search by Creative Commons License?
Yes, you can. But it's a little complicated. Here's how to break it down. See the license types at creative commons. When you want to find all of the items assigned a certain license by an uploading party, you'll plug their abbreviation for it into this search query: /metadata/licenseurl:http*abbreviation/* So if you're looking for Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd), you'd put this in the search box: /metadata/licenseurl:http*by-nc-nd/* And you'd get about 33,000 items back. If you want to use this in combination with other queries, like "I want by-nc-nd items about dogs" you'd do this: /metadata/licenseurl:http*by-nc-nd/* AND dog And you'd get 195 items. The AND tells the search engine all the items returned should have that license AND they should contain the word dog. AND has to be in all caps. Just to make it easier, here are the basic searches:
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QuestionsHow can I add my music, movies, or text? How does the Share button work? I want to add LOTS of individual items to the archive, how do i do that? How can I report an error for my item? How can I make changes to my item? Can you tell me a bit more about choosing a license? How should I name the files for movies I upload? What kinds of formats do you want me to use for uploading? How should I name the audio files I upload? How can I take my files off the site? What is the relationship between Internet Archive and OurMedia? |
Uploading ContentHow can I add my music, movies, or text?
You may contribute content to the Internet Archive if it's in the public domain or if you own the rights to it. If you own the rights, we recommend that you choose a Creative Commons license for it so that others will know how they may (or may not) use it. You can choose a type of Creative Commons license during your upload process. Please note that if you wish to be contacted with inquiries regarding your item, you'll need to supply public contact information. Some chose to provide a web address, mailing address, or other means of contact in the description text for the item. See also http://www.archive.org/about/faqs.php#Rights You can contribute movies, audios, or books to the archive through the upload tool. Click the "Upload" button near the upper right-hand corner of the site, or click here. For books, please see http://www.archive.org/about/faqs.php#195
How does the Share button work?
This exciting new uploading feature is a beta release. This means that it's currently under development, and we've made this early release because it improves the upload process and we can't wait for you to start working with it! To use the new beta uploader:
You can track the progress of your items in our catalog. We accept audio, video, and text files. I want to add LOTS of individual items to the archive, how do i do that?
If you have a large collection of related items in single media type, like a radio show for example, please contact the Internet Archive. You can email our collections staff at info at archive.org. Please put start your subject line with "Collections:". Be sure to include the details of your collection; we want to know how many items you have, what format they are in as well as any general information you can give us about the collection. In general, collection pages are created once the number of uploaded items has reached 50 or more. How can I report an error for my item?
First, we recommend that you search the Forums. Many common problems have already been answered there, and you'll have an answer much more quickly. If that doesn't work, you can email info at archive.org. Be sure to include a link to your item's details page. Report the details about the problem you are experiencing - the more details you provide, the more readily we can help you. How can I make changes to my item?
If you want to change your item's metadata (like title, description, file formats and titles, running time, language, etc.), or change the files in your item (remove files, upload new/more files, rename files, etc.), you can do this using the new “Edit Item!” link. Here's how:
If you have uploaded new files and you want us to make derivative files (smaller, more compressed versions), you will need to do one more thing.
How can I take my files off the site? If you would like us to take down an item you have posted, please send an email to info [AT] archive [DOT] org. Please include the exact URLs of the items. Your email must come from the same email address you used to upload the item. This is the only way we can tell that you are the owner of the item. Can you tell me a bit more about choosing a license?
From the Creative Commons website: "Creative Commons licenses help you share your work but while keeping your copyright. Other people can copy and distribute your work, but only on certain conditions." How should I name the files for movies I upload?
Take for example a movie called My Home Video. The identifier (AKA base name) for this movie should be something like MyHomeVideo. The naming convention for the files depends on the encoding.
MPEG-2:
MPEG-1:
DivX:
QuickTime:
Windows Media:
Real Media:
MPEG-4: If you know the bitrate of the encoding (for QuickTime, Windows Media, Real Media, or MPEG-4), please include in the file name as such (using 64 as the bitrate and QuickTime as the format, for example): MyHomeVideo_64kb.mov During upload, I get an error message about 'illegal characters' or 'file name prohibited.' What does this mean?
The folder or files that you are attempting to upload have characters in the name that cause problems with the system - so we have designated them "illegal". This includes the following characters in the name: What languages are supported by Archive.org? How can I use accented or special characters in my title or description?
What languages are supported by Archive.org? Archive.org supports all metadata about items in just about any language so long as the characters are UTF8 encoded. (1) example of language:korean (2) example of language: Arabic Filename support: Support for Filenames is limited to pretty basic ASCII characters, like Additional character support for filenames is not an area under development at this time.
How can I use accented or special characters in my title or description? You can use accented and other special characters in your item text and file titles, but you need to make sure you use the xml-safe code for those characters instead of typing them directly into the forms. Typing accented characters directly into forms can break the xml for your item, making your files unavailable through the site. Instead, you'll want to use a special code to represent those letters. There are some examples in the table below, but you can find a complete listing of these codes on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_XML_and_HTML_character_entity_references - you'll use the number in parentheses in the "Unicode code point" column. Here are some common accented and special characters and what you should replace them with:
So to write the word café you would actually write café - you replace the letter é with the code é There are many, many more codes than the ones listed above, of course. You can find more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_XML_and_HTML_character_entity_references. What kinds of formats do you want me to use for uploading?
The Internet Archive strives to archive content in open formats that are friendly to long-term storage and access. In addition to affecting long-term storage and access, giving us media in these formats will assure that they are accessible now, since many problems with long-term accessibility such as DRM and propriatary codecs also cause problems today. However, if you have content that is not available in an open/recommended format (see below), we will still happily archive it. Our systems are not tied to specific media formats and in fact are capable of archiving any type of digital data that can be represented as a file. Format Recommendations: We encourage users making contributions to the Archive to create as high quality versions of their media as possible. As we know access is important and not everyone has a high speed connection, we will take these archivable copies and create much smaller version for users with slow connections. Remember, a WAV file may seem big, but it won't be in 5 years. Further, you can always make lower quality files (e.g. mp3s) from higher quality files, but cannot go the other way. For video we typically recommend MPEG2 (DVD quality), or if you do not have MPEG2, MPEG1 or MPEG4. For audio we recommend WAV or FLAC (preferably 24 bit). For text we recommend plain text, xml, or pdfs.How should I name the audio files I upload?
Take, for example, an audio called My Music. The identifier for this audio should be something like MyMusic. The naming convention for the files depends on the encoding.
MP3:
WAVE:
Flac:
Shorten:
Ogg Vorbis:
Windows:
Real Media: If you know the bitrate of the encoding, please include it in the file name. For example: MyMusic_64kb.mp3
How can I take my files off the site?
If you would like us to take down an item you have posted, please send an email to info [AT] archive [DOT] org. Please include the exact URLs of the items. Your email must come from the same email address you used to upload the item. This is the only way we can tell that you are the owner of the item. I just uploaded my files, and I got an error message that says there's a problem with my metadata - but I haven't added any metadata yet!
When you create an item, we "check out" a directory for you to upload files into. When you're done uploading, you "check in" the directory (by cicking a link on the check out page, or clicking the "click here when done" icon). Checking in an item lets us know you're done uploading, and the first thing we do is back up your files to a second server (so we'll have two copies of everything). Sometimes, when it's taking longer than usual to complete this backup, you'll get an error message that says there's a problem with your metadata. If you wait a little while (usually just a few minutes, but occasionally longer), you should be able to continue the upload process without any trouble. If you uploaded metadata with your files, or you've gotten this error after you've added metadata (title, description, file titles, etc.) then you may have a problem. Usually an item breaks because you used special characters that broke the xml files for your item. Please feel free to use the link on the error page to report the problem to us and we'll try to help you fix it. What is the relationship between Internet Archive and OurMedia? The OurMedia collection on archive.org can be found at http://www.archive.org/details/ourmedia. Users can upload to this section directly from the OurMedia site on this page. If you have questions or concerns about your item(s) in OurMedia, please contact them directly. |
QuestionsHow is the Internet Archive using BitTorrent? How to prevent an Archive Torrent from being made How do I find Torrents on the Archive? Can I download only part of an item using an Archive BitTorrent? My Torrent download never completes? My Torrent download never starts? How do I tell if a Torrent is being seeded?
Why is the Torrent link for an Item lined out ( What are peers, seeds, leechers, and snatches? |
Archive BitTorrentsHow is the Internet Archive using BitTorrent? Downloading Internet Archive Content As of summer 2012, the Internet Archive is beta-testing the distribution of our public collections via the BitTorrent protocol (as a supplement to traditional HTTP download). Currently over 1.4 million Archive Items are available via the BitTorrent protocol, comprising almost a petabyte of public domain materials. As testing continues, more and more content will be made available through Torrents. For the details, see the related FAQ, Details of Archive-made Torrents. BitTorrent download requires an up-to-date BitTorrent client. For general information on the BitTorrent protocol, see Wikipedia or BitTorrent.com. Uploading BitTorrents to the Internet Archive Starting in 2011, the Internet Archive began automatically retrieving BitTorrent files uploaded into most Community collections. Uploading a Torrent provides a convenient way to upload many files or large contents, provided seeds (including webseeds) are available for the Torrent. How to prevent an Archive Torrent from being made Internet Archive BitTorrents are automatically made for community-contributed items in many collections, and automatically updated when item contents or metadata change. If you prefer that your item not have an Archive Torrent made for it; or that items within a collection you maintain do not, you can prevent Torrents from being made by including the following metadata tag in your item: noarchivetorrent=true Note: adding this tag does not remove existing Torrents, those must be removed using the Item Manager item file management tool. For instructions on how to edit an item or collection's metadata, see the FAQ Uploading Content. How do I find Torrents on the Archive? You can search and browse all our Torrents on the Torrents collection homepage (or one of the media-specific subcollections). To narrow your own Search or Advanced Search query, add format:"Archive BitTorrent" to your search terms, e.g. http://archive.org/search.php?query='scifi AND mediatype:audio AND format:"Archive BitTorrent"'. The most popular and recent Torrents are available on each tracker's hotlists, e.g. bt1.archive.org Hot List. Can I download only part of an item using an Archive BitTorrent? Yes, almost all contemporary BitTorrent clients allow you to select which files included in the Torrent are downloaded. And even when you download only one or some files, you get the speed advantages of using the format. Many show a list of the files contained in the Torrent, and both folders and individual files can be selected or deselected both before, and during, download. It is recommend, in fact, that you deselect the top-level directory within the Torrent named ._____padding_file if there is one, as this contains unnecessary (empty) Internet Archive padding files. My Torrent download never completes? Most likely, you have an out-of-date Torrent for the Item you are trying to download. The first thing to try is re-downloading the Items' Torrent, and trying again. Torrents for Items on the Internet Archive can become obsolete when the Item the Torrent is for changes. In that case, some or (more rarely) all of the files within the Torrent will fail to download completely. This is because our Torrents rely heavily on webseeding (download directly from our servers, when no peers have the files you are seeking). When files on our servers have changed since the Torrent was made, they will not match expected 'piece hashes'; some BitTorrent clients (e.g. Transmission) will attempt to re-download file pieces from changed files over and over, forever, assuming there was an error in transmission, when in fact the file has changed. Torrents that never download at all most likely are the result of a different problem, lack of client support for Getright-style webseeding. My Torrent download never starts? It's worth mentioning that some BitTorrent clients take a very long time to begin downloading when relying on webseeding (a common requirement when using Archive BitTorrents). At times downloads can take upwards of several minutes to start. We're not sure exactly why; we suspect those clients exhaust all other options, such as DHT, before falling back on webseeds. (We have observed this behavior with Transmission.) If you download an up-to-date (current) Torrent from the Archive, and it loads into your BitTorrent client, but download never begins, the most likely cause is that you are using a BitTorrent client that does not support Getright-style webseeding. Our Torrents rely heavily on webseeding (download directly from our servers, when no peers have the files you are seeking). Some BitTorrent clients (e.g. rTorrent) do not support Getright-style webseeding, and will not be able to download un-seeded Internet Archive Torrents. At the moment, the only solution to this problem is to use a different client. Another possibility is that your Torrent file is out of date, because the Item has moved to a new server, and your client does not support redirection of our canonical webseeding URL (and no tracked or discoverable peers are seeding the Torrent). In this case, the problem can be solved by re-downloading the Torrent file. How do I tell if a Torrent is being seeded? Current seed and leech counts are displayed for each Archive Torrent on the relevant Item details pages, in parenthesis next to the Torrent link. These values are cached for five minutes or so, and because clients do not always update our trackers regularly, they may be somewhat out of date. The number of seeders is shown first, and the number of leechers (downloaders without the complete Torrent) second. The seeder number includes 'webseeds,' however, which are only usable by BitTorrent clients which support Getright-style webseeding.
Why is the Torrent link for an Item lined out (
While an Item is being updated, its Torrent link is temporarily disabled and shown as Changes to an item usually render any existing Archive BitTorrent for it obsolete. Attempts to download obsolete Archive Torrents will usually fail, as described here: My Torrent download never completes?. (Technically, the problem is that when files within an Item change, they can no longer download correctly via webseeding because the piece hashes for updated files change). The Torrent link will return to normal when the Item finishes updating and the torrent is updated. The Torrent link may be unavailable for a few minutes or a few hours depending on the size of the Item and how busy the Archive processing cluster is (in very rare cases, it might be disabled for a day or more). Note: obsolete torrents will continue to be tracked by Archive trackers for some time, but will only be retrievable when seeded by peers who have downloaded the referenced version of the item. What are peers, seeds, leechers, and snatches? BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer file-sharing protocol facilitated by centralized trackers. The Internet Archive runs several BitTorrent trackers to allow for peer discovery. Archive trackers track (but do not log or otherwise record) which peers have pieces of which Torrents; real-time statistics are summarized on tracker hotlists for each of our Trackers. Internet Archive tracker statistics of interest include:
Note: Internet Archive seeder and peer counts include webseeds; these seeds are available only when using clients that support Getright-style webseeding. Does the Internet Archive run trackers? Yes, Internet Archive torrents are tracked by bt1.archive.org and bt2.archive.org. We are using opentracker, which has proven to be highly scalable. Our trackers are closed (they track our only own torrents). How do I use Torrents to upload to archive.org? Retrieval of Torrents is not the best solution for uploading unless you already have an existing mechanism for creating and seeding Torrents. This capability is not intended as an alternative to our uploader. It merely enables the Archive to capture material already being distributed via BitTorrent. Torrent retrieval by the Archive works like this: If a valid .torrent file is uploaded (e.g. through our Uploader) into an item, when that item is derived, we will instantiate a BitTorrent client (Transmission) and attempt to retrieve the Torrent. If the Torrent is successfully retrieved, its contents will be added to the item. 'Valid' in this case means, well-formed and seeded. Our client will attempt to scrape any listed trackers to find seeding peers, but will also attempt to find peers via DHT and can fall back on Getright-style webseeding when possible. The Torrent file itself is leeched only long enough to retrieve the file; we do not seed the Torrent after retrieval. However, all items contents, including those retrieved through this method, are made available via the item's own Archive Torrent. (Because it contains additional contents, this Archive Torrent will, alas, have a different infohash from the original Torrent. So uploading a Torrent to the Archive does not make us a seeder of it.) Bonus feature: if you have only a magnet link, and not a Torrent file, you can create a dummy .torrent file by pasting that magnet link into a text file and naming it foo.torrent. If you upload this dummy Torrent file, we'll detect that you gave us a magnet link and take care of the rest. |
ForumsHow can I make links clickable in my posts? You may have noticed that some posts have highlighted links in them. Internet Archive forums permit the use of HTML codes. Suppose you want to make a link to the Internet Archive home page, one that looks like this: Internet Archive home page. To do this, you would enter the following HTML code: <a href="http://www.archive.org">Internet Archive home page</a>. How can I format text in my posts Since the Internet Archive forum system accepts HTML codes, you can make text bold, italic, underlined, or even colored by using normal HTML codes. See WebMonkey for a list of HTML codes. How do I subscribe/unsubscribe to a forum email list? Next to all forums, you will see a small envelope. When logged in, you can click on this envelope which will allow you to subscribe or unsubscribe to any forum. |
Report ItemHow do I report that there's an issue with an item?
The Internet Archive (Archive.org) is a nonprofit library that preserves digital cultural artifacts, and provides online access to over a million users a day with the goal of universal access to all knowledge. To report an item which violates the Internet Archive's Terms of Use, please send an email with the URL (web address) of the item to info -at- archive.org The Internet Archive follows the Oakland Archive Policy for Managing Removal Requests And Preserving Archival Integrity. (When reviewing the Oakland Archive Policy, please note that information about requests coming from webmasters is information to assist with archived websites in particular.) How do I report that something's wrong with a book?
If you see an error with a book that the Internet Archive has digitized, we'd appreciate knowing about it! Please send an email with the URL (web address) of the book, and description of the problem, to info -at- archive.org In some cases, you may know of alternate information about a book that is supplemental to the library bibliographic record. (For example, a new, more modern transliteration of an author's name.) To share additional information like this, you may wish to post it using the option to write a review of a book. For more information on the Internet Archive's sponsored scanning, For more information on books that users upload, or for information on how to upload your own, There's a problem with the item -- what next?
Some changes to our system, to individual items, or to collections can take a day to appear on Archive.org. If you're experiencing a problem with an item, we recommend trying again after a day. Often the issue will then have already been resolved.
How can I take my file off the site?
If you would like us to take down an item that you have uploaded, please send an email to info -at- archive.org Please note that you need to include the URL (web address) of the item. Your email must come from the same email address you used to upload the item. This is the only way we can tell that you are the owner of the item. As always, if you write in, please be sure any spam filter you have is set to accept email from @archive.org. Please see also the further resources at http://www.archive.org/about/faqs.php#Uploading_Content |
RightsCan I use this ____ for ____ ?
Internet Archive does not itself seek to limit use of its digital materials. However, we cannot give ironclad guarantees as to the copyright status of items in our Collections and cannot guarantee information posted on items’ details or collection pages regarding copyright or other intellectual property rights. Our terms of use (http://www.archive.org/about/terms.php) require that users make use of Internet Archive's Collections at their own risk and ensure that such use is non-infringing and in accordance with all applicable laws. The person who uploads an item often provides information related to use rights, either by way of directly entering it in the description field or by selection of a Creative Commons license. The latter, if included by the uploader, will be viewable via a Creative Commons logo on the details page, which serves as a link to a description of the specific type of license that the uploader has assigned. One way to attempt to contact an uploader about information that they have posted is to post a review to the item. The Internet Archive follows the Oakland Archive Policy for Managing Removal Requests And Preserving Archival Integrity.
You may also find these resources helpful: Chilling Effects Clearinghouse Chilling Effects Clearinghouse Electronic Frontier Foundation Electronic Frontier Foundation
Please see also: Who owns the rights to these movies? http://www.archive.org/about/faqs.php#49 Are there restrictions on the use of the Prelinger Films? http://www.archive.org/about/faqs.php#197 Can I search Archive.org by Creative Commons License? http://www.archive.org/about/faqs.php#263
What is non-Commercial Use? Please see http://www.archive.org/iathreads/post-view.php?id=111591
A link the Terms of Use for Archive.org is at the bottom of each page.
How can I contact the person / group who uploaded an item? Internet Archive is unable to release any contact information for patrons. However, it may be worth your while to post a review for the item in question - this automatically contacts the uploader's account, notifying them that their upload has been reviewed. You could pose queries/requests for information therein. |
EquipmentWhat equipment does the Internet Archive use? What APIs?
Storage systems used by the Internet Archive: Equipment and software used in the Internet Archive's scanning and OCR services for Contributing Libraries Documents describing how to use Archive software and services, maintain "special" servers, and so on. Includes our API to archive.org services using JSON format. |
Questions |
Archive-It
Archive-It is a subscription service that allows institutions to build and preserve collections of born digital content. Through the user-friendly web application, Archive-It partners can harvest, catalog, manage, and browse their archived collections. Collections are hosted at the Internet Archive data center and are accessible to the public with full-text search. Why would I subscribe to Archive-It instead of using the Wayback machine at Internet Archive? Partners to this service can create distinct Web archives called "collections", containing only the born digital content they are interested in harvesting, at whatever frequency suits their needs. All collections are full-text searchable. The collections created with Archive-It can be cataloged with metadata and managed directly by the partner. The Archive-It service maintains a minimum of two copies of each collection online, a primary and a back-up copy. How frequently can I archive Web sites? Archive-It is very flexible: you can harvest material from the Web using ten different frequencies, from daily to annually. Partners can select different crawl frequencies for each chosen URL. Additionally, your institution can also chose to start a crawl "on demand" in the case of an unforeseen spontaneous or historic event. Who gets access to the collections created in Archive-It? By default, all collections are available for public access from the main page at www.archive-it.org. However, a partner can choose to have their collection(s) made private by special arrangement. How can I search the collections? Archive-It provides full text search capability for all public collections. You can also browse by URL from the list provided for each collection. The public can browse and search collections by partner type or collection from www.archive-it.org. What types of institutions can subscribe to Archive-It? Archive-It is designed to fit the needs of many types of organizations. The 190+ partners include state archives and libraries, university libraries, federal institutions, non government non profits, museums, art libraries, and local city governments. Who decides which content to archive in Archive-It? Partners develop their own collections and have complete control over which content to archive within those collections. Where is the data stored for Archive-It collections? All data created using the Archive-It service is hosted and stored by
the Internet Archive. We store two copies online and are working with
partners to have redundant copies in other locations. Partners can also request a copy of their data for local use and preservation to be shipped either on a hard drive or over the internet.
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