Z83digital memory: how to keep websites, files and data

An independent reference on keeping websites, files and data. It is not a hosting service, does not store other people's websites and is not connected with the former websites on this domain.

Glossary

Glossary

Talk about storing data quickly fills up with jargon. We have gathered the most useful terms and explained each one so that you could pass the definition on to a relative without any preparation.

Sync repeats your mistakes too: a deleted file disappears everywhere, but it stays in a backup.

— Editor's view

How this section works: the definitions are simplified on purpose and do not aim for the precision of a standard. The terms are split into three groups by meaning.

Archives and copies

Backup
A separate copy of data made in case the main copy is lost or damaged. It is stored independently of the original.
3-2-1 rule
A principle of reliable storage: three copies of your data on two different types of media, with one of them kept somewhere else.
Sync
Automatically keeping the same content on several devices. It is not a substitute for a backup, because it carries deletions over too.
Version history
A set of earlier states of a file that you can go back to. Found in editors and cloud folders.
Test restore
A check in which files are taken out of a backup and opened to make sure the backup is usable.

Formats and media

Open format
A file format with a publicly available specification that different programs can support. It depends less on the fate of a single developer.
PDF/A
A version of the PDF format for long-term storage of documents, defined by the ISO 19005 standard.
CSV
A simple text format for tables in which values are separated by commas or another character. Almost any spreadsheet program can open it.
Metadata
Information about a file: creation date, author, where a photo was taken. It helps sort an archive but can reveal more than you intend.
Storage medium
The device on which data is physically recorded: a hard drive, USB stick, memory card or optical disc.

Addresses and links

Web archive
A collection of captures of web pages taken at different times. The best known is the Wayback Machine run by the Internet Archive.
Dead link
A link that leads to a page that no longer exists: the site has closed, moved or changed its address structure.
Subdomain
An address within a main domain, such as a name placed before the site's name and a dot. Free hosting services often placed users' websites this way.
Redirect
A setting that automatically sends a visitor from an old address to a new one. It helps links stay alive longer.
Page capture
A saved state of a page on a particular date, whether in a web archive or in your own personal copy.
  • Guides

    Practical guides: how to save an important web page, build a personal archive and move photos off old media. The article catalogue is here too.

  • Tools

    Built-in features found almost everywhere: print to PDF, document version history, account data export and disk checks.

  • Comparisons

    Cloud or external drive, PDF or original format, USB stick or hard drive for long-term storage: the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

  • Questions

    Answers about this reference, saving websites and pages, backups and personal archives.

  • Dead links (in Russian)

    An old address of an article from another website: why links stop working and how to find a saved copy of a page.

Sources

  • Internet Archive — information about the Wayback Machine
  • ISO 19005 (PDF/A)
  • General data backup recommendations

Facts about system support periods, file format standards and web archives were checked against the organisations' published information at the time of writing. Menu items in your own software and devices may be named differently from the general descriptions used here.