Evidence.
Blogs came about when tidbits of information could be cross referenced by internet goers revealing tidbits of scandal. Many of these tidbits are now revolving out of service. They will no longer be held in cache files but will be routinely purged. Reasoning will explain that there is no need to house identical files in multiple places, and that such purged files be sent to each organizations central storage units.
This would make it much harder to cross refernce materials. Acquiring information made public will involve saving those links that show double speak, lies, changes of fact, ect. Yet how often would you find cross referenced indiscretions if the files once reported revolved off the internet to be stored elsewhere? The information would effectively not be available to you or anyone else anymore.
Possibly many organizations would make needed files available on request. They also could very easily ask for money for making them available. Small fees ect. But if your not working for them, or a government employee your request is one of personel want and asking a nominal fee would be each companies right.
Many companies would probably deny access, bury files, and generally stand in the way of any investigation they deemed against them or against interest they believed in or backed.
Now the point I am trying to make and getting to has to do with all the dedicated bloggers. The ones who are doing a really good job. Alos to the people who assist them. Donate. The readers. The ones who are enlightened. That information could very easily start to disappear faster than you could retrieve it. If those in charge of "caching" this vast amount of knowledge start deleting content, you the users of this information will no longer have access to it.
With a bit of arm twisting and promises of global monopolies many companies will bend if advised by an Administration that deleting unused "inpertenant", information they will save millions blah blah blah. There is a good chance these companies will be brought around. For now the internet is free. It can continue to be free only as long as we the users are vigilant.
My suggestion to you is to start working together to archive the information you base all your stories on and not just the link. A dead link offers no proof. The world of tommorow could be filled with dead links. By working together to pool your talents I am sure a database could be set up to cross reference many topics.
