Oct 7, 2009, 15:09 GMT
Geneva - A new standard was announced Wednesday for the archiving of Websites in what is being described as a better way to preserve online content.
The new WARC (Web archive) file format 'will ensure that the vast and often valuable information posted on the Web is not lost when a page changes or disappears,' the International Standards Organization said.
An extension of the ARC file format in use since 1996, WARC is said to be better at storing and managing the growing volume of online information.
The ISO said the new format differs from the ARC in that it offers more option.
For example, the WARC can record HTTP request headers and arbitrary metadata, the allocation of an identifier for every contained file, the management of duplicates and of migrated records, and the segmentation of the record.
The format can be used to build applications for harvesting, managing, accessing and exchanging content, and several tools for WARC already exist.
The Geneva-based ISO is the network of the national standards institutes of 162 countries.
Online: http://www.iso.org
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