Google+ will be shut down in a matter of weeks, but its archive of public posts may live on indefinitely.
Internet Archive recently announced plans to save public Google+ content at the Wayback Machine. In fact, the archiving has already begun.
There are a few things Google+ users can do to assist the Internet Archive with this effort.
For the most part, users don’t have to do anything. If you want your public Google+ content preserved, then chances are it will be.
However, Internet Archive advises users not to delete their Google+ content or profile. If it’s deleted it cannot be saved.
Limitations to Archiving Google+ Content
Internet Archive notes there are a few limitations to this project, which are as follows:
- Only public content that is presently available on Google+ is being included.
- Private posts and any previously deleted content will not be saved.
- Full post comments may not be archived. Google+ allows up to 500 comments per post, but only presents a subset of these as static HTML.
- Image and video content may not be preserved at full resolution. This will apply mostly to high-def image and video content.
- Content archival is subject to the rate at which the project can proceed and any limitations imposed outside its control.
Internet Archive also lists a few things that people with technical skills can do to help if they wish to contribute on a volunteer basis.
As a result of the volunteers’ efforts thus far, most public Google+ content should be preserved:
“Most public Google+ content should live on at the Internet Archive thanks to a fanatical bunch of volunteers, and you can help.”
Anyone who is sad to see Google+ go next month can rest easy knowing that most of its history will be saved.
