General Discussion

This may be more an ask than anything. To all the data nerds, or those that know them, in the public sector in the US: If you or those you know are working with large public datasets, please consider taking the steps necessary to ensure that data is not lost to the world. Between many institutional organizations local and abroad down to the many selfhosters out there, there are many places this data can continue to live, thrive, and serve the public that has not only paid for it to exist, but benefitted from its use. My mind immediately goes to all those scentific datasets necessary for helping analyze the state of our planet. Of these there are an incredible amount online only because of federal funding. The stakeholders are too great to count, but they are critical not only to the US but all those with access to do so. I can not fathom how much work and research has been made possible. I know this to be true of so much public data. Others may know more of specific needs and methods of preservation. This is a kind of book burning in an abstract sense that would be unrecoverable, too costly, or immensely difficult to restore. The hard work of the collectors, maintainers, and contributors should not be lost due to gross negligence and malevolence.