Back To The Future Day at the Internet Archive

The Internet Archive had its annual party on October 21, and presented its first ever Internet Heroes award to the Grateful Dead.  The Archive hosts over 10,000 versions of the Dead's 2,000-plus concerts, all faithfully recorded by Deadheads in the audiences. This trove was acquired by promising unlimited storage and unlimited bandwidth forever.

The Archive is an amazing online library that you really need to experience for yourself. It would take way too long for me to describe it in its entirety. The Wayback Machine* is the place to go if you need to consult documents that have been removed from the Web. 

The event started with food, drink and exhibits that showcased the Archive's work. The event was catered by Tacos San Buena, who brought two trucks with fast-moving staff to keep the food flowing.

Beer, Wine and Fancy Soft Drinks

  

 There were tables with chips, guacamole and salsa.

 The trucks served tacos with a choice of mild or hot salsa.

 There were several exhibits to look at, and we received a star to prove we had been at each one. At the end of the event, we turned in our lanyards and received a glass water bottle with the Archive logo on it. The water bottle isn't available for purchase (at least not yet) but there is a lot of cool merchandise in the Archive's store.

  

There was Pacman in the game area.

 People who work for the Archive for three years are immortalized in sculpture.

  

  

There was a Dead cover band.

 Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow was there to accept the award.

See the whole program:

After the program, there were Its-Its in all flavors for dessert! If you're interested in the Internet Archive, you can visit them! They also host several events that are open to the public each year. Simply check on their website for more details. 

*We've seen the wayback machine cited for allowing journalists to find original information, such as minutes for city meetings, calendars of events and project timelines. The internet archive is doing everyone a great service by keeping this info available and active. No more 404 errors!