I can’t archive the entirety of Github, Gitlab and many more services with all source code in all versions and metadata. And make it available to everyone at all times. This is not an effort to archive a few of my personal project, this is an attempt to archive every piece of software that can be archived. Otherwise do you not agree that the Internet Archive has a value archiving all the websites? This is similar, but for software code.
The point is, does it someone? This archive is doing exactly what you say someone could do, copying the software to a place that most likely will survive. They give some examples to what dangers are there, even for open source software. In example, are all Git repositories on Github and other personal repositories backed up on a safe place that will be available to the public at same place? All versions of it?
Not all code is big and used as often and secured like the Linux code in example. 20 years from now, there will be software, that most individuals and companies will not have anymore on their servers and may not even care. Hardware fails, services disappear and so on. It’s like arguing that anyone can do a website copy to archive it, but does anyone do it? Same thing applies here.
What exactly is the problem? What would be different if it wasn’t sponsored by Microsoft and Google? It would be sponsored by others and they do the exact same job. I am not saying you have to use it. I just don’t get the point as a reason to avoid. I mean look, maybe if you have good reasoning maybe I will change my mind and avoid it too. But would you avoid Linux too then?
Sponsored just means its giving money to do the job. Otherwise, Linux and many other open source projects are sponsored by Microsoft and Google.
I think this is the right page that addresses this question: https://www.softwareheritage.org/mission/software-is-fragile/
Just like big corporations. Money is the reason why they go closed source… the fear of using their open source code, while using others open source software.
Yes, that’s basically it. It’s a backup, with the intent of being the most comprehensive and secure backup, not controlled by a single company (other than this organization off course). As long as it gets funded by various sources, this should be available in the future. Hopefully.
Some additional personal thoughts: This should have better chances to archive than Internet Archive does, as they only archive content that is Open Source (as far as I know). And a reason why big companies fund this is probably they want to use it for Ai… just my speculation on my part…