Ask HN: What would you preserve if the internet were to go down tomorrow?

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Framing the Scenario & Practicality

  • Many argue that if the global internet vanished “tomorrow,” the real crisis would be banking, supply chains, communication, and fuel/food logistics, not loss of websites.
  • Several consider the premise largely a thought experiment; others treat it as serious preparedness, including for regional firewalls or natural disasters.

What to Preserve: Knowledge & Culture

  • Common picks: Wikipedia (often full offline dumps), Sci‑Hub, LibGen, Anna’s Archive, Internet Archive, Project Gutenberg, OEIS, GitHub and major OSS docs.
  • Some want large YouTube slices (technical talks, how‑to, historical TV, survival/crafts, math channels) but note difficulty filtering the useful <1%.
  • Others emphasize ebooks (fiction + technical), music, ROMs/emulators, movies, and personal photos.

Software, Code, and AI Models

  • Desired archives: Linux distros and full mirrors (Debian, Slackware, openSUSE), GNU, Apache, compilers, language ecosystems (pip, npm, cargo, PyPI), Git hosting mirrors.
  • Strong interest in LLMs (LLaMA variants, DeepSeek, etc.) as “compressed internet,” plus tooling like Ollama; some question hardware feasibility for gigantic models.
  • Debate over open source survivability without internet: small projects likely vanish; large ones might become centralized within single organizations.

Maps, Survival & Practical Skills

  • Offline maps (OpenStreetMap and clients) are repeatedly highlighted, especially for disaster scenarios.
  • Popular: army field manuals, medical/dentistry guides, agriculture/husbandry, DIY home repair, “where there is no doctor/dentist,” survival and primitive‑tech material.

Storage, Backup, and Offline Access

  • People describe existing archives from hundreds of GB to 100+ TB, using HDDs, LTO tape, optical media, microSD “knowledge sticks,” and Kiwix/OpenZIM.
  • Long debate on durability and practicality of CDs/DVDs, Blu‑ray, M‑DISC, tape vs HDDs, and long‑term digital vs paper retention.

Physical vs Digital & Role of Libraries

  • Some insist books, DVDs, and local libraries outperform digital in robustness and accessibility (no power, no special readers).
  • Others note emerging long‑term digital media but acknowledge reader–hardware dependencies.

Societal Impact & Resilience

  • Several think humanity could rebuild local networks (LoRa, radio, sneakernet, UUCP) quickly; others stress loss of centralized trust, payment systems, and phone/VoIP.
  • A visible minority say they would preserve “nothing,” viewing most online culture as low‑value or harmful, or preferring to focus on tangible survival goods.