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There is a vast number of websites that for many reasons stop being updated, both in terms of content and the software platforms that support them. As there are no resources allocated to update them, and as it is difficult to make the decision to turn them off because they provide important information, over time these websites raise problems due to security vulnerabilities and imply a permanent cost derived from the energy consumption of the machines that support them.

There is now an effective and intelligent option to preserve the content of these websites: the Arquivo.pt Memorial. This FCT public service, managed by its FCCN unit, offers a high-quality preservation of the content of historic websites, and the original domain, searchable in the search portals, can be maintained. Please see, for example, the website of the defunct Knowledge Society Agency (https://www.umic.pt). Thus, websites can be turned off, no longer exposing security vulnerabilities, expending energy, and incurring accommodation costs. The domain is redirected to the latest version of the website preserved in Arquivo.pt, where it is navigable through all its contents, as before being disconnected.

Arquivo.pt archives and preserves the Portuguese web with daily, monthly, and quarterly collections, which are made available after a year of embargo. Contains pages since 1996 and is considered one of the most advanced in the world. 

To reach more people, the Arquivo.pt Award is launched annually to distinguish original and innovative works that demonstrate the usefulness of the service and the importance of preserving and using the information published on the web. Its 2021 edition is running until May 4, giving prizes worth €15,000. The competition is open to individual or group works, being able to have as object any area of knowledge. 

The Memorial is the latest service at Arquivo.pt and already perpetuates more than 40 websites. Yours can be next, making the web safer and more preservable, just contact the team at https://sobre.arquivo.pt/en/contact/.