Speaking of Platforms, let’s talk about Problem #4: The maintenance and patience required for a VHS Archive. As stated at the very beginning of this post, this whole part of YouTube is a niche hobby. A hobby, in the traditional sense, is something you engage in in your spare time. And a lot of VHS Archivers have come forward to say that sometimes, uploads can be sporadic either because they’re waiting for fresh sources of content or because they work in real jobs. I can totally relate to the latter as a Blogger myself now working five days a week and only having weekends to keep on top of my interests and this thing.
However, some people are quite enthusiastic upon discovering tidbits from television and constantly want to see more. Even to the point of commenting a laundry list of very specific things they want to see uploaded. That annoys some more than others and I can understand why. Because as I said earlier, most archive channels (that I know of, anyway) are potluck in theme. Which means you never know what they are going to discover day after day, week after week, month after month. On top of that, others don’t quite trust YouTube and prefer to maintain their own website full of stills, videos and well-researched information delivered mostly in high quality. Which is expensive depending on which website is hosting and what plan is in place that meets their needs the most. But I guess that’s what working hard IRL can do.
And, call me cynical, but it might be the best way to keep this whole sector alive thanks to Problem #5: The fragility of YouTube as a platform. Case-in-Point: In 2023, Google, owner of YouTube, announced an update to their policies which involved an automatic deletion of accounts that have had no activity in them whatsoever over a period of two years since the last recorded activity using any Google Product. Now considering Google and YouTube are interlinked, that means that if even Gmail isn’t being used, that, in turn, means YouTube isn’t being used, which leads them to be effectively culled.
Why am I splitting hairs about this? Well, it’s primarily because of certain channels that uploaded excellent tidbits of TV Continuity amongst other things, some of which can’t be found anywhere else, over a decade ago. Think the dragonarchive, who last uploaded something 11 years ago. MrSocktag3 who last published something five years ago. And Mike Cleary who last made an upload three years ago. Now, maybe they just ran out of things to upload, maybe they got bored of uploading or maybe they abandoned ship and haven’t bothered to find time to come back and at least say that they are alive and well. Whatever the reason, channels like these three are at massive risk of just disappearing. Unless they still use Gmail for their personal business, like I do.
Now none of the content that I have bookmarked from those three has disappeared off the face of the earth, at least at the time of publication (March 2nd 2025). But I fear it happening any time. Or at least going the way of UTV Today, a website I frequented in the late 2000s dedicated to showcasing the presentation packages of UTV, at least from 2004 until its sudden demise in circa 2012. Looking at that one in particular on the Internet Archive, the framework of the website is in one piece. But the actual content, the still images and attached videos, are lost. Attempting to click into them leads to the following message: “This page is unavailable for archiving. The server returned code: because access is forbidden”. [9]
Something tells me that the aforementioned YouTube channels will go the same way unless we, those of us that consume, source and talk about this stuff, keep it alive. How so? Well… I don’t have the answers to that question. But I do to another. Why? And for that, I quote TVARK’s front page:
“TVARK is the online TV museum. Preserving a slice of our social history, we document those modest little chunks of television that are never repeated. From the earliest onscreen identifications to pioneering title sequences or scary public information films, there’s lots to explore.” [10]
YouTube’s VHS Archive Channels collectively, and indirectly, do all that and more. At least today. But what about tomorrow? Or next month? Or next year? Today is as good as any day to fill up places like ARK Towers with content it is missing. With information it might not have the full scoop on. With gems they might never be able to source independently. History Books don’t write themselves and always have bibliographies at the very back. I believe websites like TVARK can be exactly the same. But only if those of us who have first-hand knowledge and hard evidence act now. Or risk seeing pages and pages of that social history never written. Ever.
But that’s just my opinion on the topic, what’s yours? Are you big into Archiving and want to fill the gaps in my knowledge that I clearly have? Are there any other problems I have overlooked or haven’t expanded upon thoroughly here? Or do you have any other reasons to offer when it comes to the question of why this whole sector of the internet should continue to exist? Feel free to share what you know and feel in either the comments below, in DMs on my Social Media channels or through my Inbox, which is theaspieadog15@gmail.com. Just be sure to put The Analytical Aspie #1 in the subject box.
After that, click here to read all about the other types of YouTube content I LOVE to consume! Or if you’re someone who cares more about the present state of Television, rather than the past, I’d recommend watching Adam Martyn, who regularly posts news and views about emerging trends in Mainstream Television.
As for this Blog, the season is Lent is right around the corner. And I’ve decided, kind of by coincidence, to be grateful for what I’ve accomplished in recent years. And there are two activities in particular that I think exemplify me at my happiest and my very best. So, keep an eye on The Aspie over the course of this month to learn about what they are and why they brought so much joy into my life so far. Especially when I needed it most.
The ADog Blog 