  Matters of URL (link) rot and remediation? 
 The Question is:
 
Dear Wizard!
 
First I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for a unvaluable work done
 over the years. Your site always has been to me my "last resort" for more than
 20 years of working with the most impressive operating system: VMS.
 
However, very often you refer to URLs like
 http://www.openvms.compaq.com/72final/6017/6017pro_010.html#sysman_startup_sec
which are not accessible anymore.
 
Will we have to live with that or is someone planning to the humonguous work?
 
Thank you again!
 
Felix B.
(proud DECCIE from 1988 - 1996)
 
 The Answer is :
 
  The OpenVMS Wizard is well aware of the URL rot and of the typical
  website churn, and the nearly 10,000 entries that presently exist.
 
  The Wizard is not in a position to comment on any remediation plans,
  schedules or other such details.  If there are any, of course.
 
  You will notice that the OpenVMS Wizard no longer generally provides
  direct URL references nor documentation URL citations, and this URL
  rot is the central reason why.
 
  This decision is clearly unfortunate, as it would obviously be more
  helpful to provide a direct URL -- but direct URLs historically tend
  to rot, and what was intended to be helpful can become misleading or
  wrong as the URL churn and URL rot continues.  (URL continuity is not
  a matter that the OpenVMS Wizard can particularly address.)
 
  As a related part of the lack of direct URL references, the OpenVMS
  Wizard also tends to provide direct topic pointers for existing topics,
  as that avoids replicating information -- and having multiple similar
  copies of answers.  As answers change, older answers can become stale
  -- with pointers to specific topics, maintaining these fewer topics
  with more current information becomes somewhat more feasible.  Having
  direct topic-based URL links would be preferable here too, obviously.
 
 Answer written or last revised on  29-NOV-2004 
