After a CMS cutover, the city clerk's live site returns 404 for an old marriage-license form, but a web archive still shows the page. What is the sound website-OSINT move?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
A 404 is like an empty shelf, not a time machine — the old form may still live in the archive aisle. Web archives are website OSINT when the live civic page is gone. Grab the capture, write the date, and keep the citation with the notes.
Full Explanation
Public web archives preserve civic pages after CMS cutovers, takedowns, or 404s. The researcher should retrieve the archived form as a sourced artifact and record the archive URL and capture timestamp so the evidence can survive a PORP-style report. A live 404 does not erase history, and restoring or republishing archived civic content is not the collection task. Archives recover pulled pages; they do not authorize replaying submissions or standing up a personal mirror.