An old archive needs a visible present

A legacy article can remain useful while containing outdated examples, links or service offers. Restoring it without context can confuse readers about when the advice was written and whether the original author is still offering the service described.

Preserve the original text where restoration is the purpose. Add a clearly separated editorial note explaining the source, verified date and any important limitation. Do not silently rewrite the author's position to fit current circumstances.

When substantial updating is needed, publish a new companion article. It can explain what remains useful, what has changed and where the editors disagree. This allows the archive to retain historical integrity while the publication develops a contemporary voice.

Distinguish capture date from publication date. A web archive snapshot proves that a page was captured at a certain time; it does not necessarily establish when the article first appeared. Keep uncertain dates uncertain until supporting records are found.

Remove or contextualise obsolete calls to action through an explicit restoration policy. A reader should not be invited to book a service with someone who is no longer providing it merely because the historical page contained that invitation.

The archive should feel cared for, not artificially current. Readers can value an older argument when its context is visible. The present-day publication then earns its role by helping them understand how that argument applies, or fails to apply, to the decisions they face now.