How can I get an "ancient cache" or "first version" of 
a web page originally posted in 1999? I think the page has not changed
in the last year, but may have changed in the period 1999-2000. It's
the first version (or an early version) that I'd like to see.

Hello quester2,

Without a doubt, the best place for you to find the first version of
the web page is here: http://www.archive.org/

Enter the URL of the web page you want to see, and click on "Take Me
Back."

Here is a record of all the versions of Google that were captured by
the Internet Archive:
http://web.archive.org/web/*/://www.google.com

I do hope that this will be a satisfactory answer to your question. If
not, it might help if I knew the exact URL of the page you are trying
to get snapshot from. Please let me know if you need any
clarifications.

tisme-ga

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Request for Answer Clarification by quester2-ga on 11 Feb 2003 04:41 PST

You told me something new (to me), very interesting, very worthwhile!
This will be helpful in the future, but unfortunately not for the URL
I'm examining. The earliest date listed in the WayBackMachine for this
URL is in April 2000. Almost surely there were earlier postings --
throughout 1999, and probably into 1998.
In your reply you wrote that "it might help if I knew the exact URL of
the page you are trying to get snapshot from." I don't understand why
this matters. Perhaps there is a different search strategy, depending
on the exact URL. Or perhaps there are other sites that have the
equivalent of the WayBackMachine, but with a somewhat different
database. If so, I'd appreciate your steering me toward them.
Thanks again.

---

Clarification of Answer by tisme-ga on 11 Feb 2003 07:45 PST

Hello quester2,

I do not believe that there is another place that would even come
close to the Internet Archive.

If I had the URL I could perhaps try various other ways of obtaining a
snapshot of the original page, including contacting the website in
question.

I am surprised that the Internet Archive does not have the snapshot in
question. I had a personal website up in 1999 with little exposure and
the archive has a snapshot of it after one month of it being online.

tisme-ga

---

Request for Answer Clarification by quester2-ga on 11 Feb 2003 10:43 PST

I'll try to work my way around to the earlier snapshot. I realize this
may not be possible.
In the next week or so I may want some more advice. If I want to
consult with you again (with payment), can I do that? Or must I post
my question for the first available Researcher, even if that person is
not you?
Thanks again.

---

Clarification of Answer by tisme-ga on 11 Feb 2003 15:18 PST

Hello quester2,

Thank you for the tip.

If you want to post a question for me, all you have to do is put a
note at the beginning of it (or in the subject) that you want me to
answer it. I will be happy to do my best for you.

tisme-ga

Excellent comments from tisme-ga.

Dear Quester2-ga,

in your request for clarification, you stated that you didn't
understand why knowing the exact url would be useful, then made a few
guesses as to why it might be. Those guesses were very accurate. There
are a number of ways a person might try to find older versions of
websites, and by far, the wayback machine is the most complete and
accurate way to do this. However, for sites that are not adaquately
cached on the wayback website, there may be other ways to find older
versions of these pages.

However, as far as I know, there is no project nearly as complete as
the wayback machine at archive.org, and as such, any attempts to find
an old version of a website would pretty much require the url that is
being searched for, as there are no other databases that would have a
comprehensive listing of websites. Indeed, if the wayback machine does
not have what you are looking for, the answer will require a lot more
work to track down the exact page you want, though it may still be
possible. The only way to know for sure however, is to know what one
is looking for, and that would be the url of the page in question.
Without that, any further search would be fruitless.

Keep in mind I am not the person who originally answered your
question, I am simply saw the interchange that had happened thus far
and felt I should lend my support in this case. Best of luck in your
search.