Microsoft is Shutting Down CodePlex, the Right Way?

Brian Harry:

At that time, CodePlex.com will start serving a read-only lightweight archive that will allow you to browse through all published projects – their source code, downloads, documentation, license, and issues – as they looked when CodePlex went read-only. You’ll also be able to download an archive file with your project contents, all in common, transferrable formats like Markdown and JSON. Where possible, we’ll put in place redirects so that existing URLs work, or at least redirect you to the project’s new homepage on the archive. And, the archive will respect your “I’ve moved” setting, if you used it, to direct users to the current home of your project.

There isn’t currently any plan to have an end date for the archive.

Credit where credit is due. They could have, as other tech companies do, shut it down and directed the domain to another of their properties. But instead, by serving static and downloadable archives and allowing for easy redirecting, they’re maintaining one of the most important features of the web: the URL.

A lot of links would have been created in 11 years. Microsoft’s efforts will mean those links will still serve their purpose for the foreseeable future, just in a different way. It’s an effort more companies should make, and Microsoft deserves credit for doing it. It seems like they’re one of the only companies that actually gets the web these days.