Irreversible (2002) refers to a specific snapshot of the web taken by the Internet Archive on November 14, 2002. This snapshot marked a significant moment in the history of the internet, as it preserved a large portion of the web at a time when online content was becoming increasingly diverse and widespread. The Irreversible project was a major undertaking, involving the archiving of over 150 million web pages, which were crawled and saved using the Internet Archive's proprietary software.

The Irreversible snapshot serves as a fascinating glimpse into the early 2000s internet landscape. It includes websites, online archives, and digital artifacts from various cultures, industries, and communities. The snapshot provides an unparalleled view of the web's development, showcasing the design, functionality, and content of websites during this period.

In the early 2000s, the internet was still a relatively new and rapidly evolving phenomenon. As websites and online content began to proliferate, concerns arose about the ephemeral nature of digital information. Would the websites and online resources of today be available for future generations to study and appreciate? The Internet Archive, a non-profit organization founded in 1996, sought to answer this question with a resounding "yes."