Archiving: A Cure for Digital Discontent?

[amateriat]

Given the simmering back-and-forth over the efficacy of various digital storage formats (past and present), this looks like a particularly enterprising project. Some of us have thought this would come about sooner or later, but I hadn't been holding my breath too deeply.

For now, there's hope.


- Barrett

 

[Al Kaplan]

That's why we shoud keep our negatives and print out a copy of our writings.

 

[Tuolumne]

I really don't think the problem will be obsolete file formats. The problem is accessibility to the raw bits due to media damage and corruption. I've already had my headaches wrt that, and there have been many acrimonious debates here about this issue. Suffice it to say, whatever the advantages or disadvantages of digital vs analogue media storage, I have at my fingertips on my computer thousands of photos over 12 years old of my family. By comparison, I have only a relative handful of hard copy photos from the same time and before. Somewhere, in the basement, lies a box with thousands of slides and negatives. I will probably never look at them again. Nor will anyone else. Given the choice, I'll take the perhaps ephemeral access to the thousands of images now to the never access to the thousands somewhere in my basement.

YMMV, but that's why there are choices in the world.

/T

 

[btgc]

Time ago I thought that in future one will have a chance to send old media with data in obsolete formats to "Diggers, Inc." and get back current media with data converted so it's readable today.

More possibly, in future most people will store thy data in DC's - just read fine print and check "Yes, I want my data converted to recent format, after existing format is obsoleted by Intl. Data Agency".

 

[40oz]

I really don't think the problem will be obsolete file formats. The problem is accessibility to the raw bits due to media damage and corruption.

^ I agree.

Offsite storage on a server run by a third party is probably the least safe method. I don't know if anyone remembers the old MP3.com, but here is a quote that covers what happened in late 2003:

"Until last night there were 1.6 million songs in the catalog. This morning they are all gone. Former MP3.com CEO Michael Robertson's pleas to save them fell on deaf ears. The request from Archive.org to house all of them for historical purposes was ignored."
(http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/2003/gone.html)

The business was purchased by another company (CNET). For all practical purposes, much if not most of the music ceased to exist that day. Blame the artists for not looking out for their own stuff, but the bottom line is that trusting a third party to maintain and preserve your non-marketable data indefinitely and perfectly is naive.

 

[Al Patterson]

I really don't think the problem will be obsolete file formats. The problem is accessibility to the raw bits due to media damage and corruption. I've already had my headaches wrt that, and there have been many acrimonious debates here about this issue. Suffice it to say, whatever the advantages or disadvantages of digital vs analogue media storage, I have at my fingertips on my computer thousands of photos over 12 years old of my family. By comparison, I have only a relative handful of hard copy photos from the same time and before. Somewhere, in the basement, lies a box with thousands of slides and negatives. I will probably never look at them again. Nor will anyone else. Given the choice, I'll take the perhaps ephemeral access to the thousands of images now to the never access to the thousands somewhere in my basement.

YMMV, but that's why there are choices in the world.

/T

When I can read files off some 8" CP/M disks I've kept in a box in the cellar for a few years, I'll be happy...