Comments on: What will Last? http://www.productivity501.com/what-will-last/123/ Pieces of the productivity puzzle. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:55:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kevin E. Schlabachhttp://www.productivity501.com/what-will-last/123/comment-page-1/#comment-106672 Kevin E. Schlabach Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:01:46 +0000 http://x.xeric.net/productivity501/?p=123#comment-106672 I understand your points and agree. But I want to make a counter-point... the loss of most content on the internet over the next 100 years is a result of natural selection. If the content you have created is of value, then others will refer to it, link to it, and breath life into it (as was done with Shakespeare). Yes, your host account may die... but it will live on. For most content produced and published on the internet, it deserves to die with the passing of time. The internet has created a great increase in publishing, but the percentage of quality has not increased proportionally. Back to your point, I agree that it is easier if the work is "guaranteed" to last in paper format. I do make backups of some certain pieces of my content for this reason. I understand your points and agree. But I want to make a counter-point… the loss of most content on the internet over the next 100 years is a result of natural selection. If the content you have created is of value, then others will refer to it, link to it, and breath life into it (as was done with Shakespeare). Yes, your host account may die… but it will live on.

For most content produced and published on the internet, it deserves to die with the passing of time. The internet has created a great increase in publishing, but the percentage of quality has not increased proportionally.

Back to your point, I agree that it is easier if the work is “guaranteed” to last in paper format. I do make backups of some certain pieces of my content for this reason.

]]> By: Adrianhttp://www.productivity501.com/what-will-last/123/comment-page-1/#comment-106624 Adrian Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:48:58 +0000 http://x.xeric.net/productivity501/?p=123#comment-106624 Any electronic media is likely to either decompose silently or if it lasts, to have outlived any devices capable of reading it -- like the 8" and 5.25" floppy disks I've got, or carefully archived ZIP disks, tapes, cartridges and write-once CDROMs. The only realistic way to keep electronic data long term seems to be to keep it online on current media and that requires constant attention. There is likely to be a massive hole in historic records dating from when paper-based records started to be replaced by computer-based ones. Acid-free paper and pigment based (not dye-based) inks are the most likely long term storage mechanisms. Any electronic media is likely to either decompose silently or if it lasts, to have outlived any devices capable of reading it — like the 8″ and 5.25″ floppy disks I’ve got, or carefully archived ZIP disks, tapes, cartridges and write-once CDROMs. The only realistic way to keep electronic data long term seems to be to keep it online on current media and that requires constant attention.

There is likely to be a massive hole in historic records dating from when paper-based records started to be replaced by computer-based ones.

Acid-free paper and pigment based (not dye-based) inks are the most likely long term storage mechanisms.

]]> By: Marchttp://www.productivity501.com/what-will-last/123/comment-page-1/#comment-70590 Marc Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:20:46 +0000 http://x.xeric.net/productivity501/?p=123#comment-70590 I have wondered about these points too. Although this issue applied equally to all sources of modern information, I have also wondered whether future generations will be able to look through all those pictures we take of our lives and people we know. Or will everything vanish when the medium fails? I have wondered about these points too. Although this issue applied equally to all sources of modern information, I have also wondered whether future generations will be able to look through all those pictures we take of our lives and people we know. Or will everything vanish when the medium fails?

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