preserving and storing
This week’s readings brought up some major issues that I’d never considered; namely that technology is changing so quickly that we might not even be able to access things we’ve saved even in the near future. In just my 28 years I’ve witnessed the LP, the tape (probably its full, short life, which is hard to believe since they were so ubiquitous), the CD, and now the iPod. Cordless phones, then cell phones. The whole of the Internet…I didn’t get my first email address til I went to college, and now it seems as though there was always email…so strange! My point: obviously things change pretty quickly. I’ve found myself buying CD copies of tapes I used to have, and now downloading those same songs off Rhapsody and bypassing the CD. I had no idea it would pose such a problem for the enormous volume of digital information that has been processed in the last few decades. Yikes.
I’d like to talk more about HD-ROM…I think it was mentioned a couple of times, but I’m not quite sure I got what it is. Something about inscribing in metal? In such a way that it doesn’t require a certain technology to be read? Anyone??
Also on the issue of backing up, in the past I’ve saved files on an ftp site (just in time before my old laptop died, fortunately). I was surprised that this was barely touched upon. I suppose I’m thinking about saving word files in hyperspace, not web sites. Would that not work? Is this not a wise backing-up option?
Finally, I agree that it’s a very wise idea to document changes and sources, either in the code or as a README file. It makes sense for so many reasons…if you share authority over a site with someone else, if you lose something and need to reconnstruct it, and just to have a history. Kind of like historical consultants hired to go back an piece together a company’s history, since there’s so much turnover and often few records. Then you know who did what and why.