Data Archival (OT Long)

From: John Tinker <jtinker_at_coin.org>
Date: Mon Dec 11 23:39:03 2000

> > Sellam wrote:
> > > But you do realize it will be 8,000 years before anyone cares, right?
> > > This period of time encompasses most (if not all) of our current recorded
> > > history.
> > > By that time everyone will have left the planet. Our computers will be
> > > all alone and lonely.

> The hard copy might

> get wet along the way and the CD might not have a drive available
> that can read the files. Any other suggestions?

If they could read it at all, they'll be interested in the patterns, and if they
can make sense of those, they may think us too foolish to waste time on. They may
already have a life, without trying to understand ours, way back now. Then again,
the disk might make a good hide scraper. Better put it in something that can't
break or melt in a charcoal fire.

I presume that if the culture is not continuous, the chance that any subsequent
culture will be able to make sense out of our data is slight, and perhaps not
holding much relevant value anyway, for their future.

If the culture is continuous, then the data that survives, I think will do so by
floating above any particular medium that carries it. I assume that multiple
copies in a variety of media will propagate among those who value it.

John Tinker
Received on Mon Dec 11 2000 - 23:39:03 GMT