I have somewhere a GAO report that lists the problems, lifetimes, and
quantities of data that the US government has on different magnetic media.
IIRC the big problem with magentic media is that it is never stored in the
correct environmental conditions that provide optimum lifetimes. They
included pictures of piles of 9-track tapes of LANDSAT data, some of the
stacks were used to block open the door to the tape library. Humidity and
heat are big problems for tape.
Here are several references about data storage and media
Preserving Digital Objects: Recurrent Needs and Challenges. Michael Lesk.
Bellcore. Abstract. We do not know today what Mozart sounded like on the...
URL: www.lesk.com/mlesk/auspres/aus.html
. Effects of Humidity on Life Expectancy of Media. Long-Term Preservation of
Dig <
http://www.safesupplies.com/article1.html>
Long-Term Preservation of Digital Materials. Dr. John W.C. Van
Bogart National Media Laboratory. Presented at the National Preservation
Office (NPO)...
URL: www.safesupplies.com/article1.html
http://www.cclabs.missouri.edu/~ccgreg/tapes.html
Magnetic Tape and Digital Media Life Expectancies
Preservation of New Technology
<
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byauth/lesk/lesk2.html>
...as digital media, DAT cartridges, 9-track tape in...
...example, half-inch 9-track magnetic tape densities have...
palimpsest.stanford.edu/byauth/lesk/lesk2.html - Cached
</search?q=cache:palimpsest.stanford.edu/byauth/lesk/lesk2.html> - 58k -
GoogleScout
</search?num=10&q=related:palimpsest.stanford.edu/byauth/lesk/lesk2.html>
I think that the September 1995 issue of Scientific American had an article
about preserving digital data.
Mike
Received on Fri Mar 31 2000 - 10:35:24 BST