VCFe Munich report

From: James E. LaBarre <jamesl_at_bestweb.net>
Date: Mon May 12 21:07:00 2003

Tony Duell wrote:
>>Hans' presentation on storing vintage computer data as XML made me
>>realise that the most important thing is to get everything preserved,
>>and then work out what to do with it. I could store everything I've
>>ever written on an 8-bit computer in a corner of my existing hard drive
>>and not even notice it was there. I've got to dig out all those KCS
>>cassettes, ASR33 printouts and even a few bits of paper tape and get
>>them transferred.
>
>
> I can assure you those paper tapes will still be readable long after your
> hard disk had headcrashed!. Why do people insist on transfering reliable
> storage media onto modern, unreliable stuff? It's the same with
> photographs and cine films -- people transfer them to CDs and DVDs. The
> originals have a much longer life...

A couple of reasons; one is to have a copy to use, so you don't wear out
the original, and a backup in case the original gets damaged anyway.
That's part of why I'm transferring my vinyl to ogg files. I'm hardly
going to be getting rid of the originals, but electronic copies mean I
won't be wearing out unreplacable disks.
Received on Mon May 12 2003 - 21:07:00 BST