Let's develop an open-source media archive standard

From: Vintage Computer Festival <vcf_at_siconic.com>
Date: Thu Aug 12 17:34:29 2004

On Thu, 12 Aug 2004, melamy_at_earthlink.net wrote:

> you have to think beyond emulators and think of just getting the data. You
> started this whole thing out by asking for ideas and concepts to make sure
> that disks could be made in years to come. I challenge you to expand the
> horizon and suggest that what you need is a way to get the data out easily
> and make disks.

Exactly. But I agree that separating the data out and explicitly defining
it in blocks inside the imagefile is the best overall solution for all
situations. No one solution will be, considering what we're trying to do
here, which is incorporate all manner of storage media.

I have not been referring to emulators to make my point unless it's
applicable. As I've been saying all along, emulators are a SECONDARY
concern.

> Personally, I have zero use for a image file format that can only be used
> to make disks and makes getting data out of it a pain in the backside.

You seem to be focusing on 5% of the messages posted and ignoring the
other 95% where it has been made clear that the intent of this
specification is not just to make disk images.

> Maybe in years, I will need to make a floppy disk, but I believe that
> getting the data out (files or whatever you choose to call them) is more
> important and will be that way in the future also. Where small things can
> get lost, having a "standard" image file format that let's me do both makes
> more sense to me.

Maybe I just got knocked in the head, but I seem to recall proposing this
on more than one occassion.

> The image file that you are discussing is only good as a "how to" to write
> arbitrary data to arbitrary media.

If that's what you think then I can say with confidence that you have
either been deleting messages without reading them or reading messages
without comprehending them.

Steve, your points are well taken and you've been heard. At this point,
I see no value in arguing over specifics since we haven't even really
begun defining an actual spec yet. We're just discussing it. Arguing out
the fine points comes later.

-- 
Sellam Ismail                                        Vintage Computer Festival
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Received on Thu Aug 12 2004 - 17:34:29 BST

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