Scanning question (Is destruction of old tech docs a moral crime?)

Bill Degnan billdegnan at gmail.com
Mon Jul 22 08:10:00 CDT 2019


On Mon, Jul 22, 2019 at 12:27 AM Guy Dunphy via cctalk <
cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:

> At 07:58 PM 21/07/2019 -0700, you wrote:
> >> Even if the digital version _did_ fully capture the information
> content, I
> >> strongly dispute that the physical item/document has lost it's value.
> >> That 'digital is all we need' viewpoint is a trap for the naive,
> because:
> >
> >. . . and does it FULLY capture the information content.  One might
> >think so, but much later, somebody asks, "in the number on page 576, is
> >that a '3' or an '8'?"
> >There is always the possibility of a need to go back to prior, or even
> >original forms.
>

Just wanted to put in my comment here.  I am glad that there are people who
still cultivate original documents.  I agree with the point above
especially when one is trying to recreate old program listings from print,
which are typically bad copies as originals.  In particular the appendices
of S-100 manuals and SIG newsletters.

A set vulnerable to loss are the "other" types of docs that are not easy to
just stick into a scanner unless done by hand.

Bill
vintagecomputer.net


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