18 Oct
2010
18 Oct
'10
4:38 p.m.
Doesn't matter that it's crap if it contains
an interesting verb form
not seen before, or mentions an historical fact only known previously
from a single source.
How often do you think that happens (happened?)?
Almost never. Archaeology is mostly about sifting through the crap and
pulling out the few rare things that you could use as evidence, using
these artifacts and documents in their context. It is not easy,
because of the "90 percent" rule (Sturgeon's law). Actually, 90
percent might be *very* generous. My cousin, a once-archaeologist
(round Roman temples are her thing), has told me of going on digs and
having the guys with the backhoes scrape meters thick deposits of
Roman crap in order to get to the better stuff. Not dirt, but actual
very low grade artifacts (tools, pottery shards, broken household
items, etc.).
I suppose the same applies to us - saving documentation and software.
Lets look at early PC software, or maybe stuff out of DECUS for the
PDP-11. Of all the editors that people have written - how many have
some sort of interesting programming trick or other historic
significance? Or better yet, how about all those financial programs
written in RPG or COBOL? Yes, their may be some super cool thing some
bored coder did way before it was "invented", but I bet you will have
to go through a whole lot of...crap...to find that gem.
(yes, I realize that saving docs and software differs in that bits
take almost no space)
--
Will