12 May
2003
12 May
'03
3:51 p.m.
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...
There are two reasons I do that sort of thing (although
not with photographs or film). Partly because my older
media is unreliable (floppies mostly) and partly because
once I have something in digital form (along with some
kind of MD5SUM or whatver) I can easily move forward
with new, denser storage media. So I can keep more
stuff within easy reach (less tecking to the attic, or
garage or storage).
Of course, I also keep the originals around, so there's
no harm done.
As for film, I believe that many of the early ones are
rotting away and there is a race on to try and transfer
them to more stable media. So not *all* film is long-lived.
Just as the lowish quality paper used for the typical
handbook will become yellowed and brittle over the
years.
Antonio
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Antonio Carlini arcarlini(a)iee.org