The precarious state of classic software and hardware preservation

On Nov 20, 2021, at 11:55, Bill Degnan via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote: ?That's why I am saying you literally need a family archivist who periodically converts content on old media to new media for.old family photos. That is the only practical way to preserve things or than if the original paper/photo/tape exists and is still readable. Extending to vintage computing, there will always have to be a community of archivists. B > On Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 11:40 AM Chris Zach via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > wrote: > >> On 11/20/2021 10:47 AM, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote: >> All of the riches in the world did not prevent (and may have actually >> caused) the dilemma the LCM is in now. I am sure a lot of it will be > saved >> and probably most will be preserved but not all. And that's basically > how >> it is, history fades away, even the big things. It takes a lot of >> foresight and teaching the young folks about the importance of learning >> from the past. > > One of these days I really need to write down the whole history of > AI.AI.MIT.EDU, MC, LSD, and how I had to rescue it not once, twice, but > three times from loading docks where it would have been put in the > trash. Each time I had to show up with a U-Hack to rescue it and find > another home where it would be "saved forever".... > > That's why I wonder about it at LCM: I would so not be surprised if I > got a call from a trash company saying "Hey, we found this note in a > large pile of metal crap, can you be here in 12 hours so we don't have > to drag this thing to the dump? We're lazy and would appreciate the > beers more" > > But what happens when I am dead? I can't be the guardian of that thing > forever.... > > CZ >