Don Maslin/Archiving system software (was: ftparchives disappearing?)

Chuck Guzis wrote: I think the key thing to aim for is to record as much as necessary such that it would be possible to recreate the original media (as far as the original hardware sees it) if desired. In other words, record flux traversals where required (because some arcane copy protection / validation scheme needs it, say, or flux traversals actually allow easier recreation of the original media) - but in the vast majority of cases a simple structured bunch of data blocks is good enough for the machine to see it as though it were an original copy. Note that I say "aim for" - personally I'd like the data out there sooner rather than later, even if it's in a sub-optimal format; it can always be improved later as and when time (and the original media) permits. Something's generally better than nothing... Plus of course there's a real danger we'll focus on floppy disks here at the expense of all else. Just a reminder not to lose sight of all the other forms of media out there that are equally as deserving of preservation! :-) cheers Jules