23 Sep
2004
23 Sep
'04
9:58 a.m.
Maybe we should realize that the "unimportant" stuff may really tell
people in the future a lot about us.
It's amazing what can be discovered from unintentionally discarded
stuff. How are we to know what was so commonplace that nobody saved it.
For example the following is a reference to archeology and digging up
old privys.
http://www.sha.org/ha34ca.htm#springcon
I remember all of the computer cards I punched and then used to record
phone messages. I don't have one left today.
How many Fortran coding sheets do you still have? Mine are gone. I
still have a couple of greenbar printouts.
If I try to describe them to my kids they don't understand. Their
grandchildren will wonder what they were needed for.
Thanks
Mike
23 Sep
23 Sep
10:35 a.m.
>> It's amazing what can be discovered from
unintentionally
>> discarded stuff. How are we to know what was so
>> commonplace that nobody saved it.
>> For example the following is a reference to archeology and
>> digging up old privys.
>>
>> http://www.sha.org/ha34ca.htm#springcon
If anyone suggests that we should therefore archive our current privys (or
their contents!) then I am out of here!!!!!
>>
>> I remember all of the computer cards I punched and then
>> used to record phone messages. I don't have one left today.
Still have one carton on un-punched cards..
>>
>> How many Fortran coding sheets do you still have? Mine are
>> gone. I still have a couple of greenbar printouts.
One packet each of about 10 different types of coding forms...
>>
>> If I try to describe them to my kids they don't understand.
>> Their grandchildren will wonder what they were needed for.
Most under 15 yearolds, to not what it means to "Dial" a phone. Have some
fun. Give a (average) 12 year old a working rotary phone and ask them to
call a friend.
10:49 a.m.
On Thu, 23 Sep 2004, McFadden, Mike wrote:
Maybe we should realize that the
"unimportant" stuff may really tell
people in the future a lot about us.
That is exactly the point. I think someone already made the argument that
if we intentionally leave stuff behind for future generations to "know"
about us it may well be biased towards a more "ideal" representation of
who we want to be rather than who we really are.
Or maybe the argument was that if we had a limited amount of space to
archive stuff we would only put into it the more important things, and the
mundane would be left out.
At any rate, the important things of the past are usually what we find
today anyway, since that is what people usually put the most time and
effort into preserving.
If upon everyone's death they took all their personal papers and
photographs and archived them in some place, that would be really useful
to future generations.
--
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