Subject: Re: VCFe Munich report

From: "Dwight K. Elvey" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri May 16 10:22:39 2003

>From: [email-masked]
>
>> Hans' presentation on storing vintage computer data as XML made me
>> realise that the most important thing is to get everything preserved,
>> and then work out what to do with it.  I could store everything I've
>> ever written on an 8-bit computer in a corner of my existing hard drive
>> and not even notice it was there.  I've got to dig out all those KCS
>> cassettes, ASR33 printouts and even a few bits of paper tape and get
>> them transferred.
>
>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...
>
>-tony
>

Hi Tony
 I'm more interested in getting the information spread to multiple
locations, regardless of the media. Even paper tape burns up in
a fire. The only real hope is a lot of copies spread around the
world. This is why I've made my efforts for the Poly88 and I'm
doing similar for the H89.
 Multiple media and multiple locations is the only hope.
Dwight

---

From: Hans B Pufal <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri May 16 10:24:07 2003

>  Multiple media and multiple locations is the only hope.

Exactly, as was demonstrated by the fire in Edinburgh last December 
which destroyed the AI library.

Even online digital archivesa re not immune, ISTR that a Dutch network 
center burned sometime last year. I don't recall hearing that anything 
was iretrievably lost though.

   -- hbp