That which survives: The problem of data longevity

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Microsoft Office is Only The Start

Microsoft Office's undocumented proprietary formats are the "sexy" thing to bash right now (and deservedly so), but it's hardly the end.

Every contemporary file format that isn't publicly documented (or at least adequately documented and in escrow) faces the same issue as MS Word documents. Microsoft is the worst because they do it INTENTIONALLY for the purposes of protecting their predatory monopoly. They have had every opportunity to participate in the OASIS process that created ODF, and still can. I believe they would be welcome at the table if they worked with the same goal as everybody else; to create an open document standard that can not only be shared between today's programs, but one which can be recreated from specs 100 or 200 years from now using whatever successor exists to today's computers. That was the purpose Massachusetts had in mandating ODF for its internal records; a stance they have unfortunately abandoned. Future citizens of Massachusetts will pay for that wrong-headed turn of direction.

At the same time, there is information (digital and otherwise) which is no longer available to us. Tapes are rotting from now-obsolete computers for which there isn't even an emulator for, containing all kinds of records--and I think even census data. Movies, old radio shows, and all kinds of other material of historical interest are deteriorating thanks to the Mickey Mouse--er, ah, Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. The material is locked by copyright, it's not of financial interest to the owners to maintain the works in a more current format and preserve them and illegal for others to do so (if they even have access to them). Same for "orphaned" works, which are under copyright but the owners are unlocatable.

Same with software and other data stored on older media. How many of us have 5.25" floppy drives still connected to an active, working computer? Even 3-1/2", 1.44MB floppies are deteriorating and should be copied to optical media. Are they? I fear that if it weren't for abandonware sites and warez newsgroups on Usenet, this stuff would be disappearing.

You've got your ax to grind, "No_Ax_to_Grind", and you'll probably continue to do so, but there are serious issues involving long-term data (analog and digital) that must be faced soon or else it'll be gone for good.

Posted by: dumptux   Posted on: 07/03/07 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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