Message-Id: <mailto:199409101213.HAA09877@library.wustl.edu> Date: Fri, 9 Sep 1994 20:26:00 GMT From: Chuck <mailto:cr_batishko@PNL.GOV> Subject: Re: More digital resolution To: Multiple recipients of list IMAGELIB <mailto:IMAGELIB@ARIZVM1.BITNET>
In article <mailto:Pine.3.89.9409022341.A813-0100000@panix2.panix.com>, James Lindner mailto:<mailto:vidipax@PANIX.COM> says: >
>On Fri, 2 Sep 1994, Maggie Exon wrote:
>> The problem is that the supplier's definition of
>> the meaning of long-term and mine differ by a factor of at least 10
>> and probably a lot more.
>>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ I just dropped in on this, so please excuse if I'm commenting on something that's already been posted. Perhaps magnetic shouldn't be the standard to which non-digital archives should be compared since optical digital storage has significantly longer storage time so as to currently be seen as the preferred digital archive medium. I'm not an expert, so invite any who knows better to reply. I'd just prefer to not have the best option excluded from the discussion. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^>Perhaps it is worthy to consider that the "new" media should not be
>thought of (or compared to) older media, and that the practices and
>procedures that we have come to expect of other media (particularly
>paper) are totally inapplicable. Perhaps one way to consider magnetic
>media's relatively short life is to not compare it to other media at all,
>and view it on its own terms.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ Irrational! If the algebraic sum of it's attributes and detriments is not "better" than that of the old ways, why change before it is? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^>The way to extend the life of magnetic
>media is to copy it every few years.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ Why? Ancient archives are not copied every few years. They are copied as needed. If we resorted to all digital archives, we'd lose them without systemmatic re-recording.All...IMHO! I'm not anti-digital, in fact am very pro-digital, but not ot the extent of throwing out the old before the new can prove its worth...for the LONG term.
Chuck ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^