We’ve heard it all before. Remember when a Japanese company that shall remain nameless was claiming their new CDs would last 100 years, and then they quickly retracted that statement and they said 50 years and then on down to 5 years? Well, we’re all a little wiser now and probably a lot more skeptical–maybe too skeptical. We know it’s not just about the longevity of the physical media, but also the obsolescence of the physical format, the file format, the accuracy of recording, corruptibility of the data, and the maintenance of the electronic files. I thought I’d share this with you all to find out your reactions. http://millenniata.com/technology/
I’m still wondering what happens below room temperature or with wild fluctuations in temp and rh. How accurate is the recording process? Little to no data corruption over time? Is this too good to be true?
September 19, 2011 at 11:19 am
Along the same lines, have you guys heard anything about DOTS? (http://www.group47.com/site/) I saw a brief presentation while at the National Archives Preservation Conference last spring. Although it’s a different format of data storage from the M-DISC, both products have similar goals of longevity. I wonder what the future will bring for libraries and archives…
September 19, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Sarah, this is news to me — thanks for sharing. Fascinated by the new technologies, and equally frustrated that only time can tell us if they truly have the longevity they claim (and meanwhile, our data remains vulnerable).
Have you gotten established in Des Moines yet? You should come re-visit the lab and have lunch with us sometime soon.
September 23, 2011 at 1:35 pm
The DOTS solution seems like a good idea on paper (or should I say screen), and I really like the idea that they include instructions on how to construct a reader at the beginning of each tape, negating the issue of obsolete technology. Does anyone know of any institution that has actually implemented this method yet? I would be curious to know what sort of response it has received from the preservation/conservation community…or if eye-readable data seems to be the new favored emerging technology for long-term preservation.
September 19, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Thanks for the comment Sarah. I had not heard about DOTS but a quick trip to their website made me think of HD Rosetta when they mentioned eye-readable data. I like the fact that it’s 2TB since I cannot imagine having to manage 100s, 1000s, etc. optical disks.
September 21, 2011 at 9:34 am
I’m skeptical for a couple of reasons.
A) Anytime a vendor proclaims permanence my preservation-Spidey-senses start reverberating for all the reasons you mention in your post.
B) I don’t think that CD’s and DVD’s as physical formats are long for this world. I would be hesitant to recommend them as a permanent preservation solution anymore. Sure, the disk may be around in 50 (5?) years, but there won’t be a player to read it. They will make pretty coasters for our cold beverages though.