Preserving Memories and Preserving Media
The Challenge of Safeguarding Our Digital Legacy
Note: I used ChatGPT to prepare this essay based on an extensive outline and points that I prepared.
Also see: Understanding the World: How Mankind Has Recorded Information Over the Millennia and Preserving Memories and Preserving Media
Author’s Preface
This morning I had a discussion with a niece about digitizing and preserving some older family videos. I have done this in the past, and am aware of the technical issues around preservation of digital assets. The material to be preserved could be anything that is of importance; the same things will apply: how do we insure that the electronic information remains useable? I asked her if she had considered backup strategies, and mentioned that electronic formats are fragile, data can be easily lost.
Although I am quite aware of these matters, I have been stung more than once with unreadable media. Even yesterday, I found some files on one of my backup drives were corrupted.
I started re-thinking the issue of long term storage of media, and decided to put together an essay on the topic. I worked in the computer field for decades and have a fair bit of familiarity with the topic.
This essay explores the challenges of preserving memories and media in a rapidly advancing technological world. It examines the fragility of media, both physical and digital, the problem of obsolescence, the impact of disasters, and the why of preservation.
Introduction
As we move deeper into the digital age, the preservation of memories and media becomes increasingly complex. Historically, memories were passed through oral traditions or written records such as books. These forms of memory preservation, while subject to decay, provided lasting records that future generations could access. Today, however, the bulk of our personal, cultural, and historical memories exist in digital formats: music, videos, photographs, writings, and even web pages. These digital formats bring new challenges related to degradation, technological obsolescence, and societal apathy. The pressing question is no longer just how to preserve memories, but who cares about preserving them? This essay delves into the complexities of preserving media in an era defined by rapid technological advancement and inevitable entropy.
Discussion
Pre-Tech Days
In the pre-technological era, the preservation of memories was largely an oral practice. People passed down stories, traditions, and historical events through spoken word, relying on the collective memory of communities. This form of transmission was slow, labor-intensive, and often prone to errors or omissions. However, it was sufficient for the limited amount of information people needed to preserve. With the advent of written language, books became a primary method of storing information. Although books provided a more permanent and reliable form of memory preservation, they still faced challenges related to physical degradation. Fast forward to today, where most information exists in electronic formats—music, video, images, audio recordings, and text files. The transition to digital storage has amplified both the volume of information we store and the challenges we face in ensuring its longevity.
Degradation of Information Over Time
One of the most persistent issues in media preservation is the degradation of information over time. Regardless of the format—whether oral, written, or digital—information is always at risk of being lost or corrupted. In oral traditions, information was prone to distortion as it passed from one generation to the next. With books and other physical formats, degradation occurs through environmental factors such as moisture, heat, and wear and tear. In the digital age, however, degradation happens much more quickly. Files stored on hard drives, CDs, DVDs, and other physical media can deteriorate within years or decades. Digital media degrade faster than traditional formats, but the nature of that degradation is less visible until it’s too late. For example, optical discs suffer from dye degradation, and magnetic storage fades over time. This accelerated degradation of digital formats demands constant maintenance to ensure their long-term survival.
Changes in Technology
Another significant challenge in preserving media is the rapid pace of technological change. What is considered state-of-the-art today may be obsolete tomorrow. Floppy disks, once a common storage format, are now virtually unreadable except to those few who have maintained the hardware to access them. Even if the physical media survives, advancements in technology can render it unreadable. Our ability to access old formats is rapidly diminishing as new technologies replace the old, leaving us with digital relics that we can no longer use.For instance, home videos stored on VHS tapes may still exist, but without a functioning VHS player, the content is inaccessible. This issue underscores the importance of regularly updating storage formats to match technological advances.
Disasters
Natural disasters pose a significant threat to both physical and digital storage media. A single flood, fire, or earthquake can destroy decades of carefully preserved memories and media in an instant. Even solar bursts have the potential to fry electronic devices, wiping out digital archives stored on hard drives or servers. While individuals and organizations may employ safeguards such as fireproof safes or off-site backups, no system is foolproof. Disaster preparedness must account for the unpredictable, yet even the best-laid plans can fail. This vulnerability reinforces the need for redundancy and geographically distributed storage solutions.
Our Civilization Collapses - Making it All Irrelevant
If modern civilization were to collapse—whether due to nuclear war, a massive solar flare, or other catastrophic events—the preservation of media would become irrelevant. Without the infrastructure to support digital storage, our preserved memories would be lost (maybe along with the people who might care about accessing them). In the event of a global catastrophe, the need for media preservation would vanish, as survival would take precedence over storing and accessing data. The collapse of civilization, not an unimaginable possibility, highlights the fragility of our technologically dependent civilization.
Parchment Degrades
Parchment, an ancient medium for record-keeping, has demonstrated remarkable durability when stored in the right conditions. The Dead Sea Scrolls, for instance, have survived for over 2,000 years, a testament to the resilience of parchment. However, even parchment is subject to degradation over time. Parchment can last millennia, but it is still vulnerable to environmental factors like humidity and light exposure. While parchment may outlast many modern media formats, it is far from impervious to the ravages of time.
Books Degrade
Books, too, face degradation over time. While some books printed on high-quality paper have survived for centuries, modern paper, particularly the cheaper varieties, degrades much faster. The acid content in modern paper leads to yellowing, brittleness, and eventual disintegration. In comparison to digital storage, books may last longer, but they still require specific environmental conditions to ensure their longevity.
Optical Media Degrade
Optical media, such as CDs and DVDs, were once seen as durable, long-term storage solutions. However, optical disks are far from immune to degradation. Over time, the dyes used in CDs and DVDs degrade, and the layers of the disk can separate, making them unreadable. Optical media are no longer considered reliable for long-term preservation, as their lifespan is relatively short compared to other formats.
Magnetic Media Degrade
Magnetic media, including tapes and hard drives, also suffer from degradation. The iron oxide coating that stores data on magnetic media gradually loses its magnetic properties, and the data becomes unreadable. Magnetic media can degrade over time due to wear and environmental factors, leading to data loss. Older formats like magnetic tape, in particular, are prone to irreversible decay after a few decades of storage.
The Issue of Who Cares
The social aspect of media preservation raises the question: who cares about preserving memories and media for future generations? Some folks dedicate extensive resources to safeguarding cultural artifacts, family records, and other forms of media. Others, however, may be indifferent to the need for preservation. Preservation is a matter of perspective, with some viewing it as essential for future generations, while others might question the value of storing data that may never be used.
Entropy
The concept of entropy—defined as the gradual decline into disorder—serves as both a metaphor and a literal explanation for the degradation of media. Over time, all systems, including storage media, tend toward disorder unless active steps are taken to maintain them. Entropy is an unavoidable aspect of media preservation, as everything we create, from books to digital files, will eventually succumb to the forces of decay. The fight against entropy requires constant vigilance and effort.
Protection with Reliable Storage
One of the most effective ways to mitigate the effects of degradation and technological change is to employ reliable storage solutions. Preservation is a proactive process, requiring regular maintenance, data migration, and attention to technological advances. People must think carefully about how they store their media, who is responsible for its upkeep, and how it can be retrieved when needed.
Make Multiple Backups
The simplest and most effective way to protect digital media is to create multiple backups. Storing data on different devices and in different locations ensures that even if one storage medium fails, the data can be recovered. The key to successful digital preservation is redundancy—without it, you are leaving your data vulnerable to a single point of failure.
Store in Multiple Locations
Storing backups in multiple physical locations adds an additional layer of security. If a disaster strikes one location, the data can still be recovered from another. Geographic redundancy is a simple yet powerful strategy to protect media from localized disasters. This strategy is particularly important in the case of natural disasters, which can obliterate entire regions.
Data Corruption in Storage
One of the risks of long-term digital storage is data corruption. Files can become corrupted due to hardware failures, software bugs, or even cosmic radiation. Data corruption is a significant threat to digital media, and without regular integrity checks and refreshment, valuable data can be lost. Regularly recopying data and verifying its integrity can help mitigate the risk of corruption.
Do Not Trust the Cloud. It Is Vulnerable
While cloud storage offers convenience and accessibility, it comes with significant risks. Data stored in the cloud is vulnerable to being lost, corrupted, or hacked. Furthermore, users have little control over how their data is stored or managed.
Relying solely on the cloud for long-term preservation is a risky proposition. Cloud providers may go out of business, change their terms of service, or suffer data breaches, leaving users without access to their stored files. Access may be totally lost to the provider’s services.
Summary
The preservation of memories and media is a complex, ongoing process that requires attention to both technological and social factors. From the early days of oral traditions and books to the modern age of digital storage, each method of preservation faces unique challenges. Digital formats degrade more quickly than traditional media, and technological changes often render old formats obsolete. Natural disasters and data corruption further complicate preservation efforts. However, by employing multiple backups, geographically distributed storage, and regular data refreshment, individuals can improve the odds that their memories and media will survive for future generations.