Google's Vint Cerf warns of 'digital Dark Age'

BBC ^ | 2/13/15 | Pallab Ghosh

[P.O.E.]

Thanks for the links. I have a stack of old mags upstairs I haven’t been able to find online, even through Google books.

[zeugma]

Vint's fears are reasonable. It's something that gets discussed from time to time. I think the best solution is to use open document formats wherever possible. Owners of the data also need to understand the necessity of converting to newer formats on a timely basis. Conversions of ODF formats to the current standard should be fairly straightforward as all the data structures should be fully and well documented. I suspect that 100 years from now, there will be less pictures available from 2015 than we'll have from the 1950s if folks don't start looking at how to make sure pictures are archived.

Looking at long term data usage is actually a pretty complex subject. You've got to take into account not only data formats, but media formats as well. What do you do with data stored on 9-track tape from an IBM mainframe written in EBCIDIC? Try finding a 9-track drive to read it today. Then think about how hard it will be to do the same 50 years from now. Even if the tapes were stored in the best climate controlled conditions possible, you're going to have bit-rot.

[Weirdad]

Of course, no intent to imply otherwise.

I just wanted to be sure Freepers are aware of that privacy risk on the first link — not all are — so that they will be careful.

Your other links (on my brief perusal) did not seem to have that issue.