Long term backup - a fantasy
Thoughts on preservation of what we create today for tomorrow is gaining some traction as we continue to create, write stuff in this new digital age. Recently, I came across Mark Pilgrim’s post about Long-term backup.
I’m creating a lot of data, and I want to keep most of it for the rest of my life. This includes video of my children growing up, but also things like video footage of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. In 2004, I generated 35 GB of such data. In 2005, I generated just shy of 150 GB. This year I’m on track to generate about 100 GB. I foresee doing this for about 20 more years, and then maintaining the archive for another 30 years after that. After that I’ll be dead and it will be Somebody Else’s Problem.
I don’t know how to back up 100 GB of video.
While the volume of content I create is not as much—even in terms of video—I have had my share of problems about preservation of stuff I have created so far. About four years ago, I bought an Iomega drive that became a toast in less than two years’ time. I had many discs with valuable info. Much of it–all gone. That was the time I really began thinking about how fragile or should I say how meek this whole digital stuff is when it comes to storage.
Ironically, a deadwood book would last longer than a readable CD-ROM. And I hate to see it that way. Because all technology, all advances made in our times would turn to dust if we are inept at taking them forward in time.
A thoughtful comment to Mark’s post sums it all up nicely.
you should think of “long term storage” as a string of short-medium term solutions that are replaced every few years. Thanks to the maleability of digital storage needs, a true single “long-term” solution is a fantasy at best.