Data Rot
Every time a new storage technology comes along someone predicts that in 1000 years time, mankind will have lost the knowledge of how to read today’s CDs/DVDs/memory sticks/whatever. Some people call this data rot or bit rot and claim we’re better off writing everything on paper.
And then you see this BBC news story explain how we’re currently using a Diamond synchrotron (whatever that is) to read 1000 year old books written with apple juice on bits of cow without even opening them.
I don’t think there’s much risk of people in the next millennium not being able to read what we wrote in this one. The question, perhaps, is would they want to?
September 26th, 2007 at 17:49
Goodness! A “Diamond synchrotron”. And to think I’ve lived my life thus far, without even being aware of this contraption’s existence. I do love these scaremongers; bless them. I wonder if anyone really cares about the future when it’s that distant, and I wonder whether people in the year 1007 really gave it much thought.
Your closing question is the though-provoking one.
ps: thanks for your lovely comment on Zeldman.com
September 26th, 2007 at 17:51
Triple-damn! Those typos in my comment! I hope they won’t be around in 3007.