What are you going to leave your Descendants

[Lydart]

I read somewhere recently that records stored on older discs are now unreadable by modern computers, and that Microsoft have taken on the task (presumably being paid) of converting the equivalent of 580,000 encyclopaedia's worth of FH records onto modern storage systems ... so what price the web ?   Will it be the same in 20 years time ? 

The answer ... paper records !   


But for my children and grand-children and so on ... I'd like to leave them a love of God, life, people, nature ... well, there won't be any money, thats for sure !

[elaine447]

The same as they leave me when they go home
A MESS    LOL later when I've cleaned it
Elaine

[EDO]

The same as they leave me when they go home
A MESS    LOL later when I've cleaned it
Elaine

Good girl!!!  There should be more like you!!!

EDO

[EDO]

Hello Lydart
re your
"Microsoft have taken on the task (presumably being paid) of converting the equivalent of 580,000 encyclopaedia's worth of FH records onto modern storage systems ... so what price the web ?
  Will it be the same in 20 years time ? ""

I'm not intending to be around.

You have that on your own.................

I would definitely be - a Cranky old _...t

EDO

[Simon G.]

I read somewhere recently that records stored on older discs are now unreadable by modern computers

I was discussing this very issue with the conservator at the GlamRO the other day.  It's quite sad because not only has the technology moved on so much that it's incredibly difficult to find a system capable of reading the older disks, the disks themselves were never made to last for very long.  The sad truth is that after a few decades, the disk medium itself will degrade to the point where it's unusable and there's nothing a conservator can do to prevent that.  Certainly after some effort it's possible to move the material to a new medium, but then the point is lost a little.  Archives by definition want to preserve information in it's original format.  Moving information to a new disk is like photocopying a 200-year old book, and then binning the original.
The irony is that modern technology will leave a legacy of destruction that paper records never did.  For all our progress, the 21st century is going to leave records that are unusable for future generations.

[EDO]

Hello SimonG

"Archives by definition want to preserve information in it's original format.  Moving information to a new disk is like photocopying a 200-year old book, and then binning the original."

SIMON::  I'm afraid that some unsophisticated organisations / associations are doing just that!!

No interest in the past at all:  They live just for themselves in the present.

EDO

[mahees]

Nothing is left from my Great-Grandad, who I have put a lot of time into researching. His WWI medals are probably in a car boot sale somewhere, and all I have is one photo.
I am a member of a group on the internet who are all descendants of members of my Great-Grandad's Canadian battalion, and one of them carves wood for a living. They recently raffled a beautiful wooden box with the battalion's badge carved in the top. Some way, some how, I won 
If I ever find his medals I will keep them in the box, but either way, I now have something tangible that I can pass on to commemorate him.
Erin 

[MarieC]

Isn't that tremendous, Erin?    Just shows that mementos of our ancestors don't absolutely have to be things that belonged to them.  This, carved with love and care by someone who also had an ancestor in that battalion, will be a worthy substitute.  I do hope that one day, you find his medals!

MarieC

[Guy Etchells]

I was discussing this very issue with the conservator at the GlamRO the other day.  It's quite sad because not only has the technology moved on so much that it's incredibly difficult to find a system capable of reading the older disks, the disks themselves were never made to last for very long.  The sad truth is that after a few decades, the disk medium itself will degrade to the point where it's unusable and there's nothing a conservator can do to prevent that.  Certainly after some effort it's possible to move the material to a new medium, but then the point is lost a little.  Archives by definition want to preserve information in it's original format.  Moving information to a new disk is like photocopying a 200-year old book, and then binning the original.
The irony is that modern technology will leave a legacy of destruction that paper records never did.  For all our progress, the 21st century is going to leave records that are unusable for future generations.

No the irony is that modern technology is duplicating the problems of the past.

Let us not forget Parish Registers were originally recorded on paper. However there was a problem with the longevity of paper and so an order was given to transcribe the paper records onto parchment to aid preservation.

Storing & transferring electronic media is not the same as printed media as the format is transient and not meant to be kept over lengthy periods.
In electronic media it is the data that is important not the media it is held on.

Whilst on the subject do not forget that much paper today is of poor quality and will not last for decades either.
Cheers
Guy