history

["[R. E. Stannard Jr.]" stannard@xxxxxxxx]

Tnx for the recap of the XYWrite saga. I have a weakness for great things
headed for oblivion. Besides XYWrite, I stubbornly own a Canon NoteJetIIIc
laptop with quality micromini printer secreted under the keyboard (even
Canon won't service my previous CanonNotejetII), and once worked for
proudly for United Press International (now in virtual afterlife after the
Saudis peddled her to the Moon). Your succinct history deserves secure
archive somewhere.

Which brings me to point two: the life expectancy of digital storage
media. I had assumed until this week that floppies were forever and CDs
more so. I learned to my dismay, even before the messages here, that tape
is SUPERIOR (more lasting) than floppies or even CDs. My wizard teenage
informant says the latter are only good for a few years -- not even a
decade.

If this has been published widely, I've missed it or read the wrong
press. I had assumed deep-sixing in electronic form would outlive
yellowing paper. Now I'm given to understand the medium is eroding right
from under it. This is evidently such a throwaway age that archiving
information isn't seen as a serious matter.

I admit it ... I'm a milliwatt user among gigazillas here. But I'm
distraught at the thought that my father's memoirs, lying unedited on 5.25
disks written on an old KayPro in WordStar and whassitsname operating
system are not just a problem of finding an old machine that will run
them, but actually may be evaporating as we dither.

Why isn't the lastingness of the medium a major item of discussion on all
the computer magazines?

		Cheers,
			Ted Stannard, currently in Cambodia...

PS -- Would be grateful if those of you who AREN'T on the digest version
of this list would trim off the long rain of previous messages clinging to
the bottom of your replies. Sometimes we who ARE on the DIGEST version
have to wade through many screens of repeated messages to find the fresh
material. Unfortunately Macrobloat, happy to generate demand for
gigabytes of storage and processing power, defaults leaving the old stuff
sticking to your foot like unnoticed toilet paper. And we have to fight
our way through it. (Also I'm about to get on a broadband service that
charges by the byte, so I'd like to minimize the recycled stuff.)


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e-mail:  TED- stannard@xxxxxxxx  FEMMY - femmystannard@xxxxxxxx
[R.E.Stannard Jr., journalism prof, retired WWU 1991(emeritus) & AUC 2000]
Temp: Prof.& Mrs.R.E.StannardJr.  ph:(855-18)880-880 fx:(855-23) 42-6573
Japan Relief for Cambodia, POBox 27, Phnom Penh, Cambodia (855-18) 880-880
from Oct.1: 712 Highland Drive, Bellingham, WA98226   ph:(360) 392-0712
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