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If you had to store something for 100 years, how would you do it?

daviddelvendaviddelven
in Random

If you had to store something for 100 years, how would you do it? https://lil.law.harvard.edu/century-scale-storage/

David Delgado Vendrell
www.daviddelgado.cat

Comments

  • andang76andang76

    Pizza recipe

  • ChrisJohChrisJoh
    edited March 2025

    @daviddelven said:
    If you had to store something for 100 years, how would you do it? https://lil.law.harvard.edu/century-scale-storage/

    Regarding Zettelkasten?
    Paper.

    Unpublished manuscripts of Jean Paul (Faszikel XIX, Konvolut 11, MS 86) // Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz

    https://akademienunion.de/en/research/project-database/jean-paul-edition

  • daviddelvendaviddelven

    @ChrisJoh

    Not thinking on "paper" but on the digital version of everything we do... specially from a Zettelkasten point of view.

    Since our ZK is private... does that mean they will die with us? Could we think about transferring our ZK over generation? And if so... is a digital format enough?

    David Delgado Vendrell
    www.daviddelgado.cat

  • ChrisJohChrisJoh

    @daviddelven
    How can we know if in 100 years our digital data still will be readable? It seems to be likely for me (plain text), but likely doesn't mean certain.
    In the analog world you bequeath your notes, manuscripts, library etc. to - let's say your children. So you can do with a copy of your digital texts.

    The books, manuscripts and paper Zettel will survive 100 years or more, that's for sure. The digital data maybe, but the software needed - who knows?
    If one want to be on the save side, I'd choose - paper.

  • daviddelvendaviddelven

    Briefing Document: Century-Scale Digital Storage
    Date: 16 May 2024
    Source: Excerpts from "Century-Scale Storage" by Maxwell Neely-Cohen, published by the Library Innovation Lab at Harvard Law School.

    Executive Summary:
    This briefing document reviews the main themes and crucial ideas presented in Maxwell Neely-Cohen's "Century-Scale Storage." The piece grapples with the fundamental question of how to digitally store information for 100 years, examining current storage methods (hard drives, cloud, removable media) and more unconventional approaches (physical inscription, dispersal) against the backdrop of technological obsolescence, institutional vulnerabilities, and the pervasive challenge of human neglect. The author argues that no single technological solution guarantees longevity and emphasises the critical role of maintenance, societal commitment to preservation, and fostering a culture of care as the most vital factors for century-scale digital survival.

    Key Themes and Ideas:

    The Problem of Longevity in Digital Storage: The piece begins by highlighting the transient nature of digital storage compared to physical artefacts. The story of the IBM 305 RAMAC, the first computer with a hard drive, illustrates that while the physical medium could theoretically last for an immense duration ("The RAMAC data is thermodynamically stable for longer than the expected lifetime of the universe," said Joe Feng), the technology itself became obsolete within a decade, and accessing the data required significant restoration efforts. This sets the stage for the central question: "If you had to store something for 100 years, how would you do it?"

    Limitations of Current Storage Methods:
    Hard Drives (HDDs and SSDs): While HDDs have theoretical longevity in the right conditions, their mechanical nature makes them prone to failure. SSDs, lacking moving parts, offer speed but have finite lifespans due to write limits and data retention issues when unpowered. RAID systems improve reliability through redundancy but require ongoing maintenance and institutional support. The author notes that long-term reliability is a "fringe concern" for manufacturers, who assume frequent replacement.
    The Cloud: The cloud offers convenience and offloads maintenance but relies on a network of centralised data centres vulnerable to various disruptions (natural disasters, cyberattacks, geopolitical events). A significant concern is the dependence on commercial entities whose lifespans are often far shorter than a century ("Most companies, even wildly successful behemoths, don’t even last 50 years, let alone a hundred."). The profit-driven nature of these companies may not align with the long-term ethics of preservation, with marketing focusing on trends like AI rather than archival concerns.
    Removable Media (Vinyl, Tape, Optical Discs): While offering portability and an air gap against cyber threats, these media are susceptible to physical degradation (heat, humidity, pests, chemical decay). Even promising newer formats like M-DISCs are untested over the long term. Tape drives, primarily used for "cold" storage, offer high capacity and lower costs but require specialised hardware and are not designed for regular access or consumer use.

    The Importance of Maintenance and Care: The author repeatedly emphasises that the key to century-scale storage is not the storage medium itself but the ongoing maintenance and care it receives. "The success of century-scale storage comes down to the same thing that storage and preservation of any duration does: maintenance. The everyday work of a human being caring for something." This includes physical maintenance of hardware, preservation of file formats and software environments, and the institutional commitment to ensure these continue over generations. "Preserving digital data also requires preserving the means to access that data, just as preserving a book requires preserving the language in which it is written."

    The Role of Institutions and Societal Values: Achieving century-scale storage requires a societal commitment and significant investment in digital preservation. "Successful century-scale storage will require a massive investment in digital preservation, a societal commitment. Politicians, governments, companies, and investors will have to be convinced, incentivized, or even bullied." The current allocation of resources to archives and libraries is described as "scant" and "tiny" relative to the importance of preserving digital heritage. The author suggests that storage providers should actively advocate for software preservation and adopt longer-term investment models.

    Decentralisation vs. Centralisation: The piece explores the potential of decentralised storage solutions (e.g., LOCKSS, IPFS, blockchain-based systems) to enhance resilience against single points of failure. However, it raises critical questions about whether these systems can inspire the same level of care and responsibility as centralised institutions. While centralisation carries the risk of large-scale loss due to disaster or intentional destruction, it has historically fostered a sense of importance and dedicated stewardship. "The most pressing question for decentralized storage services is: Can they inspire care?" The success of enduring decentralised efforts often hinges on "having enlisted generations of people with an emotional and intellectual investment in their worth."

    The Enduring Power of Physical Formats (Print): Despite the focus on digital storage, the author highlights the remarkable longevity and inherent decentralisation of printed books. "Even today, if our goal is storing information for a century, we should not underrate the power of print." The physical codex, distributed across numerous individuals and institutions, benefits from a long history of care and the possibility of reprinting. However, the sheer volume of printed material necessitates curation.

    The Need for an "Archivism" Ethos: The author concludes by advocating for an "Archivism" ideology – a dedicated commitment to preserving human intellectual and cultural output for future generations, sometimes requiring a skeptical and defiant stance towards prevailing political and economic forces. "The century-scale archivist must sometimes be in service of an ideology that only answers to itself—to the protection of the collected artifacts at all costs."

    Quotes:

    "If you had to store something for 100 years, how would you do it?"
    “The RAMAC data is thermodynamically stable for longer than the expected lifetime of the universe,” said Joe Feng, one of the engineers who worked on the restoration.
    "In digital preservation we place our trust in having multiple copies. We cannot trust the durability of digital media, so we need to make multiple copies.”
    "Long-term reliability is a fringe concern."
    "Amazon is not too big to fail… In fact, I predict one day Amazon will fail. Amazon will go bankrupt. If you look at large companies, their lifespans tend to be 30-plus years, not a hundred-plus years,” Bezos answered.
    "Google has been particularly guilty of this behavior, shutting down its own products with such regularity that it has become a running joke among those of us who are terminally online."
    "Successful century-scale storage will require a massive investment in digital preservation, a societal commitment."
    "The success of century-scale storage comes down to the same thing that storage and preservation of any duration does: maintenance. The everyday work of a human being caring for something."
    "There is no political power without power over the archive,” Jacques Derrida wrote in Archive Fever."
    "The century-scale archivist must sometimes be in service of an ideology that only answers to itself—to the protection of the collected artifacts at all costs."

    Conclusion:
    "Century-Scale Storage" provides a comprehensive and thought-provoking exploration of the challenges inherent in preserving digital information for the long term. It moves beyond simplistic technological solutions to highlight the crucial human, institutional, and societal factors that determine the success of archival efforts. The piece serves as a powerful call to action, urging a fundamental shift in priorities towards valuing and investing in the ongoing maintenance and preservation of our digital heritage for the benefit of future generations.

    David Delgado Vendrell
    www.daviddelgado.cat

  • zk_1000zk_1000

    you could laser engrave your notes into diamond. It's still readable after 100s of years and also valuable enough for whoever has it tends to keep it

    my first Zettel uid: 202008120915

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