|
Archiving digital media is definitely a major issue, as it is with just about anything that requires an intermediary device.
Magnetic media is inherently unstable; hard drives use moving parts, which can break or degrade; and all of it requires an intermediary device, which may not be available in the future.
The problem with "oh, someone will have a playback device in the future" fails to see that the volume of data that may need to be updated could easily overwhelm the remaining devices. Let's say the US Census Bureau used punch cards in the early 80s, and for some reason 30 years from now that data needs to be recompiled. Good luck getting a punch card reader, let alone one reliable to handle all that information; and the conversion process will become a major bottleneck.
That said, paper is no guarantee of longevity. Paper can be lost or destroyed, languages can change. I'd be shocked if any book in my collection is actually more than 50 or 60 years old, and I would not be surprised at all if there were tons of pulp novels or sci-fi short stories that are essentially lost forever.
|