Quote:
Originally Posted by wallcraft
If the long term is decades, digital is probably ok. We have no idea if this is the case for centuries and millennium. Paper isn't all that great either on these time scales, but we know that some will make it through (at least they have so far). If there is a dark age and computer technology is lost, or perhaps even if an author falls out of favor, can ebooks survive? Note that most digital archives rely on copying to new media every decade or so.
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You're right, that if there is a global dark age, digital information is at risk - especially if the plunge into darkness is sudden. But it seems to me that there is more of an opportunity to save a digital library of Alexandria than one on paper (or papyrus!) if anyone escapes.
The author of this paper seemed to fear accident rather than Armageddon, which I think is a misplaced fear.