In theory yes…

However, my point was a reference to being able to read that digital data in the long term (10 years was perhaps not the best time span to select on reflection!). Yes it can be copied to new formats and/or media as required, but I think ultimately it is dangerous to assume continuing compatibility will be possible. As my son is forever reminding me, assumptions are the mother of all f*** ups!

There’s no theory in this – you will be able to read that data in 1000, 2000, 1,000,000 years if the file has been retained (analogous to throwing away the prints and negatives). Original prints and negatives WILL fade. The digital bits that go into making up a digital photograph will remain, unaltered, if stored & maybe even transferred to resilient media. There will be no problem in reading those data.

It isn’t a matter of compatibility at all, no one is ever going to throw out the baby with the bathwater, short of a truly massive nuclear war/phenomenally massive natural disaster that destroys all data storage devices and our technology completely. In which case, I would suggest that photographs will become something of a rarity in any format.

Even if the technology we use changes, there will be mechanisms in place to transfer digital images to that alternate technology storage system, and systems will be in place to present those images. There is nothing dangerous in this supposition – it revolves around practicality – there would be no way anyone would take up a non-backwards compatible storage system. The only thing that is likely to change is the amount of space required to store those images (ie considerably less), and the speed at which they can be presented (ie considerably faster).

The fact
that you only have a little comment box instead of a
real email address listed anywhere on your site

Can’t agree with your sentiments on this particular issue – posting an email address on a website is a bad idea – it merely gets reaped in by the spammers. A feedback/comments system, or even a full blown forum, like this one, is better than nothing and quite viable.

I don’t have my email address posted on my business/personal websites either – and use a feedback system. Doesn’t stop genuine enquiries – does stop rot.

Contact telephone and address details are, however, a good idea – because no spammer is willing to pay for phone calls or stamps!!

Flew the Jag sim at Lossie, back in the mid-70’s. 😀

Don’t tell anyone though. 😮 I was a Telepop.

(And frankly, “flew” is stretching it a bit, I was allowed to sit in the cockpit and wiggle the stick around so they could calibrate it. With full motion on, sure did feel like flying to me, though. No side view, just a monitor in the nose window!)

23rd, for me, I hope. Got an email from BBMF today.

Whereas all the photos I ever took with any type of analogue camera were very hit and miss. For me, the ability to check my pictures at the time I’m taking them is invaluable. I never had the inclination to work out all those knobs switches and dials – take notes – and fathom out what happened when I did what.

Was it me, that caused that fogging out on the right hand side of every picture, or was it a duff camera? I never had the confidence to take one back and say “I couldn’t possibly have caused that, it must be broken”.

Now I can see what happens immediately if I adjust this, or change that.

I’m just lazy, I know, but I’m the happier for it.

How “amateur” can you get?

Two whole posts and that was the line I was after 🙂

I already have fault tolerance on the files stored on the PC, all my CD’s DVD’s are kept in a proprietory filing system which was chosen to specifically because of its preservative copies.

Other than sending a copy to my cousins in Canada, not much more I can do really.

Store them in a lead lined box at the bottom of a dry mine?

Rob

Got any info on logevity of CD’s and DVD’s and the best methods of storage. An archive is no good unless you store it well in the first place (one of the points Mark is making I believe)

Accepting that DVD’s and CD’s are the only methods of storage for longevity is shortsighted. What’s wrong with solid state memory, tape, other hard drives – even transferring to other DVD’s and CD’s.

That is why I advocated using multiple storage systems.

This is especially so if you keep multiple copies of those digital images on different backup media.

Keeping one copy of any file is inherently dangerous, as any computer professional will tell you.

I’d be very happy to help any business with their long-term backup requirements, if asked.

XN724 left Laarbruch on the back of a low loader in April 1985 apparently heading for the North East Aircraft Musuem, Sunderland – It never arrived. Military Markings reported it as being with a private owner ‘up north’ for many years but it simple disappeared. I think it most likely ended it’s days on a range somewere but this doesn’t tie-in with any range sitings since?

Could this be the one that was dismantled for preservation, and buried at the end of Lossiemouth’s runway? Don’t know, but I heard a rumour.

😉

I hear someone recently dug it up, and are planning to zip through Legends very very quickly!!!