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Charles Stross has an excellent novel, "Glasshouse", a major plot point of which is that due to shoddy digital preservation practices, far-future historians kno
by stevenbedrick 16y ago
Charles Stross has an excellent novel, "Glasshouse", a major plot point of which is that due to shoddy digital preservation practices, far-future historians know virtually nothing about ≈1950 through ≈2050 or so. What little they know is pieced together from fragmentary bits and pieces of evidence, with results that are at turns hilarious and horrifying when "put into practice" by historical re-enactors. Kind of reminded me of David Macauly's "Motel of the Mysteries" in some ways.
- SoftwareMaven 16y agoI'll second the positive review of "Glasshouse." The lack of knowledge portrayed in the book is also an interesting commentary on one of the often unsung evils of DRM. That license server certainly won't be running 300 years from now.
- eru 16y agoHistorians learn most about ancient societies by digging through their trash. We have left more trash that takes ages to degrade than all prior societies put together. Only if they get serious about recycling, history will be at stake.