3 ms·

Just put the instructions in a plain txt file as the first file on the disc.

• stefs 7y ago
  you'd have to know the (physical) reading mechanism (plus encoding) to read the README.txt itself.
  • TuringTest 7y ago
    That's why you put the ASCII encoding as well, plus the blueprints for a digital computer capable of running EMACS to decode it.
  • aardshark 7y ago
    Well encoding is not an issue. Any civilisation who have the physical means to read the disc will be able to figure out the encoding fairly simply.
    • orbital-decay 7y ago
      It isn't that simple, many lost languages have only been restored because of the dual language books. Similarly, I think what matters here is the higher-order redundancy. A single encoding that can be lost, is not straightforward to figure out, and holds the clue to a massive storage, isn't the most future proof decision; it's a single point of failure.