4 ms·

I sure hope the IA gets funded enough some day to get the kind of metrology gear [1] it would take to scan in the physical artifacts like these typewriters. We

I sure hope the IA gets funded enough some day to get the kind of metrology gear [1] it would take to scan in the physical artifacts like these typewriters. We don't have nanoscale metrology yet, but it would be nice to start at least with this level of scanned-in measurements when the original manufacturing descriptions and specs are long gone. Maybe then, one day our descendants will thank us for the foresight to capture these relics in sufficient detail to make their VR games' retro artifacts authentic. [1] https://www.zeiss.com/metrology/home.html https://www.zeiss.com/metrology/home.html

toomuchtodo 6y ago
The Chicago Field Museum uses medical CT scanners for similar physical artifact scanning. I imagine there are medical imaging facilities near the Internet Archive in SF/South SF that might offer a reasonable price for such scans during low demand periods.
- jacquesm 6y ago
  There are neat companies in NL that do this: http://www.flex-form.nl/ http://www.flex-form.nl/ (wow, http? really?) and https://www.floatscans.com/ https://www.floatscans.com/ The latter makes very impressive scans.
metalliqaz 6y ago
Funded enough? They probably won't even survive their recent library lending fiasco.
- EamonnMR 6y ago
  It's incredibly frustrating that a resource that holds so much unique content and history decided that the hill it was going to die on was content that is readily available elsewhere.
  - PostOnce 6y ago
    The content wasn't "readily available". People were either locked at home, the libraries were closed, or else disease-ridden. Archive.org was providing knowledge in a time of emergency when people had no other means of access to knowledge, and people who may have been out of work due to a pandemic, and thus unable to afford to buy the stuff if it even was available via mail. It wasn't some trivial lark.
    - EamonnMR 6y ago
      I'm just not convinced that what they provided couldn'tve been provided just as well by proper pirate sites, or that they are more discoverable than pirate sites.
- franzb 6y ago
  Not aware of that. Could you elaborate?
  - Cthulhu_ 6y ago
    From my understanding, in reaction to libraries being closed everywhere due to the 'rona, they started to "give away" ebooks, which the copyright holders were Not Happy with.

toomuchtodo 6y ago

The Chicago Field Museum uses medical CT scanners for similar physical artifact scanning. I imagine there are medical imaging facilities near the Internet Archive in SF/South SF that might offer a reasonable price for such scans during low demand periods.

jacquesm 6y ago
There are neat companies in NL that do this: http://www.flex-form.nl/ http://www.flex-form.nl/ (wow, http? really?) and https://www.floatscans.com/ https://www.floatscans.com/ The latter makes very impressive scans.

metalliqaz 6y ago

Funded enough? They probably won't even survive their recent library lending fiasco.

EamonnMR 6y ago
It's incredibly frustrating that a resource that holds so much unique content and history decided that the hill it was going to die on was content that is readily available elsewhere.
- PostOnce 6y ago
  The content wasn't "readily available". People were either locked at home, the libraries were closed, or else disease-ridden. Archive.org was providing knowledge in a time of emergency when people had no other means of access to knowledge, and people who may have been out of work due to a pandemic, and thus unable to afford to buy the stuff if it even was available via mail. It wasn't some trivial lark.
  - EamonnMR 6y ago
    I'm just not convinced that what they provided couldn'tve been provided just as well by proper pirate sites, or that they are more discoverable than pirate sites.
franzb 6y ago
Not aware of that. Could you elaborate?
- Cthulhu_ 6y ago
  From my understanding, in reaction to libraries being closed everywhere due to the 'rona, they started to "give away" ebooks, which the copyright holders were Not Happy with.