A lot is always lost. Nothing has changed. In this case, some amount of data will survive (especially because data is valuable as a commercial asset), the softw

A lot is always lost. Nothing has changed. In this case, some amount of data will survive (especially because data is valuable as a commercial asset), the software itself will likely survive, and instances will later be setup in a virtualized environments. The preservation of data for practicality is very different from historical preservation. Most data from any era gets lost because people at the time do not consider historical value. They consider what is needed for their own goals. Beyond that, most books deteriorate, film deteriorates, etc this is no different from any of that. I understand and sympathize with the idea of open standards, open formats, and the desire for more accessible media and storage. I really do. The loss of ownership over everything is a bummer. However, pretending that we are more at risk of data loss now than before is not valid. DRM always gets cracked. Pirates always find a way. Encryption is likely already compromised by intelligence agencies who slurp everything up in their own archives. Data hoarders are a thing. Mass duplication of data is a thing. People have made recordings and films showing interactions with all of our current systems. People have made all kinds of documentation, documentaries, tutorials, and other media regarding our modern culture, modern technologies, and so on. This is the single most well documented period in history. If anything, we’re doing better at this now than ever before. The real issue for future historians will be sifting through the amount of material.