4 ms·

> how do people store data for 100+ years? Print it.

by imhoguy 4y ago

AnimalMuppet 4y ago
On acid-free paper.
- courgette 4y ago
  In a decent box.
  - aaronbrethorst 4y ago
    With archival quality pigment inks https://keithdotson.com/blogs/news/how-long-will-your-photograph-last https://keithdotson.com/blogs/news/how-long-will-your-photog...
    - vermilingua 4y ago
      Do you have any insight on whether NeverTear would be good media for long-term archival? Waterproof and damage resistant is a big plus, but I wonder if they come at the cost of pigmant durability.
      - aaronbrethorst 4y ago
        I can’t say for sure. I’ve never used the product you mention, but it is made out of polyester, which is supposed to be great for archival purposes. So…probably yes?
- edmundsauto 4y ago
  I disagree - digital is the only route. Printouts will get lost, bent, fires, floods, and lost. The broader idea that I find interesting however is how to preserve digital content for > 100 years. It's okay if other people don't care about that - I do, and I think it's an interesting set of problem constraints, and was just wondering if anyone else has thought about it. It's difficult to suggest an actual use case for blockchain, and I am far from an expert, but I think this could be an interesting innovative options for actually using distributed databases to control assets and make collective decisions in a decentralized fashion.
  - eurasiantiger 4y ago
    Looking at 200 year old photos is easy. Trying to find hardware to access a 30 year old hard drive is not.
ROTMetro 4y ago
Don't do this. I somehow ended up with all the pictures of family going back to the 1800s. I have 5 suitcases full that I now have to scan. Find the best representative photos, and upload them to Geni.com, Ancestry.com, MyHerritage.com, 23andme, etc. They are bound to survive from one of those sources.
- NateEag 4y ago
  That's why you pick the best five from each year and print them in a small acid-free paper book. You keep the gigantic digital repository as long as feasible (I burn to M-Discs), but for accessibility and long-term, pick your favorites in a way we have good reason to think can last for hundreds of years.
  - soperj 4y ago
    > print them in a small acid-free paper book any good recommendations for printers?
    - NateEag 4y ago
      Shutterfly's interface is (was? been a while) kind of painful, but we've gotten good results from them. Chatbooks makes it fairly brainlessly easy to produce books regularly (and had a hilarious ad a few years back focusing on the ease of use compared to other options: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF2eKaOc3wo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF2eKaOc3wo). I can't swear to the longevity of the books - I never dug into the details of how they're printed, because I'm not especially concerned about making sure they last a hundred years. It's the right strategy in principle, though, if that is your goal.
- vasco 4y ago
  Why don't you just pass on 6 suitcases instead of adding the risk of losing digital media. The current process has worked for your family for 200 years.
  - fomine3 4y ago

> how do people store data for 100+ years? Print it.

AnimalMuppet 4y ago

On acid-free paper.

courgette 4y ago
In a decent box.
- aaronbrethorst 4y ago
  With archival quality pigment inks https://keithdotson.com/blogs/news/how-long-will-your-photograph-last https://keithdotson.com/blogs/news/how-long-will-your-photog...
  - vermilingua 4y ago
    Do you have any insight on whether NeverTear would be good media for long-term archival? Waterproof and damage resistant is a big plus, but I wonder if they come at the cost of pigmant durability.
    - aaronbrethorst 4y ago
      I can’t say for sure. I’ve never used the product you mention, but it is made out of polyester, which is supposed to be great for archival purposes. So…probably yes?
edmundsauto 4y ago
I disagree - digital is the only route. Printouts will get lost, bent, fires, floods, and lost. The broader idea that I find interesting however is how to preserve digital content for > 100 years. It's okay if other people don't care about that - I do, and I think it's an interesting set of problem constraints, and was just wondering if anyone else has thought about it. It's difficult to suggest an actual use case for blockchain, and I am far from an expert, but I think this could be an interesting innovative options for actually using distributed databases to control assets and make collective decisions in a decentralized fashion.
- eurasiantiger 4y ago
  Looking at 200 year old photos is easy. Trying to find hardware to access a 30 year old hard drive is not.

ROTMetro 4y ago

Don't do this. I somehow ended up with all the pictures of family going back to the 1800s. I have 5 suitcases full that I now have to scan. Find the best representative photos, and upload them to Geni.com, Ancestry.com, MyHerritage.com, 23andme, etc. They are bound to survive from one of those sources.

NateEag 4y ago
That's why you pick the best five from each year and print them in a small acid-free paper book. You keep the gigantic digital repository as long as feasible (I burn to M-Discs), but for accessibility and long-term, pick your favorites in a way we have good reason to think can last for hundreds of years.
- soperj 4y ago
  > print them in a small acid-free paper book any good recommendations for printers?
  - NateEag 4y ago
    Shutterfly's interface is (was? been a while) kind of painful, but we've gotten good results from them. Chatbooks makes it fairly brainlessly easy to produce books regularly (and had a hilarious ad a few years back focusing on the ease of use compared to other options: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF2eKaOc3wo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF2eKaOc3wo). I can't swear to the longevity of the books - I never dug into the details of how they're printed, because I'm not especially concerned about making sure they last a hundred years. It's the right strategy in principle, though, if that is your goal.
vasco 4y ago
Why don't you just pass on 6 suitcases instead of adding the risk of losing digital media. The current process has worked for your family for 200 years.
- fomine3 4y ago