cross-posted from: https://lemmy.eco.br/post/4492477

How to store digital files for posterity? (hundreds of years)

How to store digital files for posterity? (hundreds of years)

I have some family videos and audios and I want to physically save them for posterity so that it lasts for periods like 200 years and more. This allows great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren to have access.

From the research I did, I found that the longest-lasting way to physically store digital content is through CD-R gold discs, but it may only last 100 years. From what I researched, the average lifespan of HDs and SSDs is no more than 10 years.

I came to the conclusion that the only way to ensure that the files really pass from generation to generation is to record them on CDs and distribute them to the family, asking them to make copies from time to time.

It’s crazy to think that if there were suddenly a mass extinction of the human species, intelligent beings arriving on Earth in 1000 years would probably not be able to access our digital content. While cave paintings would probably remain in the same place.

What is your opinion?

    • GreyEyedGhostEnglish
      21·
      9 months ago

      And there’s that presumption. Just like the idea that a Faraday cage will block a magnetic field such as the earth’s. And unless your suggestion is that the poster just has to store his archive on the moon or farther, it will still be subject to influence from another magnetic field. And everything I’ve read puts bit rot at about 1% per year, which means, even with aggressive error correction about 50% of the archive will be lost within 70 years without an active refresh of the media. That’s not what’s generally meant by archiving. If it was, we would be talking about a process and a commitment by third parties to keep some random person’s archive intact for a century, unless what you’re really trying to suggest is that the real trick to building an archive that will last over a century is to live even longer?

      • Mikufan@ani.socialEnglish
        11·
        9 months ago

        Are you insane? A Faraday cage protects against magnetic fields and other interferences, thats why they exists, the earths magnetic field is no problem btw, its actually protecting our shit because ot keeps most of the magnetic Solarstroms away from our electronics.

        It was also just a fun fact type of info, as its impractical, the data may be there but access will be lost in the near future, that was what i said as well. I suggest microfilm or vinyl. Nobody is going to take care of the stuff after you die anyway.

        (btw you could pay say AWS to keep your archive forever, as long as Amazon exists it will be ported and always accessible, paying after your death would be a problem however…)