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Problems in Computer Conservation
sobachatina writes "The Computer museum at The University of Amsterdam has an interesting page with examples of the problems that they run into maintaining 20+ year old hardware such as rubber rollers from card readers melting or mold growing inside CRT terminals.I hate it when I get mold growing inside my monitor!"
"solid state all the way"
My homebrew amplifier is using 2A3 tubes from the 1930's, I don't see a problem.
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
Interestingly enough, the old technology is not considered the best, at least not as a backup medium. This is the thing most of the preservation efforts go and should go into.
:)
Admitted, paper lasts very long, there is enough ancient evidence
But look e.g. here http://www.osta.org/technology/cdqa13.htm,
they say that CD-Rs last 50-200 years(!)
Compare that to magnetic tapes, discs, etc.
But the final solution for very important data may well be the engraving into gold-plated aluminium, as the NASA did it for pioneer 10...
It seems that mechanically changed media (stones, CD recordables etc.) have the longest lifetime.
1. the netherlands are not poor....
2. it's a museum...
3. there is old that has to be conserved. (See my other post).
Hemp (the fiber of which used to make rope, and the leaves of which is used make hippies & the early BSD's) paper can last 1,500+ years
Old data is not the same as worthless. Say they did census work on punch cards back in the 60's. Just because its old does not make data worthless. The equipment may be, but its the data you care about.
Mod point free since 2001
That is (or at least was, before stations went all robot all the time) a major problem with radio station control rooms, it's a major hassle to dust and vacuum while somebody's doing an air shift, especially when you have to be careful not to suck up one of those temporary repairs that have been hanging out the back of some piece of equipment for the last 20 years (and of course it was installed by an engineer who's been gone almost that long and never documented anything anyway).
I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.
Can you tell that I'm bitter about my recent experiences with dead or dying slot one and socket 370 boards and various VGA monitors?
I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.
Ozone isn't going to be very good for anything made of rubber. Like keyboard parts, and lots of other parts.
If tits were wings it'd be flying around.
The funny thing is...
;o)
;o)
(I've tested this too)
I actually retain things much better when stoned.
Actually, when sober I tend to develop symptoms of ADD, which I've shown since elementary school.
I find smoking relaxes me, and I tend to be able to focus and work better.
I've actually had managers encourage me to "light one up" before work, and have teachers tell me how much better, and how much faster I work when high.
In fact, I'm high now.
and to stay (somewhat) on topic:
i think we will have to come to accept the fact that at one point, we need to part with our hardware. Imagine a car, an icebox, or a washing machine. Nothing has an infinate life span.
My RS-80 still works like a charm though, and no...you can't have it