Just a gentle reminder that the E-Book Museum would preserve the artifacts and tell the story of the technology. It would not be so much of a content-preservation project. That's for other worthy endeavors and proposed endeavors. As for the role of e-books in the UK content-preservation initiative, they are at least among the items included. Good enough for the point to be made! Needless to say, I couldn't agree with you more about the usefulness of preserving e-copies of nonbooks, too, such as magazines and newspapers. - DR
Glad to see a plug for PG and DP! Needless to say, in the full-length post, I noted that the proposed E-Book Museum could feature a video interview with Michael Hart as well as the terminal he used in the early days of PG (or an equivalet). Would be one more way to promote PG and the related question of volunteering! I myself recently worked with other volunteers on Upton Sinclear's "The Brass Check." Bottom line? No conflict between The Computer Museum idea and PG, just synergy. - DR
No NIH syndrome, I'd hope. Keep in mind that the E-Book Museum proposal focuses on the artifacts that the public can see right there in person and on the Net--the machines and the media, as well as videos of old e-book references in movies, on TV, and so on. That's a different issue from content preservation per se. What's more, the TeleRead item already includes a link to http://www.digitalpreservation.gov--please don't think I've denied LOC credit for existing activities. What I have in mind, of course, would make the preservation job easier by reducing the chance that LOC would be out of luck because it could not find the right machines to display dead formats and emulation was tricky. Let's hope, of course, that a nonproprietary standard e-book format arrives soon, but if nothing else, as I've noted in the TeleRead item, the E-Book Museum could help cope with the present mess. Please take a look at what I wrote for TeleRead, not just the quick summary. And by the way, I'm right across the Potomac River in Alexandria, and, though I realize you don't deal with e-books at LOC, you or colleagues are welcome to reach me at 703-370-6540. Thanks! David Rothman, for TeleRead.org
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Just a gentle reminder that the E-Book Museum would preserve the artifacts and tell the story of the technology. It would not be so much of a content-preservation project. That's for other worthy endeavors and proposed endeavors. As for the role of e-books in the UK content-preservation initiative, they are at least among the items included. Good enough for the point to be made! Needless to say, I couldn't agree with you more about the usefulness of preserving e-copies of nonbooks, too, such as magazines and newspapers. - DR
Glad to see a plug for PG and DP! Needless to say, in the full-length post, I noted that the proposed E-Book Museum could feature a video interview with Michael Hart as well as the terminal he used in the early days of PG (or an equivalet). Would be one more way to promote PG and the related question of volunteering! I myself recently worked with other volunteers on Upton Sinclear's "The Brass Check." Bottom line? No conflict between The Computer Museum idea and PG, just synergy. - DR
No NIH syndrome, I'd hope. Keep in mind that the E-Book Museum proposal focuses on the artifacts that the public can see right there in person and on the Net--the machines and the media, as well as videos of old e-book references in movies, on TV, and so on. That's a different issue from content preservation per se. What's more, the TeleRead item already includes a link to http://www.digitalpreservation.gov--please don't think I've denied LOC credit for existing activities. What I have in mind, of course, would make the preservation job easier by reducing the chance that LOC would be out of luck because it could not find the right machines to display dead formats and emulation was tricky. Let's hope, of course, that a nonproprietary standard e-book format arrives soon, but if nothing else, as I've noted in the TeleRead item, the E-Book Museum could help cope with the present mess. Please take a look at what I wrote for TeleRead, not just the quick summary. And by the way, I'm right across the Potomac River in Alexandria, and, though I realize you don't deal with e-books at LOC, you or colleagues are welcome to reach me at 703-370-6540. Thanks! David Rothman, for TeleRead.org