🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1310018@hpcilzb.HP.COM> doug@hpcilzb.HP.COM (Doug Hendricks) writes:
>A videotape would be made of time-capsule-y images and sounds and placed
>in a video system that would activate and play after 100 years. Clearly,
>there are many technological problems to be faced here, not the least
>being the degradation of materials.

I have a question that Doug Hendricks may be interested in hearing the answer.
I do not know the answer myself, therefore I am posing the question to all you
out in netland -

I have heard a lot [of talk] about the life expectancy of various forms of
magnetic media (computer/audio/video tape, floppy disks, etc.)  I have heard
estimates ranging from as short as 5 years to as long as 20 years.

Will the images (i.e. magnetic patterns on the tape) stored on a videocassette
last 100 years?  If so, what kind of degradation could be expected?

My personal interest in this is that I have quite a number of computers
(mostly minis and micros) in my basement from the late 60's through the
present.  It's a collection of sorts, my electronic dinosaur museum.
Most of them still work, and of course, most depend on magnetic media for
operation.  How long can I expect my floppies and tapes last before the soft
errors turn into hard errors?  I've already had to copy several of my old
floppies onto fresh media in order to preserve them.  I also have extensive
collection (read 1000+ diskettes) of software for my Apple ][ (no trailing
designations) and CPM SBC'c.  Now that they are approaching the ten-year mark,
I've done spot checks and found only minimal errors... so far.

I really would like to keep this stuff, at least throughout my lifetime
(no easy task considering I'm still not old enough to drink :-( )  So,
Can any one tell me how long I can expect the media to last?  Any suggestions
as to the best way to archive it?  I really shudder at the thought of
copying thousands of disks and tapes to refreshen the magnetic particles,
but what must be done must be done.  Any discussion on this subject would
be most welcomed.

our rn groks on .signature...

I am: Peter Johansson
peter@umbc2.umd.edu  (umbc2.umbc.edu as of Jan 9)
peter@umbc2.bitnet
...{uunet|nerwin}!umbc3!cs374326  (though this dies Jan 3.  sob.)
Insert witty quote here.  May I suggest /usr/games/fortune

P.S. If you have *any* computers that you are considering throwing out, and
they are located in the Balto/Wash. area, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.  As a poor
college student, I can't offer you any $$$, but you at least you have the
knowledge that your "old friends" will be taken care of.  (Just don't tell
my mom, there's not enough room as it is.)