Since this conversation has turned to disaster now, how can paper storage be considered 'safe'? Paper burns. Paper rots. Paper turns to mush if you add enough water. Ink fades. Perhaps as genealogists we're overly concerned with forever. ----- JL Beeken JLog - simple computer technology for genealogists http://jlog.jgen.ws/
On 3/26/2013 5:50 PM, Brian L. Lightfoot wrote: > Well, it's been an interesting discussion so far. It started out as to how to > back up the Legacy family file and then the questions arose as to "where" to > back up the files. > > Seems clear to me that there should be at least 2 different geographic > locations where the backups are held: one can be your own house and the > second can be your relative's house which could be across town or across the > country. Doesn't matter as long as it is not in the same location otherwise > if your house burns down, all backups literally go up in flames. I think > these generally suffice for what I call short-term storage, defining > short-term to mean your own life span. > > When it comes to long-term storage, meaning something that your grandchildren > will be able to access, the format of the media upon which the data is held > seems to be of most importance. Note that even the LDS keeps their "master" > storage as a physical "hardcopy" of microfilm. The do not rely solely on > magnetically read media such as hard drives or DVDs. Maybe they're scared of > the effects of EMP from a nuclear detonation or maybe they just know all > these short term methods degrade from "bit rot", mostly likely effects of > gamma rays and who knows what else. > > So, are we all storing our data just for "short-term"? Not discounting the > chance of any type of global disaster in the next 100 years, doesn't it seem > logical that the only SURE method of storage is actually a hardcopy of some > type. I would assume this to be most likely a printed set of reports or even > a bound manuscript or booklet. Hey, could even mean goatskins after all. > > Brian in California Legacy User Group guidelines: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyusers.com/ Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyfamilytree.com/ Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp
