Another problem is the endless issue of proprietary software. I've spent years building an impressive library of music downloaded off usenet groups(all legal) but when I try to sync my new Iphone it's a no go. Wants me to download from iTunes and pay a buck a piece for what I already have. Infuriating.
dj On Tue, Sep 22, 2009 at 4:54 AM, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > Yes, humans will be able to reproduce some technology from the past > for a while. And, I am talking about the access to 'common' people's > recordings of their thoughts and views. All too often, after a couple > of generations of advances to a specific technology, there exists no > backwards compatibility. This includes video. I still have numerous > VCRs and recorded tapes. I know many people who no longer have (or > never had) this technology. So, anything recorded say even a couple of > years ago is all but obsolete now and soon will be lost. Again, yes, > perhaps a few recordings will be transferred to new media, but I would > guess that 98% will not be. My video tapes most likely will be in that > 98% so future generations will not be able to hear/see them. Remember > a couple of years ago when they were marketing VCR/DVD players in the > same machine? I see precious few of these today. And, as blue-ray has > already entered the market in a fairly big way and as 3d gains > popularity etc., today’s DVDs will no longer have players in most > houses to play them and will decay themselves. > > On Sep 22, 1:46 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > wrote: >> Ahh forgive me OM, I was speaking cheifly about DVD's and CD's data >> burnt on to plastic medium by laser. >> >> I think we shall contiune to use light as a methoed of transmiting and >> transcribing data for a few more years yet, untill the onset of >> quantum comptuing I guess, and then what? Particle manipulation, >> Chemical manipulation, Genetic manipulation maybe? I for one am very >> very exicted. >> >> I guess what I'm really saying is I can see you concerens, but I >> belive that it will always be possible to step backwards and recreate >> technology of the past. We can still build steam engines, radio >> frequncys even in the ranges you talk about can still be used and >> measured, thinkgs like magnetic tape and plastic CD's well yes of >> course they can degrade. I wonder how long it will be until we can >> sublty change the matrix of a gem and store data that way though huh? >> >> On 21 Sep, 17:36, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> >> > “…I think perhaps it is one of >> > the quality of the material used rather than the methoeds used to >> > transcribe data onto or perhaps into such material.” – lee >> >> > Well, yes Lee, the medium is of concern and not only to me. Many, much >> > wiser and well informed than I have been addressing this issue for >> > years now. However, the method used to transcribe data needs to be >> > understood too. The methodology used for video medium is something I >> > know little about but what little I do know includes everything from >> > old video tape machines to digital, right now we are moving from a set >> > number of lines tracked on a CRT (LEDs too) to a higher number of >> > ‘lines’ (HD), at least in the USA. If one lives in other countries, >> > they have been using similar technology for a long time. >> >> > When it comes to both audio and video, the term analogue (NTSC, PAL or >> > SECAM) is seldom used today even though it was the method used for >> > decades and recently too! Digital will be replaced too at some time. >> > We still hear of AM and FM, but what about VHF and UHF? I still >> > remember when UHF first came out, well, I also remember when TVs >> > themselves first came out! >> >> > When it comes to recording information in some technological device >> > such as a computer, a quick look at the history of storage will >> > include everything from the Hollerith card to Hex, to Binary, to Octal… >> > RGPL, bits, bytes, sectors, cylinders, boot sectors, basic, COBOL, >> > Pascal, DOS…pick a version, etc. So, the way data is stored is of as >> > much concern and is equally as diverse as is the medium and devices >> > used themselves as I see it. >> >> > On Sep 21, 9:13 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> >> > wrote: >> >> > > Yeah I can certianly see your concerns. I think perhaps it is one of >> > > the quality of the material used rather than the methoeds used to >> > > transcribe data onto or perhaps into such material. >> >> > > On 21 Sep, 17:08, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > > > “…I think it will always be possible to recreate >> > > > the tools on which to use old medium.” – lee >> >> > > > While this is a possibility, I would posit that when our culture is >> > > > long dead and buried and our technology has all rusted away into >> > > > oblivion, the possibility of a visitor from another planet >> > > > reconstructing the tools necessary to reconstruct what was >> > > > communicated by old Morse code machines, while perhaps possible after >> > > > the specific type of electricity that we used as well as our specific >> > > > sense of sound was determined, the actual messages sent over the wires >> > > > have long ago decayed to a point that I have grave doubt that they >> > > > could be ever captured again. This even though the human psyche and >> > > > language would have to be reconstructed too. >> >> > > > When it comes to digital storage devices, once the technology and/or >> > > > media has decayed, something that happens much faster than say the >> > > > decay of the pyramids and/or Syrian (or other cultural) stella as well >> > > > as is the case for things like the Rosetta stone…something that even >> > > > human beings would have been hard pressed to do without when it comes >> > > > to understanding and reconstructing older communications. >> >> > > > And, yes, there are a few people who have old Commodor 64s in >> > > > ‘mothballs’. Also, yes, a precious few retain other earlier computers >> > > > like the old VM machines (NorthStar produced a nice machine.) And, >> > > > there do still exist a few stereoscope viewers, mostly in museums even >> > > > though they were invented only about a century ago. Of course, the >> > > > cardboard cards with the pictures and messages on them can be read >> > > > without the viewer. However, in most cases, the newer the technology, >> > > > the shorter the lifespan of it and its associated data. One specific >> > > > is the Univac. While it wasn’t even shipped until about 50 years ago, >> > > > and major military and corporate monoliths were the purchasers as well >> > > > as archivers thereof, I have grave doubt that much if any that was >> > > > stored on them still exists. Their ‘useful’ lifespan was not even 20 >> > > > years! >> >> > > > Yes, I know that some of the data most likely was transferred to a >> > > > different media, however, this discussion was the spin off from the >> > > > idea of leaving behind some sort of recorded video message so that >> > > > future generations would know what ‘we’ were about…I have doubts about >> > > > this working…at least not working nearly as well as other and much >> > > > more ancient media has over the millennia. >> >> > > > On Sep 21, 8:09 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> >> > > > wrote: >> >> > > > > I agree and disagree. I still have records, tapes and old CD's that >> > > > > I >> > > > > still use. I also still ahve old paper letters from penpals of years >> > > > > ago. >> >> > > > > Meduim does change but I think it will always be possible to recreate >> > > > > the tools on which to use old medium. >> >> > > > > On 21 Sep, 15:58, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > > > > > “… Perhaps, in the future, it will be standard >> > > > > > procedure to leave a video biography before one dies such that >> > > > > > people >> > > > > > can write an 'extended epitaph' and have their own say that others >> > > > > > can >> > > > > > refer to….” – Pat [from a different thread] >> >> > > > > > One of the big technological problems here is that ANY specific >> > > > > > technology used for such a video will be obsolete within a decade >> > > > > > and/ >> > > > > > or the media itself will decay within a similar time span. Paper >> > > > > > and >> > > > > > ink and paintings can and have lasted thousands of years. Stone and >> > > > > > metal messages exist from similar epochs. I remember playing >> > > > > > cylinder >> > > > > > records on a Victrola type player. (How many still have 78 >> > > > > > records?) >> > > > > > Also, music from a player of metal disks and a player piano. A few >> > > > > > original photos exist, fewer still from the era of the Polaroid >> > > > > > camera. And, who still has information stored on punch cards? What >> > > > > > about text from a DOS operation system computer? 8-track tape >> > > > > > player? >> > > > > > Tape cassette player and cassettes? How about just a 10 year old >> > > > > > CD? >> > > > > > Heck, what about emails from 8 years ago? >> >> > > > > > People used to save personal letters and many still exist centuries >> > > > > > later, at least from ‘famous’ people. This seldom is the case for >> > > > > > emails, let alone phone calls or other recorded media. We have >> > > > > > become >> > > > > > a culture of not only very short attention spans but of even >> > > > > > shorter >> > > > > > historical memories. >> >> > > > > > How say you?- Hide quoted text - >> >> > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - >> >> > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - >> >> > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - >> >> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - >> >> - Show quoted text - > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
