All Our Yesterdays: Digital Cultural Preservation |
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| Event | Interactive 2011 |
| Format | Solo |
| Organizer | Jeremy Keith – Clearleft |
| Description | Our communication methods have improved over time, from stone tablets, papyrus, and vellum through to the printing press and the World Wide Web. But while the web has democratised publishing, allowing anyone to share ideas with a global audience, it doesn't appear to be the best medium for preserving our cultural resources: websites and documents disappear down the digital memory hole every day. This presentation will look at the scale of the problem and propose methods for tackling our collective data loss. In a long sweep through history, previous methods of data preservation will be examined and the history of hypertext will be traced from its conceptual origins with Vannevar Bush and Ted Nelson to the working implementation by Tim Berners-Lee. Turning to the present day, the problems with using the World Wide Web as a cultural ark become apparent, as epitomised by the destruction of Geocities. Yet people continue to store their hopes and dreams on servers and domains hosted by third-party companies. Proprietary formats also represent a challenge to digital preservation. The importance of open standards becomes apparent when viewed through the lens of our long-term cultural heritage. Restrictive licensing, with its ultimate expression in DRM, is another toxic thorn in the side of our collective culture. But all is not lost. Once we realise that our future is under threat, we can rise to the challenge of digital cultural preservation. |
| Questions Answered |
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| Level | Intermediate |
| Category | History of Technology |
| Tags | Culture, history, preservation |