Re: RE: durable digital in current technology-->stewardship

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Ken Finkel
Mon, 20 Apr 1998 12:03:45 -0400


That's as close to an effective and compelling understanding of the urge =
to preserve as I've read here. As a tool, technology can be a link for =
preservation only as strong as the organization that embraces and =
utilizes it. If the non-profit infrastructure for preservation is =
weak, powerful tools will not help in the long run. I've been thinking =
about the nature of a healthy non-profit institutional infrastructure =
for preservation, particularly how it is unique in the cultural =
landscape. It seems we have a lot to learn from not only the ancients, =
but the thousands (?) of mostly small and fragile organizations that =
preserve millions of documents that have long ago fallen off society's =
radar screen. =20

Kenneth Finkel

----------
From: Patricia Galloway[SMTP:]
Sent: Monday, April 20, 1998 10:07 AM
To: timeandbits
Subject: durable digital in current technology-->stewardship

Stewart Brand pointed to the perils of dependence on stewardship; it
seems to me that the most secure infrastructure for the preservation of
information is an immortal institution whose self-preservation is bound
up with the preservation of the information: religions and governments
come to mind (e.g., medieval scriptoria and chancelleries). Without
continuity in such an infrastructure, information encoded in even the
most durable forms will be lost (e.g., Stonehenge).

Pat Galloway