From: Linda Phillips (linda__phillips@hotmail.com)
Date: 05/14/01-08:24:03 AM Z
>It is funny that we
>worry about archival processing for film, but few ever think about the CD
>its'self.
>
>We will have to wait and see what happens.
You won't have to wait very long. I have been a rabid digital archivalist
(archivist?) for a number of years. I've noticed that of my early CDs (4
years old, now) at least 10% have significant problems. When a CD develops
problems, usually the protection algorithms kick in and renders the entire
CD worthless. I'm not a technical expert, but I do know my way around a PC
or Mac, and own several up-to-date CD burners with a whole slew of fancy
software applications that address the CD reading and writing functions. I
can assure you that it is indeed frustrating to load a CD, one that has
always been fine in the past, and be told that there is a "cyclical
redundancy error", or whatever, that now prevents your carefully arranged
collection of images from being accessed. Similar woes wait for those who
depend upon JAZ or DAT for the safekeeping of data.
The problem of CD vulnerablility is often discussed,in heated debates in
lists similar to this one. Common advice is to quality media (not the $.35
spindled junk) and store the CDs in the dark.
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