[Ontarian50]

Obsolete data sources is one of the huge ironies of all the information we're generating. Not only is finding the hardware and being able to even operate the hardware from a modern device and operating system a huge challenge moving forward, but the data formats change so that finding software to read the old files is incredibly challenging as well.

Absolutely true. I always make the argument that your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will have eyeballs: all they will need to look at photographic prints from today. What they probably won't have are USB ports for flash drives and old fashioned solid state external drives from the early 21st century, CD/DVD Rom drives, floppy disk slots, drives for Zip, Jazz, or Syquest cartridges, etc. etc.

The interesting thing that opened this thread is the ancient 8mm film tech. While he had to jump through hoops to get the film developed enough to project, if he'd had old 8mm films from his grandmother's collection, all he needed was a magnifier to see what he had on the spool. Today, if you come across a box of Beta video tapes when cleaning out grandpa's attic, how do you determine if they're worth keeping? Precious family memories? Or did grandpa just like to tape golf tournaments off the television? If he didn't label them, how much trouble will you go to, to find an old Beta deck?


But yes, as photographers, we have to keep reminding ourselves that if we have images we consider important, or we're proud enough of to make them worth preserving - then you have to make prints. Any kind of electronic storage will become obsolete and that data risks becoming imprisoned.

[acoufap]

...if we have images we consider important, or we're proud enough of to make them worth preserving - then you have to make prints.

... or expose to film!