UDK 004.65 DIGITAL OBSOLESCENCE Sandra Deljanin, [email protected] University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philology October 2011 Summary Problems of digital obsolescence due to obsolescence of computers, software and data mediums are presented in this article. Librarians and archivists are mostly concerned because of the “digital dark age” phenomenon, and they are looking for more efficient solutions to preserve cultural and intellectual heritage in digital form in order to de- crease expenses and prevent time wasting. Further in the article, disadvantages of some computer platforms and methods of temporary data revival are shown, but for now no efficient standardized and long-term strategy, which could be applied to all types of dig- ital resources, has been established. Many examples of computer, format, program and medium obsolescence that are listed, should awake everyone’s consciousness no matter what their professional occupation is, because contemporary business and social life can’t be imagined without computer technology which makes communication easier and faster, but it can also disable and interrupt all connections with future generations. Key words digital obsolescence, Domesday project, emulators, format specifications, digital dark age, digital preservation, digital preservation strategies. INFOtheca No 1, Volume XIII, May 2012 43 DIGITAL OBSOLESCENCE 1. Introduction which computer platform can read them and in Situation in which digital resource cannot be which format they are. It makes the data retrieval read anymore, either because physical medium process, with which librarians and archivists are that contains it is no longer in use, or hardware faced with always growing data collections, even or software which executes it is not available, is harder. known as the digital obsolescence phenomenon. There is a known case of NASA (National Common text can be presented on a stone plate, Aeronautics and Space Administration) space re- on parchment or microfilm, and it will always cordings and pilotless spacecrafts Viking 1 and be recognized as written text. However, as soon Viking 2 landing on Mars in 1976 saved on mag- as the text is digital it presents only an electric netic tapes. When the recordings were to be ana- impulses flow and those impulses are meaning- lyzed they turned out to be unreadable because ful only when they are interpreted by software they were in unknown format and their creators which created them or for which they were in- had meanwhile passed away or left NASA. tended. Rapid evolution of technological innova- The recordings were eventually extracted after tions and spreading of various computer hard- months of resolving doubts through thorough re- ware, digital coding options, operational systems search about how recording machines had func- and general or specific software are followed by tioned. (Blakeslee 1990) many serious problems which are questioning digital preservation. 2. BBC Domesday Project Attention was brought to librarians and ar- One of the most famous examples of digital chivists in the 1990s. Experts in those branches data loss due to digital obsolescence is the BBC discussed this topic a lot, but without any sig- Domesday Project, in which the entire British na- nificant solution except for continuous and im- tion took part and whose research was compiled mediate transfer of data and information to latest nine hundred years after the Domesday Book had media according to the current standards. Librar- been published. Original document known as the ians were under pressure to use every innovation “Doomsday Book” presents census of eleventh right after its invention in order to keep up. If the century England started in 1086, ordered by King latest technology had failed, one of solutions out William the Conqueror. TV producer from BBC of the situation was to transfer all resources to Peter Armstrong started an interesting adventure newer digital media. Downside was money and of reviving these traditional data collections with time wasting, which are always deficient, which new additions, photos, precise locations, town lead to resources being unavailable and libraries descriptions and reports from people across the becoming museums of failed technology. (Craw- country about everyday topics in 1983. He gath- ford and Gorman 1995) ered leading minds in technology and started one Digital media get worn out and damaged over of the main interactive projects of the time. time. These changes needn’t be obvious as it is This multimedia publication in which over the case with photos or books, but they are pres- million people took part was published in 1986. ent and almost everyone who owns a computer More than 2 GB of data were gathered, which experienced that – hard disk crashing, compact was a stunning amount for that time and the disc scratching, bit rot on magnetic tapes, or most common way for transferring data among just breaking down of data reader. Even if data computers were 5.25” floppy discs. Considering remain intact and bites are still on media, it is their limited capacity of 1.2 МB, results of the necessary to keep up with information about project were finally put on adopted laser discs, 44 INFOtheca No 1, Volume XIII, May 2012 Sandra Deljanin CD-ROM ancestors, in LV-ROM format (Laser important testing ground for implementation of Vision Read-Only Memory). Two discs, Commu- new strategies and development of the software nity Disc and National Disc were in the size of emulating program. Another team which worked a gramophone record (12”) but they looked like for The National Archives of Great Britain (The compact discs we use today with 300 МB of stor- National Archives in Kew) traced the original 1” age space on each side of the disc. They were magnetic tape. It contained photos and maps of readable by a specially configured player Philips Great Britain with locations of all important data VP415 called the Domesday Player, on Acorn that were used for the discs. Photos and maps computer BBC Master increased by SCSI con- have been scanned and laser discs converted into troller (Small Computer System Interface). User new digital format which can be read on different interface consisted of BBC Master Keyboard and machines. In July of 2004 data were published trackerball by which the user could move cursor on the web but this version was removed from on a screen and choose action with a click. Soft- the web in 2008 when its author Adrian Pearce ware for the project was written in BCPL (Basic died. Combined Programming Language) which was BBC Learning team led by George Auckland not widely spread and can be considered a C lan- published large amount of data from the Com- guage ancestor. (Darlington et al. 2003) munity Disc again in 2011 in format available Several libraries bought the whole system on the web named Domesday Reloaded (http:// package, but it was far from the original idea of www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday). On this in- wide distribution. Participants of the project were ternet site, one can access photos and articles disappointed because their hard work wasn’t eas- from the original project and see how life of Brit- ily available in public. As time went by this proj- ish people has been changing in the last 25 years, ect became a basic example of digital obsoles- while visitors can refresh information with their cence, because less and less machines had access memories, photos and stories. to it. While information from the book are avail- able nowadays, Domesday project discs with 3. Types of obsolescence “more than 250.000 place names, 25.000 maps, Massive use of DVDs instead of video cas- 50.000 pictures, 3.000 data sets, 60 minutes of settes, or use of USB memory for data transfer moving pictures” (McKie and Thorpe 2002) instead of floppy disc, presents only few of many have become unreadable due to small ability of examples of technical obsolescence where new contemporary computers to read old formats and technology replaces the old one, becomes pre- the ability to access laser discs is even smaller. ferred and starts to be used more than the old A group of researchers from Michigan and one. Single products can be overtaken due to in- Leeds Universities formed the CAMiLEON ability of technology to proceed with its produc- consortium (Creative Archiving at Michigan & tion. It mostly happens when it is pushed from Leeds: Emulating the Old on the New) in 1999, market either because its creator left business or in order to save data from Domesday discs. In it was bought by competitor which intentionally 2003 CAMiLEON successfully improved the kills all his products. system. They enabled access to discs that were Some products become functionally obsolete already in bad physical shape by original hard- when they don’t work anymore in the way they ware emulator. During the process, CAMiLEON used to when they were created, either because of was researching and developing strategies to inevitable natural wear or because of some inter- preserve digital material, so this project was an vening act. Product can be intentionally designed INFOtheca No 1, Volume XIII, May 2012 45 DIGITAL OBSOLESCENCE to use components that get worn out faster, which 4. Emulation of obsolete computers leads to planned obsolescence. Example for this Computer hardware becomes obsolete when type of obsolescence is producing some appli- new generations of processors with increased ca- ance designed to wear within five years from pabilities replace the existing ones. Progress from the shopping day, forcing customers to replace it large and expensive computers with calculating with new after that amount of time. abilities to contemporary, powerful, cheap, fast Planned systemic obsolescence is inten- and reliable computers in different sizes and fea- tional attempt to make product obsolete by tures lasts less than an average human lifetime.