While recent decades have seen more information recorded than any other era, the potential for losing this information is now greater than ever.
Topic
The risk of losing modern information due to the fragility and rapid obsolescence of recording and storage technologies.
Framework
Problem / Solution
Main Point
Although we now create and save more information than ever, the materials and technologies we use to store this information are increasingly fragile and quickly become outdated, making it very challenging for archivists to preserve important records for the future. (The key sentences summarizing this idea are in the first paragraph: )
P1: The Fragility of Modern Storage Media
We learn that even though we're recording tons of information these days, we're at greater risk than ever of losing it, mainly because modern recording materials (like acidic paper, color photos, and videotapes) are way less durable than the old stuff (like clay tablets or parchment). So, archivists are stuck dealing with this paradox of more information but less reliable media.
P2: Technology's Double-Edged Sword
It might seem like saving everything digitally would solve this problem, but rapid changes in technology can make stored information inaccessible surprisingly quickly. For example, data saved on older computer disks can become unreadable as the software and hardware change, and even new digital tapes only last about ten years. Archivists are feeling the pressure as time runs out for both old and new media.
P3: The Tough Choices Archivists Face
Even if we develop storage tech that finally lasts, archivists will still have to decide what is worth saving—fast—since things are deteriorating all the time. Figuring out the value of each item is tricky, as history has already lost some great works simply because no one realized their importance at the time. The real danger now is that there is just so much stuff, stored on media that doesn't last, that archivists might not be able to sort and save what's most important before it's too late.