The author gave a talk at the Berkeley I-school’s Information Access Seminar on Archival Storage, aiming to debunk the idea that quasi-immortal media is the solution for storing archival data. They emphasize the importance of backups over archiving, sharing their personal backup strategies and discussing media lifespans. The talk explores the economic aspect of archiving, with mention of the Long Now Foundation’s Clock of the Long Now project and challenges in the archival media market. The author criticizes media hype, research projections, and the true cost implications of archival storage systems, highlighting the need for practical solutions over technical advancements. Surprisingly, they suggest that DNA storage may have a chance at impacting the market compared to other archival technologies.
https://blog.dshr.org/2025/03/archival-storage.html