Some file formats are likely to persist because of the volume of
materials that use them. TIFF, for example, has been "the" standard
uncompressed image format since the 1980s. On the other hand, jpeg is a
compressed format that was created as a convenience rather than an
archival standard. As a result, the best jpeg is inferior to TIFF
quality, but for its intended uses it is a better option. I think RAW
and other proprietary formats are at the greatest risk of being
unrecoverable simply because there isn't a legal obligation to provide
continued support for them.
Another problem is the longevity of the storage material. Film degrades
over time, but in the best of cases, and image can be retrieved for a
century or more. Even film in a shoebox in the attic will have images
that can be reproduced, even if the quality suffers. The best case for
digital storage is far less. CDs and DVDs that were written by users
have a very short life span, and should be backed up, stored in a
controlled environment and checked frequently.
I'm surprised about your inability to read old Word documents, Aram.
I've been able to open Word for DOS files in all subsequent Word
programs including MS Office 365. Perhaps there is something unique
about your files?
Neil
On 8/5/2021 9:05 PM, Aram Langhans wrote:
Subject: [LRflex] Re: Another Delightful Photographer From The Past
From: Aram Langhans<leica_r8@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2021 19:27:45 -0700
And eventually new storage formats. how many people still have the
software to read the old Kodak photo disks? I ran across one the other
day. One of these days Jpeg, Tiff etc will be replaced by something
"better" and the ability to read them will be a real challenge. I have
some old Word documents I cannot read anymore without finding a computer
that will run Windows 3.11 and load my old Office software, then maybe
work my way up from there if I can find the appropriate translators from
way back.
Aram
