I am reminded of all the Iomega zip backup disks I have. Keep thinking I need to convert all to CDs while I still have the Zip Drive. Would be some clutter I could dispose of. I now back everything up on a 500 gig hard drive. My current computers don't even have floppy drives except for external ones now. We have found that the old tapes deteriorate with age as well and have to be kept dry or they go faster. I keep remembering all the great data that was available on the OHGenWeb until their legislators got overzealous with "private" data and ordered them to take them down. Fortunately, I did most of my essential research before it happened but many times I have wanted to go back to PA and OH records that seem to have disappeared. Norma Jennings Tom Myles wrote: > While I don't know the specifics of the Iron Mountain storage, the query > brings to mind how recent records are only recorded electronically. The > format used today may not be available in the future. For example, in the > past 25 years I have seen data stored on tapes, 8" disks, 5" disks, 3.5" > disks, CDs, and the internet. Some of these formats are not compatible with > current technology and what happens when a website disappears? > > Have genealogy societies addressed this? > > Sincerely yours, > > Tom Myles > Sayville, NY > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Connie Street > Sent: Sunday, February 08, 2009 10:06 AM > To: [email protected]; [email protected]; Cedar county list; IALouisa > list; [email protected] > Subject: [IACEDAR] Preservation of records > > I just received a very disturbing letter about a county in West Virginia and > how it is preserving its original records. > > I'm not sure this is the place to post it, so if anyone is interested, I > will be glad to forward it on. > > The county has contracted to have its original records moved to Iron > Mountain, PA. The writer is questioning why the county did not preserve its > own records in the first place. > > I'm wondering if this group thinks the decision is appropriate or if we > should get on the bandwagon along with genealogical societies to make sure > our own records are safe. I don't know if all the records have been > microfilmed. I do know that a book was published on the wills in that county > and my great-great grandfather was listed as leaving some thing to his > "nieces." When I was able to see the original record, these "nieces" were > identified as his daughters - another reason to be sure you do your own > research and look at original records and not depend on the Internet or > other's transcriptions. > > We all know that microfilm gets brittle and scratched and may not be a good > copy to begin with. And we know that if original census records had been > saved, today's technology could answer a lot of questions for us. > > Should we be leery of other counties doing this or do you think that > preservation in Iron Mountain is a good idea?? > > Connie Street > [email protected] > Remember the three Rs - Respect for self, Respect for others and > Responsibility for your actions. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

At 07:56 AM 2/9/2009, you wrote: >I am reminded of all the Iomega zip backup disks I have. Keep thinking >I need to convert all to CDs while I still have the Zip Drive. Would be >some clutter I could dispose of. I now back everything up on a 500 gig >hard drive. My current computers don't even have floppy drives except >for external ones now. We have found that the old tapes deteriorate >with age as well and have to be kept dry or they go faster. CD-Rs can and do go bad too. More quickly than we were told they would back in the 1980s when they arrived. Dennis Brumm

I just received an offer of a Western Digital 1Terabyte outboard hard drive from Tiger Direct (http://www.tigerdirect.com/) for $119. I have a 240Gb now. For $50 a year I get unlimited online backup from Carbonite (http://manage.carbonite.com/), and there are other services like it. My ZIP drive died long ago, but they're very much alive ( [email protected] ). CD-W and DVD-W media are dependent on a layer of metal which can and will corrode eventually; ask any laserdisc owner. The safest bet is constant refreshment (!) via any of the above; don't let your backup get old. Dick Kinkead Lantana, FL ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Brumm" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 5:44 AM Subject: Re: [IALOUISA] [IACEDAR] Preservation of records > At 07:56 AM 2/9/2009, you wrote: > >>I am reminded of all the Iomega zip backup disks I have. Keep thinking >>I need to convert all to CDs while I still have the Zip Drive. Would be >>some clutter I could dispose of. I now back everything up on a 500 gig >>hard drive. My current computers don't even have floppy drives except >>for external ones now. We have found that the old tapes deteriorate >>with age as well and have to be kept dry or they go faster. > > CD-Rs can and do go bad too. More quickly than we were told they > would back in the 1980s when they arrived. > Dennis Brumm > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (6.0.0.386) > Database version: 5.11730 > http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/

>The safest bet is constant refreshment (!) via any of the above; >don't let your backup get old. I'm not convinced technological improvements still make for the best long term backup (though it's certainly what I use despite my reservations). Technology changes rapidly, and probably won't continue anyway as some finite constraints kick in that most of us don't worry too much about. But when you start talking about paper records of an increasing population, the task is immense. I recently decided to add all my CDs to a 750 gig hard drive. I generally didn't have too much trouble with the mass produced ones (many from the mid 1980s when they first came out), but CD-Rs were very problematic. It's odd the old analog vinyl albums seem to have the longest shelf life, though not without scratches, noise, hiss, etc. (much of which computers then fix).