In a message dated 3/30/2005 11:01:26 PM Eastern Standard Time, OHGALLIA-D-request@rootsweb.com writes: > Yes, Linda we are interested and I know that you are very very thorough so > this is something worthy waiting for. > I am doing the same thing myself as I know that I am uncovering something > that have not been uncovered by my other family genealogist. > CD's and burning CD's are the greatest invention yet. Being able to store > that much info on a little silver disc... WOW. > Cheryl > ------------------------------------------------------------------ I want to get the information out about CDs and DVDs and labels. Everyone should read all they can about using labels on Disks. From what I have read we should not use labels on disks as the adhesive can cause deterioration in the dye layer on the disk. I have been using labels but have now stopped and use a special pen from Maxell that is designed to write on disks. Then I put the disk in a case and print out labels for the case with the information about disk. Dick Eastman in one of his genealogical columns discussed this and his recommendations was to not use labels and rerecord your disks every five years. Also the type of dye layer on the disks seems to be one of the problems. Dick also talks about the different types of dyes used and the upshot was to use the best quality disks and rerecord every five years. I know I was startled to read that as I had thought that once I got my records on CD I knew they were safe. We hear that they will last for 100 years but now I'm not so sure how long they will last. Another thing Dick mentioned that even if they did last 100 years would the equipment needed to play them be available? Already the new burners are using double layer DVDs that can record twice the amount of information as the single layer disks. The commercial CDs that we purchase are made in a different manner than how we produce them and they have perfected the process so that commercial disks are pretty good but the way we make them is not the same and the results are not the same. Just wanted to pass this along. I did read that Hewlett Packard have now started making burners that can put a label like a silk screened label on the other side of a disk. So, the manufacturers are already starting to make adjustments to take care of the problems of labels. Tom Powell