This is why I tell people to plan doing regularly routine backups annually, AND schedule convert ALL electronic backups and saved data disks to the current technology every 2 years, whether it needs or not. What is the sense of backing up or preserving electronic files, if they can't be used as intended years from 10 years now. - Paper is still the best backup - it's been around 1000 years with very little change. On 10/27/2012 10:12 AM, Tom Holden wrote: > The pace of obsolescence is indeed frightening. I launched a broadcast audio > library and archiving project in the 90's which, initially, was going to be > most cost-effectively done on VHS tape. By the time it was contracted in the > mid-90's, we favoured CD-R. It took a long time to implement and by the late > 90's, the writing on the wall was that it would not be long before hard disk > arrays would take over. The system is still running today long after it > should have been replaced but the CD-writing jukeboxes are now dormant and > the HD storage servers, which were initially intended to be a temporary > buffer, are now the permanent store and just get expanded periodically. > > I, too, went through dBase migration from II to III and not so successfully > to IV but managed to move some to Access. Notably, you could possibly > resurrect your dBase III database with the contemporary dBase 2.8, free > trial from http://www.dbase.com/ . Where there's a will, there's a way. > > Which leads to your DOS for Word unreadable files (I assume you mean Word > for DOS). Did you know that Word for DOS 5.5 is available free from > Microsoft? See this discussion > http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/showthread.php?15238-MS-Word-5-5-for-DOS-for-FREE-(legally) > . If you can get it to run, maybe those docs aren't lost after all. > > As to your worthless Watcom SQL database, are you aware that its descendant > is SAP Sybase SQL Anywhere? There might be hope of resurrection there, too. > > If there was ever much of a market for an application and its proprietary > file format, I think we can be pretty safe in expecting that there will be a > tool that can do something with it long after it goes obsolete. > > That said, I don't disagree with your policy of making plain vanilla text > files to carry metadata for image files. My position is that those > independent text files are a safety measure and a library catalogue > alternative secondary to storing the metadata IN the image file which I see > as operationally more advantageous. > > That some OS does not support embedded metadata to the extent we need > suggests we not use it when there are other OS's that do. If it's tablet > computing we want to do (and I would argue that maybe the touch interface on > small screens is not well-suited to a complex, text-intensive application > such as genealogy software), then iOS and Android are not the way to go - > better to go with Windows 8 Pro on a tablet or, preferably with a keyboard, > convertible or laptop hardware. > > Tom > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Paul Truzzi > Sent: Friday, October 26, 2012 11:45 PM > To: rootsmagic-users@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [RMagic] How to handle photos > > I'm a little scared about current technology, it is changing so fast. So > before you get any ideas about me that aren't true, understand I turned > down a job at MS in the early 80's to my dismay, have written printer > drivers in assembler and admin several servers. I also have a hundred or > so files written in DOS for Word that are not readable as well as a Dbase > III and Watcom SQL database that are worthless. > > I also have some tin types that are perfectly view able. So which was the > better technology; Dbase III or tin type? My fear is investing in an OS > or program with poor exporting capabilities, that I waste hours on for no > long term value. I do like metadata on images because it seems cross > platform and likely to exist in the near future. But MySQL worries me even > if it seems solid now, DOS for Windows did too. > > Paul > > On Fri, Oct 26, 2012 at 7:06 PM, Tom Holden <ve3meo@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Quite large amounts of user defined text can be embedded in a JPG file in >> the EXIF, IPTC and/or XMP metadata fields. It is not necessary to store >> citation info in a separate text file when it can be stored in the JPG >> file >> and is guaranteed to travel with it. The SQLite thingie I referred to was >> a >> way to move captions between the JPG file and RM; if you store them in >> text >> files instead, there still remains a gulf with RM to bridge and increased >> risk of loss of data if the image and text files become dissociated. >> >> Good point about tablet viewing. While there are iOS apps for viewing and >> editing EXIF et al, there are limitations and complications for images >> transferred to the device. Neither is there a way to simultaneously view >> the image and a related text file. Currently, the best way of viewing both >> is to have them in a PDF file. >> >> Tom >> >> >> >> On 2012-10-25, at 11:51 PM, Paul Truzzi <paul.truzzi@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> I write a text file with the same name as the photo with citation >>> information. The photo has its metadata that I'm sure will work on other >>> platforms and everyone supports .txt files. >>> >>> On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 8:13 PM, Jinny Angelis <jinnya@msn.com> wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> Paul >>>> Are you saying you imbed the file name within the information in the >> xml? >>>> Or are you using a separate text file? I could see how either might be >>>> useful if you have a good convention for naming. Best to think about >> these >>>> things as I have only scanned about a dozen images. >>>> >>>> Jinny Angelis >>>> >>>>> Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:53:24 -0700 >>>>> From: paul.truzzi@gmail.com >>>>> To: rootsmagic-users@rootsweb.com >>>>> Subject: Re: [RMagic] How t handle photos >>>>> >>>>> I use a similar naming convention. I don't leave spaces in the file >> name >>>>> as it occasionally causes issues with programs. Not all mind you but >>>> often >>>>> enough to be a pain. For my more common ancestors with the same given >>>> name >>>>> I usually include their birth year to help separate them: >>>>> >>>>> SURNAME,GivenM_(b1700)_Additional_Photo_Description,jpg >>>>> >>>>> While I like Tom's slick use of SQLite I tend to avoid using high >>>> footprint >>>>> solutions where possible. Today I'm using Win7 on a desktop, tomorrow >> I >>>>> might be on an iOS platform or android tablet. I want to ensure that >> all >>>>> of the work I do is still usable. So metatags on the image and text >> files >>>>> (with the same name as the image) to detail the image's source / >> citation >>>>> information and comments. >>>>> >>>>> Paul > > > > =================================== > RM list Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/ROOTSMAGIC-USERS/ > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/search?path=ROOTSMAGIC-USERS > WISH LIST: http://www.rootsmagic.com/forums/ BLOG: http://blog.rootsmagic.com/ > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ROOTSMAGIC-USERS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > . >

OK, folks, it appears that this topic has veered out of the realm of RootsMagic. Let's end this thread and return this list to its purpose. Drew Smith RootsMagic-Users List Administrator