o1bigtenor via Dng said on Mon, 16 Aug 2021 15:54:48 -0500


>As I manage to collect some 25 to 40 GB of pdfs and notes in an
>'normal' year paper lost its appeal some 30 years ago.
>I would likely need to hire a couple people just to store maintain and
>index the information - - - if you're paying I'll start tomorrow.

Very true, but the other side of the story is that I have my 1955
Kindergarten booklet on "Our Trip to the Zoo" in my memory box. I
have my 1966 Junior Year Thesis on making boxing safer in that memory
box, along with the selfie I took in 1965 with my Brownie Hawkeye
camera. I have the entire set of WLS Silver Dollar Surveys, on paper,
from 1963, including the one that came out the day Kennedy was killed.

On the other hand, I've lost some of my digital writings due to
obsolescence of hardware and software. I think the earliest backups I
can still read are 1999. If I want one of my writings to be read fifty
years after my death, I'll print it, because heaven knows who will be
able to read HTML, SVG, PDF and ePub 50 years from now, let alone read
files off that ancient "Linux" OS.

I'm obviously not saying I should print everything. The docs in my
computer would fill my house and three more like it if I printed them
all, and the toner cartridges and paper would cost me six or seven
figures. I'm just saying there's a place for paper.

SteveT

Steve Litt
Spring 2021 featured book: Troubleshooting Techniques of the Successful
Technologist http://www.troubleshooters.com/techniques