Brands Quote by Paul Saffo
“As Stewart Brand (co-founder of Emeryville's Global Business Network) likes to say, "Information lasts forever. Digital information lasts forever or for five years, whichever comes first." There are examples everywhere. The tapes from the original Viking landers that went to Mars are at (NASA's) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, but there is no machine that can read the tapes.”
About This Quote
Digital information may be fleeting; physical media can outlast it, but may become unreadable.
In simple terms: Digital data isn’t truly permanent.
Key Takeaway
Preserve data in multiple formats.
Themes
technology
information
preservation
Mood
concerned
pragmatic
Type
analytical
practical
When to use this quote
- libraries
- space missions
- historical research
- corporate records
- personal archives
Key Concepts
digital decay
archival science
Questions to Reflect On
- How will you future‑proof your data?
- What backup strategies do you use?
A Different Perspective
Physical media can degrade or become obsolete.
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