AniBlurbs (Column)

“According to a 2008 IDC white paper, 2007 marked the “crossover” year, when there was more digital data created than data storage to host it. The IDC report also projected that by 2011 the amount of digital data created will be more than twice the amount of available storage.

Bottom line?

We don’t produce storage capacity at the same rate we produce digital information.”

Presuming that the scenario sketched above (taken from ReadWriteWeb.com) is true, in what ways can we tackle this dilemma? We already know that the use of streaming online video (mainly spurred by YouTube, Hulu and Tudou) will massively outstrip broadband uptake and network capacity in the coming years if no action is undertaken swiftly. So… Who’s responsible and what to do?

“…While most people agree that certain digital information is preservation worthy or of historical value to society, what about the digital pictures you took on your last holiday? Who is in charge of preserving them so that the next generation can access them?

In a nutshell, you are…”

The article also has some recommendations;

“…here are three things you can do right now:

1. Make a plan: Determine who is going to be in charge of your digital data once you are no longer capable of looking after it.

2. Make multiple copies: When it comes to valuable data, store it in different formats at different locations.

3. Migrate to new technologies: Don’t wait for storage media to become obsolete, migrate to new technologies and formats as they become available.

Finally, with some cloud services offering free data storage, it’s worth considering moving some of your data online…”

Read the full article on ReadWriteWeb.com.