[texhax] OT: explaining the problems with long term storage of data

[Marco Fioretti]

Christopher W. Ryan wrote:



> one of the concepts to which I want to introduce the
> subcommittee is the idea of storage of digital data, file formats,
> long-term usability of data, and ease of migration to other solutions.
> In essence, I want to make sure that if a vendor we choose goes 
> belly up, that we can still have our data.
> 
> These issues are completely foreign to the other members of the
> committee. Very bright people, but that does not mean they have 
> a sophisticated understanding of computer information systems, 
> and even less so of open-source philosophies.
> 
> Can anyone point me to on-line resources that explain, in *very* 
> simple terms, the problems of storing data in proprietary, non-open, 
> file formats?

A couple of years ago I held a short seminar at Sant'Anna
School of Advanced Studies in Pisa whose title was just
"How file formats can be used to favour
(or hamper) innovation and really free markets"

If I understand correctly your request, it's almost made to order
for your needs. You can download the PDF slides in English from

http://old.opendocumentfellowship.org/Resources/Articles

and read a report of the seminar, including comments from
Prof. Bottazzi on what he defined "indeed a huge problem and
expense, whose true magnitude is still barely understood" at

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8727

Any feedback is welcome. Please let me know how things go, I'm
always interested in studying these issues and writing more articles
about them. Just one note: please send any off list replies directly
to marco, at digifreedom.net

Hope this helps,
                       Marco Fioretti

-- 
The one book on software and digital technologies that no parent
can ignore:                               http://digifreedom.net