[AT] OT: recording vinyl to computer files

[Ralph Goff]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <rlgoss at insightbb.com>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 9:26 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] OT: recording vinyl to computer files (was Re: The Wreck 
Of The Old 97/OT


As with all archival activities in this electronic age, this conversion is 
NOT the end.  When the CD format disappears (just like the LP record) a new 
format will have to be used and the material on the previous format will 
have to migrate to the new "standard".  So even though all this thread about 
old audio records may seem to be way off topic, it really isn't -- we have 
the same problem in preserving the literature for our old tractors.

As a side comment, the digital version of tractor literature has some 
advantages that the original didn't have -- it's infinitely searchable.  The 
orginal materials weren't.

Larry, and anyone else who might know,
Since nobody else has brought up the subject, just how safe are the cd disks 
for saving archival material? I have heard some disturbing (rumours)? that 
the cds can become unreadable in a few years and the material on them is 
lost. I haven't had it happen to me yet but none of my recorded cds are more 
than a couple of years old. If that is true, maybe paper is still the safest 
method of saving old photos and documents. I have family photos over a 
hundred years old that don't appear to have deteriorated at all. I have been 
scanning a lot of these old photos and documents to cd but sometimes I 
wonder just how safe and permanent the material on them will be.

Ralph in Sask.