Random thought of the day
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As our society progress towards technological advancement in ways to retain knowledge for next generation it is getting harder and harder to retain that knowledge in a form that can last few civilizations In old days when our recorded history began early Sumerians started creating clay tablets which is still there in readable form after more than 5000 years Then we got papyrus and papers and it can last few thousand years without decaying In our generation we got floppy discs , memory drives, SSDs but the question is how long information stored in such form will last for next civilization
Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.
virang_21 wrote:
but the question is how long information stored in such form will last for next civilization
Using the least advanced technology. Backward compatability. Paper and digital files. The method used to save the digit files will change (floppy disk, cd, dvd, flash drive, hd, solid state drive, etc...) but they are still digital files. and paper, as long as the paper is archival quality and stored in a safe place, it should be fine. redundancy. having important knowledge, stored in more than one place, should ensure its safety for future generations. to your question, "How long?". Well, if done correctly, then indefinitely.
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As our society progress towards technological advancement in ways to retain knowledge for next generation it is getting harder and harder to retain that knowledge in a form that can last few civilizations In old days when our recorded history began early Sumerians started creating clay tablets which is still there in readable form after more than 5000 years Then we got papyrus and papers and it can last few thousand years without decaying In our generation we got floppy discs , memory drives, SSDs but the question is how long information stored in such form will last for next civilization
Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.
They weren't all that good at it back then either. Think of how much we actually still have from them (ignore clay tablets used for inventory management, that's not knowledge), and then think about how much there used to be in the library of Alexandria. And it didn't even have everything! We could engrave a bunch of knowledge on steel plates encased in fused quartz or something like that, and dump them in deserts around the world. But a society obsessed with hedonism at the small scale and the economy at the large scale is incapable of taking actions that it doesn't benefit from.
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P0mpey3 wrote:
I'm pretty sure Norton Anti-virus will still be about a PITA.
FTFY!
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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They weren't all that good at it back then either. Think of how much we actually still have from them (ignore clay tablets used for inventory management, that's not knowledge), and then think about how much there used to be in the library of Alexandria. And it didn't even have everything! We could engrave a bunch of knowledge on steel plates encased in fused quartz or something like that, and dump them in deserts around the world. But a society obsessed with hedonism at the small scale and the economy at the large scale is incapable of taking actions that it doesn't benefit from.
And remember that although Egyptian writing survived for thousands of years, we couldn't read it until 1822: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosetta_Stone[^]
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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Sorry to break this to you, but there isn't any knowledge worth retaining nowadays. ;) Marc
Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project!
Marc Clifton wrote:
Sorry to break this to you, but there isn't any knowledge worth retaining nowadays.
Is that a re-tweet?
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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It might even have finished a full scan, by then.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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So you're saying Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang is not worth retaining...sacrilegious! :)
New version: WinHeist Version 2.1.0 There's a fine line between crazy and free spirited and it's usually a prescription. I'm currently unsupervised, I know it freaks me out too but the possibilities are endless.
Mike Hankey wrote:
So you're saying Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang is not worth retaining
OK, there are exceptions. :) But please, can we just throw Garfield into the great recycling center that bad comics go to? Marc
Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project!
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Marc Clifton wrote:
Sorry to break this to you, but there isn't any knowledge worth retaining nowadays.
Is that a re-tweet?
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
Mark_Wallace wrote:
Is that a re-tweet?
:laugh: Undoubtedly. Marc
Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project!
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They weren't all that good at it back then either. Think of how much we actually still have from them (ignore clay tablets used for inventory management, that's not knowledge), and then think about how much there used to be in the library of Alexandria. And it didn't even have everything! We could engrave a bunch of knowledge on steel plates encased in fused quartz or something like that, and dump them in deserts around the world. But a society obsessed with hedonism at the small scale and the economy at the large scale is incapable of taking actions that it doesn't benefit from.
But a society obsessed with hedonism at the small scale and the economy at the large scale is incapable of taking actions that it doesn't benefit from. Wonderfully put Harold. :thumbsup: (Still, if we last long enough, I am sure that there will be digital archaeologists around that know nothing about fingers.)
"Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read." Frank Zappa 1980
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But a society obsessed with hedonism at the small scale and the economy at the large scale is incapable of taking actions that it doesn't benefit from. Wonderfully put Harold. :thumbsup: (Still, if we last long enough, I am sure that there will be digital archaeologists around that know nothing about fingers.)
"Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read." Frank Zappa 1980
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As our society progress towards technological advancement in ways to retain knowledge for next generation it is getting harder and harder to retain that knowledge in a form that can last few civilizations In old days when our recorded history began early Sumerians started creating clay tablets which is still there in readable form after more than 5000 years Then we got papyrus and papers and it can last few thousand years without decaying In our generation we got floppy discs , memory drives, SSDs but the question is how long information stored in such form will last for next civilization
Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.
For you, sir, a short story written many years ago:
Enjoy!
(This message is programming you in ways you cannot detect. Be afraid.)
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They weren't all that good at it back then either. Think of how much we actually still have from them (ignore clay tablets used for inventory management, that's not knowledge), and then think about how much there used to be in the library of Alexandria. And it didn't even have everything! We could engrave a bunch of knowledge on steel plates encased in fused quartz or something like that, and dump them in deserts around the world. But a society obsessed with hedonism at the small scale and the economy at the large scale is incapable of taking actions that it doesn't benefit from.
harold aptroot wrote:
But a society obsessed with hedonism at the small scale and the economy at the large scale is incapable of taking actions that it doesn't benefit from.
Is there any kind of probable human society capable of taking any action that it does not perceive it will benefit from?
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP.
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As our society progress towards technological advancement in ways to retain knowledge for next generation it is getting harder and harder to retain that knowledge in a form that can last few civilizations In old days when our recorded history began early Sumerians started creating clay tablets which is still there in readable form after more than 5000 years Then we got papyrus and papers and it can last few thousand years without decaying In our generation we got floppy discs , memory drives, SSDs but the question is how long information stored in such form will last for next civilization
Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.
If every random schmuck in those ancient civilizations was literate and had access to clay, writing implements, etc, we'd think humanity had always put weird clothes on their cats, traded witty insults ("Hittites suck!", "Another idiot from the Eluma Elish Belt!"). So maybe it's better when a society's trivia does kinda crumble away...
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harold aptroot wrote:
But a society obsessed with hedonism at the small scale and the economy at the large scale is incapable of taking actions that it doesn't benefit from.
Is there any kind of probable human society capable of taking any action that it does not perceive it will benefit from?
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP.
