#1909: Digital Resource Lifespan
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Transcript
My access to resources on [SUBJECT] over time:
[Below, a timeline and a graph with gray bars is shown:]
[1980s-past 2020:]
Book on subject
[Early 2000s-past 2020:]
[SUBJECT].pdf
[2000-2010:]
[SUBJECT] web database
Site goes down, backend data not on archive.org
[Small bar, 2000-2016/17:]
Java frontend no longer runs
[2010-2015/16:]
[SUBJECT] mobile app (Local university project)
Broken on new OS, not updated
[2000-2010:]
[SUBJECT] analysis software
Broken on new OS, not updated
[Late 1990s-late 2000s:]
Interactive [SUBJECT] CD-ROM
CD scratched; new computer has no CD drive anyway.
[1980s-past 2020:]
Library microfilm [SUBJECT] collection
[Caption below the panel:]
It's unsettling to realize how quickly digital resources can disappear without ongoing work to maintain them.
(Sourced from explainxkcd.com)
Title text:I spent a long time thinking about how to design a system for long-term organization and storage of subject-specific informational resources without needing ongoing work from the experts who created them, only to realized I'd just reinvented libraries.