Re: Alternative to Optical Storage????

On 9/27/24 12:37 PM, Nux Vomica wrote:

It seems that a lot of users are, irrationally, opposed to the
use of optical media for long-term archival storage.
 What, then, are some alternatives for the general user who does
not command the BIG $BUCKS necessary for enterprise grade solutions.
 Tape?  Not likely.
 Note that magnetic (HDD) or IC NAND (SSD) devices are not to be
considered long-term storage.  Consumer SSDs are especially not
long term.
 Optical media is still by far the best in terms of cost/benefit
for the general user.
 I have hundreds of optical disks that I have produced over the
past years, all with GNU/Linux, and they will last me until the
end of my time.

   Optical still IS the best choice for long-term
   storage. Verbatim sells 'archival' disks and
   there are always M-Disks which will last until
   the plastic literally decomposes.
   Mag disks ARE good - but CAN suffer "bit rot",
   esp on the higher-capacity/density drives. I'd
   writ a 'refresher' utility for those awhile back,
   reads and re-writes the sector.
   Tape, well, it just SUCKS to use plus the
   coating WILL flake off the plastic eventually.
   Otherwise, now, there's really NOTHING usable
   as ultra-long-term storage. FRAM is good but
   it's never been implemented in higher-density
   chips. Yer typical e-disks/flash are NOT very
   reliable at all.
   I've seen experiments with 3-D crystals as storage
   media, usually writ with a laser. MIGHT be a way
   to fake those using doped glass instead of actual
   crystals. However this idea never gained much
   traction and remains more a lab curiosity. Holograms
   in crystals/glass CAN also work, but at minimum
   they're not very efficient.
   Note a SERIOUS issue for ANY kind of storage media
   however - devices/drivers to READ them. I've got
   a few 8-inch floppies - try to find something
   to read THEM. Mag drum storage - need MUCH more
   luck. Early disk-pack hard drives ??? Hell, it
   is getting hard to read 5-1/4 floppies these
   days. CD/DVD is beginning to head the same way.
   Your M-Disk may be good 500 years from now but
   you WON'T find anything to READ it.
   IMHO, the best way to preserve data is REPLICATION.
   Just keep moving copies to the latest-greatest
   media (plus, now, 'cloud'). Don't use compression
   or encryption algos likely to EVER become obsolete.
   I remember something called "SQZ!" for spreadsheets
   long back ... proprietary, and the proprietors
   went out of biz. 'Zip', on the other hand, is
   likely to survive.