recently my hard drive crashed. recently as in last week. i was devasted but almost numb to the reality of all the irreplaceable images that i had taken with my new digital camera. important documents that took painstakingly forever to finish, logos, blossoming projects... all gone. sure there are recovery businesses that take advantage of your all out desparation in these circumstances and charge a sum of anywhere between $1000- $2400 to recover your information. i just don't have the funds nor the level of desparation necessary to skrimpt for that kind of coin. there's a little light on within me that continues to have faith that something will make my little portable keeper of information come alive and start working. i'm just letting the little guy rest. is this the denial phase of my mourning? perhaps.
i've been thinking a lot about digital files and our digital world. the idea that any lack of diligence in backing up digital information could result in a loss of contemporary history, family memories, long hours of our very precious time. this seems preventable. back up the information on to hard drives, dvds, cds, etc... each of which has a lifespan unknown to the masses. so, after a few years (based upon guess-timation) you transfer your information to new hard drives, dvds, cds... the cycle continues throughout life. well, we all know what's in our control, but what about the potential occurances of our natural world?? the discovery channel and many science fiction writers are hot on the idea that solar flares could wipe out all digital information. what would we do? how would we survive as a society completely dependent on the 1's and 0's that dominate our lives? i sat in front of two comic book creators at the cinerama (where i was present to see the highly political and very comic book-like "v for vendetta"). they discussed the possibility of a world based upon organic technology... the science of manipulating dna strands into whatever your imagination may never fully grasp. the potential is there and although it's a great idea for a comic book (i'm trying to keep as much under wraps for their sake), i have no doubt the idea is being researched in various laboratories around the world. i'm getting ahead of myself though. i'm still thinking about history, information, fables, stories, storage. so much of our society has become temporary. we shop at walmart, ikea, target where the quality is crap and the prices appear to be cheap. the furniture falls apart, and the dishes aren't anything worth preserving for the next generation. it seems as though we're failing to remember that there's a legacy we will all leave with our children, grand-children, friends, animals, and the earth upon our death. if our information is wiped out, or if just one dvd fails to be burned, we could lose all hope of leaving a lasting legacy.
it's kind of funny that i'm wondering all of this yet, here i am typing all of my thoughts into a blog, online, on some server in silicon valley. i'd print it out if i had a printer, but i'm rolling the dice that everything i typed will still be here tomorrow. i see this as a step. i used to write quite a bit... in a journal with a pen. i'll always have those thoughts signifying important events throughout my adolescence. i've been thinking about my music and all of the ripped cds that now occupies the hard drive of my laptop for itunes to shuffle through. some of those cds i've sold for money during tough times. some of my cds have fallen victim to scratches, heat, overuse. i suppose the worst thing that could happen is that i could lose an album and have to go purchase another cd, but there's something that falls short when you're talking about how great "this cd" is. i've been spending some time with friends who have really opened me up to the beauty of vinyl. i heard once that the library of congress has copies of their information, music, etc. on vinyl due to its archival quality. the sound's better, the feeling is more pure, and there's something that reunites the current generation with their parents' and grand-parents' upbringing. there's some part of the story that's reconnected simply through the appreciation of their organic way of recording and listening to information. more and more current artists are putting out albums on vinyl as well as cds. there's been a revolution within the electronic world that has not only kept vinyl alive, but has reawakened the classic albums of yesterday. the stories are continuing to be passed on. i just know it feels better. i love heading over to a friend's house to listen to the crackles and pops of their record collection. it represents quality time and the shared understanding that not everything should be converted to digital files... not everything should be overlooked for the sake of technologically moving forward. all i know is that i'm thinking of film more lovingly and hoping that its production never ceases. i will do my part, just as my friends have collectively worked hard to keep vinyl alive, i'll personally keep film in demand.
yes, i am in denial and i have learned my lesson... i will back up and re-back-up and then back-up some more for the rest of my life.
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