Passage Discussion

[Gerald]

The full diagram and paragram summary is attached below. Hope it helps!

[missbenyamin]

The full diagram and paragram summary is attached below. Hope it helps!

Here's my take on this passage:

Paragraph 1: Introduce Problem

1. Increase in recorded info recently (neutral/positive)
Simultaneously - increase in potential to lose recorded info (negative; this is the problem)

2. This problem concerns archivists, one of which has noted that an quantity of recorded info has increased, the durability has decreased almost just as rapidly.

Ex. 1: Clay tablets, medieval manuscripts (still legible, even after so many years) VS books printed on acidic paper illegible (after only about 20-30 years)

Ex. 2: B&W photos (last centuries) VS color photos (last about 40 years), videotapes (last about 20 years)

Paragraph 2: Possible Solution

1. Computer tech may be solution to our prob!

2. Tech constantly changing, to the point that hardware/software used to store info. may no longer be available after just a short period of time.

Ex. 1: Optical Computer Disks (went from being cutting edge tech to no longer being available in about 30 years

Ex. 2: Digital storage tape (lasts only about ten years)

3. Comp Tech (CT) may not be perfect, but time is running out and we haven't found many alternatives - so we may to stick with it.

Paragraph 3: Lead into Final Problem, MP

1. What information should be stored?

2. Ideal = assessment of value of each doc

Ex. 1: Homer, Virgil - popular --> multiple copies of work made --> work survived

Ex. 2: Plato - great work that just barely survived (lost for several centuries before a copy turned up in archives of scholarly collection)

3. Our problem is worse than a work being lost for several centuries (what happened to Plato.) Instead, our problem lies in the difficulty of sorting essential info from the dispensable in time to save it.