Digital BW, The Print

Virtually any digital medium will be readily duplicated as technology
generations shift, though CDs and DVDs are lossy if they're ignored
for too long. 

I back up my external HD on another external HD and periodically dump
all of that onto CD. But it's my prints that matter. 

Our BEST archival medium is the finished print, just as it was for
Steiglitz and Ansel. Robert Capa, my personal photo hero, never cared
much about the artistry of the print itself...so his best archive is
the books and magazines (Life) in which he published. 

> Can you imagine how much data and on how small a storage media is going 
> to exist even 5 years from now!  

IMO the most promising device is Sony's Mini Disc, which is far more
powerful than it was five years ago. It's said to be more archival
than any CD.  

 I've seen some cds 
> wear out in a couple of weeks.

Discount branded discs are said to be made by the same mysterian
contract bidders that make Sony. You can't rely on brand names because
they outsource the manufacture to third world countries. Sony doesn't
usually make Sony.
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