Risk of decay- digitalization is no exception

Ok ok...Got it.. I am considering the feedback received from most of you. This time it is not the traditional topic .. it’s a hot new topic.. that too of the area which is in the mouth of every person. Yes... you guessed it right it is on digitalization... and No.. your guess is wrong too.. it’s not about Cyber Security risk nor on Internet of Things(IOT). It’s a new topic but as always let's start with some anecdote. 

Before Facebook took over the social network, there were many other social networking sites and many were prominent too.. “Orkut” from Google do you remember it.. most of us had an account in it right?? What is the “status” of Orkut as on date...??? (Don't be in a hurry the topic is not on growth and fall of social networking sites...). Once a predominant social networking site is no more in existence…. You may say “Ok what’s the big deal dude.. we have Facebook now...” but have you ever wondered “what has happened to the Photos which you would have uploaded to “Orkut” and what about the contents, contacts which you had in your Orkut profile ? .. “Orkut” before it had shut down its servers had given an option to download the photo and content.. but how many have downloaded it ? and where have you saved it now...?

Got the issue ? Now.. one more anecdote (I love giving anecdotes as it is easy for us to grasp the issue)

Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android “Smart phones” operating systems came much later than Nokia’s Symbian. They had ruled smart phone’s market with more 75% share during 2006. Do you remember the Nokia 6600 (it was my first phone). We had taken many photos in it (defiantly not selfies)... where are that photos now?? Where are the games which we were playing ?

Ok one more anecdote.. during our parent’s wedding there used to be black and white photos.. which they have kept in albums.. Decades later Video Cassette Recorder (VCR) was introduced.. have you ever wondered how can we use this cassette now?? Ok atleast as on date there are few shops who convert VCR cassette to CD/DVD.. what will happen 1 or 2 decades down the line?? For CD/DVD do you know what is the file format which was used when it was created? (please use the link 1 and 2 to know few file format .. Mind this information is outdated) and Do you think all file format which was used earlier can be played in new players?

Same is the case with photos.. all the photos and selfies which we are taking.. do you think you will transfer to new phone?? “Nonsense we use Google drive, iCloud backup, dropbox etc.,.”. will definitely be your answer but are they saving the photos in a format which we can use.. Please check your phone settings (for Google photos it saving high Quality photos and iOS it saving as Optimized version).. so the photos are literally not in your phone. Further, what is the probability that Google/Android or Apple/iOS will stay for next 10 years and it will not go towards the same fate of Nokia/Symbian.. then what will happen to your data…

One more example(ok it would be last).. When I was in PUC (12th) I had chosen commerce as I intended to become a Chartered Accountant. However I had a crush on IT and computer software. It was in 1998, which was the period when whole of the Global industry was concentrating on solving Y2K. I somehow managed to learn C Programme and also managed to write some programme on my own.. Obviously very small and saved the source code and executable file in a Newly bought Floppy disk of 1.44MB (it was the latest storage device which was available then) .. Now tell me how will I open or use it. Even if I manage to get the floppy drive, will I be able to able to connect to my laptop and use it?. Assume if I could do it... what it the compiler version which I used to create the programme (please use the link to find the list of Compilers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compilers#C_compilers).

I have given an example of a small programme which I had created and saved. Just extrapolate.. what would be the amount of programmes which would have been written till date and in which redundant storage device it would have been saved ?

There is one more obvious issue.. What will happen if the Phone is damage or the Computer hard disk is crashed ?

The Risk which we are talking here is given a name

Digital decaying

It is relatively new topic which is not discussed a lot but even discussed it used as an Advertisement for Cloud Computing (As discussed earlier even Cloud Storage is not safe. “Every time you come up with a contradicting statement” one of my friend said me.. What to do I am a research Scholar …) 

Topic does not end here. The big question is yet to be answered

Why is it relevant??

Ok.. shall be go back to my favorite.. Anecdote..?

How do you we know there were dinosaurs on earth 231 and 243 million years ago. We got fossils right ?.. How do we know about Egypt civilization and what they were doing.? There have left behind pyramids with inscriptions on it. How do we now details of kings who ruled the countries.. there are inscriptions on temples/Church.. (Photo in this article is a best example of the footprints left by Vijayanagara Kingdom which ruled southern part of India during 13 to 16 century).. there were books/ poems written during the period which is available to us.. so everywhere there are footprints left behind for the Future generation to know what had happened. It is a source to Dos and Don’ts for the next generation. For this digital generation are we leaving any Footprints for our next generation ? No right... ? that why many researchers call this generation as

The Forgotten Century / The Forgotten Generation

Is there any solution.. sorry there is no solution to this risk till date.. Many researchers are working on the same. Some have suggested to store the important software. But who will decide the importance...? Some suggest to take printout.. Is it a feasible solution ? As I always mention there are cases where we have to live with risk with no management options (No.. I am not talking about marriage) I am referring to digital decay...

Just in case. If I had said something stupid, it’s better to be able to point out that the stupidity is mine, and mine alone. My stupidity! You can’t have it! :) In other words. This is a personal weblog and the opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my current or past employer.