Comment by taylodl
1 year ago
Meh. Videotape wears out. Video discs break. Books yellow and age and rot. No content you have ever bought lasts forever.
1 year ago
Meh. Videotape wears out. Video discs break. Books yellow and age and rot. No content you have ever bought lasts forever.
> Books yellow and age and rot. No content you have ever bought lasts forever.
Many libraries all over the world have books which have lasted for centuries, far longer than a single person's lifetime. The books I bought as a child can last longer than my own body. That's close enough to "lasting forever" for most practical purposes.
Centuries-old books have had special care to preserve them.
If you want your personal books to last most of your lifetime, then there needs to be a modicum of care taken, which isn't always possible, especially while you're in transit and moving from one place and into another. How many books have been lost that way?
The whole point was someone lamenting digital license may not last forever (though Apple's has, so far) and I'm just reminding everyone that physical media doesn't last forever either.
Part of the concern is "I can keep it longer if I take care of it or if I keep track of it properly", eg if it gets lost or ruined its due to some lack of care by the end user, vs "I only get to keep it until some third party decides I don't get to have it any more".
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They can but many do not in practice. Lots of the trade paperbacks I bought in the 1970s and 80s fall apart now if I actually read them.
Interesting. I have paperback books that my grandmother owned in the 40's that are a little fragile, but still easy to read without damaging. Perhaps they were a more expensive production process than yours.
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physical media, you can make copies of.