[WEB4LIB] Re: Standby for Reverse Paradigm Shift

[Dan Lester]

At 09:37 AM 8/31/99 -0700, David Merchant wrote:

> >Well, then that may be a good thing.  That which is worth saving will be
> >saved.  That which is not won't.  Van Gogh's paintings will continue to be
> >saved and preserved.  Mine won't.  No great loss.
>
>Would that that be true.  How many Van Gogh's were sold during his
>lifetime?  One?  Two?  He was so un-appreciated that had his works been
>digital, they would not have been deemed worth saving until well after his
>death, at which point they would've been lost.

In that case we wouldn't know what we were missing.  How many Shakespeare 
plays or poems have been lost?  Or works by those even greater, but lost 
long ago, whether in the eighth century, fifth century BCE, or whatever.

Also, VanGogh's works WERE preserved for a while, long enough for people to 
realize their value.  Thus they were preserved thereafter.  The same would 
be true of digital works on CDROM or whatever.

The idea that we can, or should, preserve anything and everything is 
ridiculous.  Even archivists learn what to throw out.  Are mistakes 
made?  I'm sure.  Such is life.  And such is the fodder for legends.

dan



--
Good, Fast, and Cheap: Which two of the three would you like?
Dan Lester, 3577 East Pecan, Boise, ID 83716 USA 208-383-0165
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