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| Warning of data ticking time bomb | Warning of data ticking time bomb |
| (about 21 hours later) | |
| The growing problem of accessing old digital file formats is a "ticking time bomb", the chief executive of the UK National Archives has warned. | The growing problem of accessing old digital file formats is a "ticking time bomb", the chief executive of the UK National Archives has warned. |
| Natalie Ceeney said society faced the possibility of "losing years of critical knowledge" because modern PCs could not always open old file formats. | Natalie Ceeney said society faced the possibility of "losing years of critical knowledge" because modern PCs could not always open old file formats. |
| She was speaking at the launch of a partnership with Microsoft to ensure the Archives could read old formats. | She was speaking at the launch of a partnership with Microsoft to ensure the Archives could read old formats. |
| Microsoft's UK head Gordon Frazer warned of a looming "digital dark age". | Microsoft's UK head Gordon Frazer warned of a looming "digital dark age". |
| National Archives welcome program to read legacy formats Costly deal | National Archives welcome program to read legacy formats Costly deal |
| He added: "Unless more work is done to ensure legacy file formats can be read and edited in the future, we face a digital dark hole." | He added: "Unless more work is done to ensure legacy file formats can be read and edited in the future, we face a digital dark hole." |
| Research by the British Library suggests Europe loses 3bn euros each year in business value because of issues around digital preservation. | Research by the British Library suggests Europe loses 3bn euros each year in business value because of issues around digital preservation. |
| The National Archives, which holds 900 years of written material, has more than 580 terabytes of data - the equivalent of 580,000 encyclopaedias - in older file formats that are no longer commercially available. | The National Archives, which holds 900 years of written material, has more than 580 terabytes of data - the equivalent of 580,000 encyclopaedias - in older file formats that are no longer commercially available. |
| Ms Ceeney said: "If you put paper on shelves, it's pretty certain it is going to be there in a hundred years. | Ms Ceeney said: "If you put paper on shelves, it's pretty certain it is going to be there in a hundred years. |
| "If you stored something on a floppy disc just three or four years ago, you'd have a hard time finding a modern computer capable of opening it." | "If you stored something on a floppy disc just three or four years ago, you'd have a hard time finding a modern computer capable of opening it." |
| "Digital information is in fact inherently far more ephemeral than paper," warned Ms Ceeney. | "Digital information is in fact inherently far more ephemeral than paper," warned Ms Ceeney. |
| She added: "The pace of software and hardware developments means we are living in the world of a ticking time bomb when it comes to digital preservation. | She added: "The pace of software and hardware developments means we are living in the world of a ticking time bomb when it comes to digital preservation. |
| Historically within the IT industry the prevailing trend was for proprietary file formats Gordon Frazer, Microsoft | Historically within the IT industry the prevailing trend was for proprietary file formats Gordon Frazer, Microsoft |
| "We cannot afford to let digital assets being created today disappear. We need to make information created in the digital age to be as resilient as paper." | "We cannot afford to let digital assets being created today disappear. We need to make information created in the digital age to be as resilient as paper." |
| But Ms Ceeney said some digital documents held by the National Archives had already been lost forever because the programs which could read them no longer existed. | But Ms Ceeney said some digital documents held by the National Archives had already been lost forever because the programs which could read them no longer existed. |
| "We are starting to find an awful lot of cases of what has been lost. What we have got to make sure is that it doesn't get any worse." | "We are starting to find an awful lot of cases of what has been lost. What we have got to make sure is that it doesn't get any worse." |
| The root cause of the problem is the range of proprietorial file formats which proliferated during the early digital revolution. | |
| Technology companies, such as Microsoft, used file formats which were not only incompatible with pieces of software from rival firms, but also between different iterations of the same program. | Technology companies, such as Microsoft, used file formats which were not only incompatible with pieces of software from rival firms, but also between different iterations of the same program. |
| Mr Frazer said Microsoft had shifted its position on file formats. | Mr Frazer said Microsoft had shifted its position on file formats. |
| "Historically within the IT industry, the prevailing trend was for proprietary file formats. We have worked very hard to embrace open standards, specifically in the area of file formats." | "Historically within the IT industry, the prevailing trend was for proprietary file formats. We have worked very hard to embrace open standards, specifically in the area of file formats." |
| Microsoft's legacy pledge Costly deal | Microsoft's legacy pledge Costly deal |
| Microsoft has developed a new document file format, called Open XML, which is used to save files from programs such Word, Excel and Powerpoint. | Microsoft has developed a new document file format, called Open XML, which is used to save files from programs such Word, Excel and Powerpoint. |
| Mr Frazer said: "It's an open international standard under independent control. These are no longer under control of Microsoft and are free for access by all." | Mr Frazer said: "It's an open international standard under independent control. These are no longer under control of Microsoft and are free for access by all." |
| But some critics question Microsoft's approach and ask why the firm has created its own new standard, rather than adopting a rival system, called the Open Document Format. | But some critics question Microsoft's approach and ask why the firm has created its own new standard, rather than adopting a rival system, called the Open Document Format. |
| Instead, Microsoft has released a tool which can translate between the two formats. | Instead, Microsoft has released a tool which can translate between the two formats. |
| Ben Laurie, director of the Open Rights Group, said: "This is a well-known, standard Microsoft move. | Ben Laurie, director of the Open Rights Group, said: "This is a well-known, standard Microsoft move. |
| "Microsoft likes lock-ins. Typically what happens is that you end up with two or three standards." | "Microsoft likes lock-ins. Typically what happens is that you end up with two or three standards." |
| The agreement between the National Archives and Microsoft centres on the use of virtualisation. | The agreement between the National Archives and Microsoft centres on the use of virtualisation. |
| The archive will be able to read older file formats in the format they were originally saved by running emulated versions of the older Windows operating systems on modern PCs. | The archive will be able to read older file formats in the format they were originally saved by running emulated versions of the older Windows operating systems on modern PCs. |
| Data on floppy discs may be in unreadable formats | Data on floppy discs may be in unreadable formats |
| For example, if a Word document was saved using Office 97 under Windows 95, then the National Archives will be able to open that document by emulating the older operating system and software on a modern machine. | For example, if a Word document was saved using Office 97 under Windows 95, then the National Archives will be able to open that document by emulating the older operating system and software on a modern machine. |
| Ms Ceeney said the issue of older file formats was a bigger problem than reading outdated forms of media, such as floppy discs of various sizes and punch cards. | Ms Ceeney said the issue of older file formats was a bigger problem than reading outdated forms of media, such as floppy discs of various sizes and punch cards. |
| "The media it is stored in is not relevant. Back-up is important, but back-up is not preservation." | "The media it is stored in is not relevant. Back-up is important, but back-up is not preservation." |
| Adam Farquhar, head of e-architecture at the British Library, praised Microsoft for its adoption of more open standards. | Adam Farquhar, head of e-architecture at the British Library, praised Microsoft for its adoption of more open standards. |
| He said: "Microsoft has taken tremendous strides forward in addressing this problem. There has been a sea change in attitude." | He said: "Microsoft has taken tremendous strides forward in addressing this problem. There has been a sea change in attitude." |
| He warned that the issue of digital preservation did not just effect National Archives and libraries. | He warned that the issue of digital preservation did not just effect National Archives and libraries. |
| "It's everybody - from small businesses to university research groups and authors and scientists. | "It's everybody - from small businesses to university research groups and authors and scientists. |
| "It's a huge challenge for anyone who keeps digital information for more than 15 years because you are talking about five different technology generations." | "It's a huge challenge for anyone who keeps digital information for more than 15 years because you are talking about five different technology generations." |
| The British Library and National Archives are members of the Planets project which brings together European National Libraries and Archives and technology companies to address the issue of digital preservation. | The British Library and National Archives are members of the Planets project which brings together European National Libraries and Archives and technology companies to address the issue of digital preservation. |
| He said that open file formats were an important step but there was still work to be done. | He said that open file formats were an important step but there was still work to be done. |
| "Automation is a key area to work on. We need to be able to convert hundreds and even thousands of documents at a time," he said. | "Automation is a key area to work on. We need to be able to convert hundreds and even thousands of documents at a time," he said. |