Consider this, this Wednesday…
The digital age has been a blessing and a curse. Some of the most obvious benefits have been the various methods of sharing information and communicating. The worst aspects being the worst parts of human nature being shared more easily as well.
But today we consider a more specific aspect of the digital age; books and articles.
The internet has opened the door to a massive industry of writing and publishing. Millions of fiction, non-fiction, informational, and artistic documents have been created and shared. Many of these documents do not have a physical copy. The majority do not even have a note referring to its existence.
Much of these books and articles are highly informative and have the potential to be very beneficial to society or are. Many research papers and medical journals are digitally based. Most of the worlds modern news, HISTORY, can only be learned via digital means.
Many of the worlds new creative masterpieces are found in the depths of the internet. There are reasons it is called the “Net and Web”. Information is caught in it. The world wide net/web. It has a deeper and deeper meaning as time moves on. Especially since “the Cloud” was developed.
So, what happens to all this information if the “Net” gets cut, if the “Web” is ripped apart, if the “Cloud” gets too big and begins to rain?
Lost. It all is lost to oblivion.
Pieces will remain in memories; maybe some will even be re-created before they are completely forgotten. But otherwise, all that information will be gone forever.
How would this affect us?
Who/ what industries would be most affected?
What effect would this have on modern culture and worldview?
Now let me be clear. I am not talking about the complete loss of internet, I am trying to discuss what would happen if a massive amount of the written data was corrupted and deleted. Specifically, the data that did not have a physical counterpart.
What can we do to protect all this information. Surely working to make a print copy of it all would be a nearly impossible and expensive task. Other than medical research, what would we even prioritize? Especially when you consider the need to print multiple copies due to translations. If even half the documents have an alternative language, that is adding millions of copies that need to be made.
Not only would it be a major project in the sense of labor and finances, but how would it affect the paper and print industries. If we really began a major project to preserve as much of these article and books from the internet as possible, how would it affect the natural world; the fauna.
And then we have another big question of where and how would we store it all? The point of the project is to preserve these things so they can then be utilized and enjoyed again. One copy of each would not be enough.
I do not have the answers to these questions. I just know this is an issue we must consider to be a possibility. I am sure there are people out there who are doing what they can already. But will it be enough?
What would you do or more importantly, what will you do?
So, regardless of when you are reading this, if you have any thoughts on the issue, please share!
God bless!