[filmscanners] Re: No more Kodak CD-R's

["Julian Vrieslander" <julianv@mindspring.com>]

On 10/19/02 3:30 AM, "Anthony Atkielski" <anthony@atkielski.com> wrote:

> Julian writes:
>
>> If the bad bit is in an in an executable, it
>> can certainly wreak a lot of havoc.
>
> Photographs are not executables.

OK, but we were discussing reliability of media, yes?  Many of the files
that I need to copy, move, and backup are executables.  I do programming, so
much of my work product is executables.

>> Been there, seen that.
>
> I don't recall having ever encountered it, but it has only been a few
> decades, so it is statistically unlikely.
>
>> We take it for granted that our computer data
>> will be written perfectly, but it is quite
>> remarkable when we think about how many bits
>> are shuffled around when in file copies, installs,
>> backups, restores, etc.
>
> Yes.  It still is written perfectly, though.

Maybe perfect in your world, or your experience.  Bit errors happen
occasionally in my world, inspite of CRC, parity checks, and other error
correction technologies.

> It isn't really that amazing when you compare it to, say, DNA replication.

My personal experience may be worse than yours in this area, too.  My bod
has a few congenital defects, some of which are soon going to cause me some
big medical and dental bills.  But maybe those bit errors (err, mutations)
also caused my uniquely perverse political and artistic tendencies...  ;-)

--
Julian Vrieslander <julianv@mindspring.com>

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