Digital memories might not last forever
Having thousands of photos, songs and films available at our fingertips would have seemed amazing just a few decades ago, but how long will these files last for and be available? Could the digitalisation of cultural artefacts now be putting a time limit on our memories?
仅仅在几十年前，成千上万的照片、歌曲和电影能在我们指尖轻松获取，这似乎还令人惊叹不已，但这些文件能留存多久并可供使用呢？如今，文化制品的数字化是否给我们的记忆设定了时限？
The materials that phones and computers are made of can decay over time, impacting the data that they store. Images can still be seen in faded photographs, but when digital data degrades, it can quickly make it impossible to even open a file. Also, as formats and devices become obsolete, it may become impossible to read files from previous decades.
手机和电脑的制造材料会随时间腐朽，从而影响它们所存储的数据。褪色的照片中图像仍可见，但当数字数据退化时，可能很快就无法打开文件了。而且，随着格式和设备过时，可能就无法读取几十年前的文件了。
Storing information in the cloud can also present problems. Large companies can still lose data. The widespread use of streaming services for music, TV and film means that people no longer own the content that they watch and listen to, they just pay for the right to access it. If streaming companies decide to remove content, or go out of business, users will lose access.
将信息存储在云端也可能出现问题。大公司仍可能丢失数据。音乐、电视和电影流媒体服务的广泛使用意味着人们不再拥有他们观看和收听的内容，他们只是为访问权付费。如果流媒体公司决定删除内容或停业，用户将失去访问权限。
Licencing rather than buying content is an example of how our behaviour towards digital content has changed. Another example is that we take far more pictures than people did in the past. This means that, added to the challenge of keeping our data safe, people have to consider what to preserve and what can be discarded.
授权而非购买内容是我们对待数字内容的行为发生变化的一个例子。另一个例子是，我们拍摄的照片比过去的人多得多。这意味着，除了要应对保证数据安全的挑战，人们还得考虑要保存什么以及可以丢弃什么。
So, what can we do?
那么，我们能做什么？
Technology writer Jack Schofield said that "data doesn't really exist unless you have at least two copies of it", so it's important that we keep backup copies of what is important to us –probably more than one. Academic Paul Royster suggests that we should all take time to consider what content we personally believe is worth saving. Perhaps the answer is just to avoid digital altogether. Science and Technology writer Chris Baranaiuk calls for a cultural movement towards buying analogue copies of cultural content.
科技作家杰克·斯科菲尔德（Jack Schofield）表示，“除非你至少有两份副本，否则数据并不真正存在”，所以对我们来说，为重要的东西保留备份副本很重要——可能还不止一份。学者保罗·罗伊斯特（Paul Royster）建议，我们都应该花时间思考我们个人认为值得保存的内容。也许答案就是完全避免数字化。科技作家克里斯·巴拉奈克（Chris Baranaiuk）呼吁开展一场文化运动，购买文化内容的模拟副本。
翻译：豆包
整理：2025年2月7日于经典龙苑
