[Leica] (SPAM: ?) Re: So much for "film is forever"..

[Frank Filippone]

Wrong.. The magnetic bits deteriorate whether you use the device or not.  If your HDD crashes, it is the same scenario without a backup, and as bad if you have an OLD backup, as those bits are deteriorating.  Bits are bits.  You can not bring them up from the dead.  Once lost, they are lost. 

It is true that you could lose a bit of information that is either unimportant or relates to some "portrait" of the inside of your camera bag.  I am not debating that here.  I am saying that the magnetic bits do deteriorate, and a fresh backup is needed to preserve the data, in its intact state.  

It is also true that dependent upon WHICH bits are changed, and what those bits represent, the result of a magnetic bit ruining all your data, or even a single image, is debatable. It is also true that the bit that is deteriorating is in the overhead file information part of your HDD in which case, the entire HDD could be toast....  It is truly a Russian Roulette game.  

It is up to you whether you wish to play the "game", but refreshing your magnetic media, even twice a year will take you, in active time spent, about 5 minutes.

This is probably WAY off topic, but if you ran a business, and kept all your records on magnetic media, and you lost even a single bit of information, the result could be catastrophic.  Same applies here....

If 5 minutes of your time in setting up an external HDD, and  pushing a few buttons to refresh it with all your important data, to you, is a waste of time....   It is your choice.

If you own a business, and keep your records on magnetic media, stop reading this.  Go get your data refreshed.

Frank Filippone
Red735i at verizon.net

Frank, the HD that crashed (as did mine last month) was in use every day. My backup disk is in use only when I am actually writing to it (and when I retrieved the backed-up images onto the repaired HD). Most of the time it is just sitting there, not plugged into anything. You cannot compare the two sitations.

Refreshing the backups more than once a year might be good for my local Media Markt but it would be a waste of time and money for me.

Cheers,
Nathan
> 
> I guess you cannot be convinced with technical facts.
> 
> Try this out.... How many HDD crash without warning?  Richard Man's 
> crashed last week.  You think HIS files are intact any more on that disk?
> 
> Even if you do not believe us about magnetic bits going wonky, do 
> backups anyway.  And refresh them at least once a year... or more 
> often.  You may do it for the wrong reason, but at least you are doing it......
> 
> Frank Filippone
> Red735i at verizon.net