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Old 16th Jul 2021, 12:16 pm   #70
Junk Box Nick
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Midlands, UK.
Posts: 1,571
Default Re: The end of physical media.

Over the years the demise of more ‘traditional’ technologies, or perhaps that should be ‘preceding’ technologies since in the great scheme of things they are all fairly recent, in favour of some emerging technology has been regularly predicted. Cinema was going to be supplanted by TV; and the end of the book has been predicted for decades, yet there they are – even on the shelves of Sainsbury’s. There are as many books being produced as ever was, perhaps many more.

I have accumulated many vinyl records, CDs, DVDs and books over the years. Admittedly there have been phases where I binged a little. Records in my youth, and CDs when the records I hadn’t got the spending power in my youth to buy came out on CD. It’s fair to say that my CD buying now is down to the very occasional. A classical box set of CBSO recordings is, I think, my only purchase this year. Basically, I have pretty much got all those I want, and I do listen to many frequently. Others may have had fewer plays but I like the action of being able to browse along my shelves and pick something out I haven’t heard for ages. This browsing can be random and the very randomness is due to the presence of a physical object. With an LP there is the experience of the packaging, liner notes, and the action of playing a collection of the order intended. This is an experience diminished to some extent with CDs and gone with online listening. I am less inclined to scroll through menus and contents on a computer or whatever and the serendipitious activity wouldn’t occur at all if I had give some command to a listening device in the room. I also like the idea that all I need is a player and an electricity supply to hear them. No worries about flaky internet connections or wi-fi traffic.

Books are even better with, at a basic level, available daylight (plus now a decent pair of spectacles) all that is required for me to use that technology. As with CDs I like to browse the shelves and frequently revisit my books; plus, beyond pulp fiction, the tactile and visual sensation of a nicely printed book cannot be replicated on a screen. In these current days I am enjoying my books more than ever. I have spent too much of my life in front of a screen so am glad to be away.

My collection of DVDs is smaller but I have found some gems in charity shops and in the case of classic films and series do tend to get more than one outing – and as with CDs and books the random browsing applies.

I also like the fact that physical items, if original editions or close to original, are of their period and are as they were intended to be produced. We live in a time where much revision is taking place and modern versions, especially those available online may be edited through a modern prism of sensibilities. (Though a discussion of the value or otherwise of such revisions is strictly not for here.)

As for digital storage, I have many photographs, etc., stored on drives. The ‘all the eggs in one basket’ worries me, especially as drives have got bigger and I now have several back-ups of each. When I have found the occasional CD that has failed I am comforted that at least it is only one whereas a failed drive with years of material is a disaster.

Finally, having been an early adopter of much technology, I have come to a point where I prefer to keep things simple. My vinyl, CDs, DVDs and books can be enjoyed using equipment I have had for years, in some cases decades, away from the rat race of constantly upgrading technology and programmed obsolesence.

Ultimately, I recognise that it will all be obsolete; but then so will I.

Last edited by Junk Box Nick; 16th Jul 2021 at 12:23 pm.
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