Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Digital amnesia


 * The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review).  No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was   keep.  MBisanz  talk 22:56, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

Digital amnesia

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Non notable neologism. Only possible notable claim reference is in Microsoft marketing materials. Not enough on its own for notability. Must have more references appear or else it's non-notable. Shadowjams (talk) 08:01, 2 March 2009 (UTC)

Added to content and included several more references citing several additional, reputable sources. I'll continue to build references and clean the definition. Microsoft reference came as as surprise to me as I was researching the term. I felt it necessary to include it with the definition. --Peyronnin (talk) 16:24, 2 March 2009 (UTC)


 * Curious... there is Software rot, Link rot, a more sophisticated case of Data migration ... and then the mother of all, Obsolescence. Shouldn't there be a special case of obsolescence that covers all computer-related "amnesia"? NVO (talk) 17:41, 2 March 2009 (UTC)

Obsolescence has a very generic feel. Digital Amnesia seems to really capture the transient state of our digital knowledge and its dependency on systems that are updated without regard to what is being lost. Obsolescence pertains to the equipment, the software and the technicians who operate on both. Digital amnesia pertains to the knowledge that is lost due to the rapid pace of change. Additionally, digital covers all hardware/software, not exclusively computers, in this crazy converged digital world. --Peyronnin (talk) 18:07, 2 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Technology knowledge is lost just as well, although not as publicly as "hey, where's that three inch slot"... trust me, I work with vacuum tubes and this technology is gone. Shouldn't it be called Analogue amnesia? NVO (talk) 18:41, 2 March 2009 (UTC)

Hey I love vacuum tubes! I have them in my guitar amp - nice warm sound. Of course, I old enough to remember tube testers at the hardware store when I was young.

There is some history to the "digital amnesia" concept. I used it when I taught Freshman level technology courses at my college. Perhaps think of it as the catalyst that has created the problem as well as the victim. It seems that the further we progress in developing stores of knowledge to be accessible from anywhere by anyone, the more tranisient and vulnerable it becomes. This is only possible by turning them into bits, eight per byte (do you remember EBCDIC?) It seems there should be an industry based on converting data from one format to another. There might be a long tail to support a nice business model. --Peyronnin (talk) 21:16, 2 March 2009 (UTC)


 * Keep per sources added above. Was WP:BEFORE followed in this nomination? –  7 4   23:44, 4 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion so consensus may be reached. Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks,  MBisanz  talk 00:06, 7 March 2009 (UTC)


 * Keep Interesting article with good sources. I can't see any reasons to delete it. Laurent (talk) 11:22, 7 March 2009 (UTC)


 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.