Don't you hate microfilm?

[touchmyichi]

I've been doing a project where we need to have microfilm sources. Its such a pain in the ass. Half of the time the machine doesn't even work. Why don't they just put all of these old newspapers online?

argg

 

[spaceman]

Originally posted by: touchmyichi
I've been doing a project where we need to have microfilm sources. Its such a pain in the ass. Half of the time the machine doesn't even work. Why don't they just put all of these old newspapers online?

argg

i agree.
you better get scanning tho.

 

[JHoNNy1OoO]

The couple of times I looked through old newspapers at the library it didn't give me any problems. But I could imagine if you are doing a project and the 20 year old machine just busts. :/

As for newspapers online.... to much trouble to get em in there.

 

[notfred]

I've never used microfilm.

 

[TommyVercetti]

Originally posted by: JHoNNy1OoO
The couple of times I looked through old newspapers at the library it didn't give me any problems. But I could imagine if you are doing a project and the 20 year old machine just busts. :/

As for newspapers online.... to much trouble to get em in there.

I wouldn't think that scanning it all in would be hard. There are scanners in which you can put in 100 photos, and they will go through the whole thing by itself. Don't see why it can't be done for microfilm.

 

[JHoNNy1OoO]

I'm not talking about just at one library of course. I'm talking about probably the millions of pieces of microfilm in the US. Since you think it's not that hard I nominate you for the job.

And thats if you just want to scan for photos and then not convert it to text so people could actually search for it in a database. Yes I know scan software recognizes text but problems or scratches could be in the microfilm and so on. If it wasn't that much trouble I'm sure it would've already been done.

-

 

[tm37]

Microfilm has a longer shelf life than digital media and is much harder to alter.

Take a digital picture to court and they will usually not except it, But take a REAL picture you got a shot.

That microfilm is almost the perfect achiving solution, where as digital media can (and does fail)

 

[touchmyichi]

Originally posted by: notfred
I've never used microfilm.

thank god you haven't

 

[kranky]

Everyone is in a hurry to get things into digital format, not thinking about the downside.

Microfilm can last well over a hundred years if stored properly. It requires nothing more than magnification in order to be useful.

Digital formats change like the wind, along with storage media. Who thinks that software to read JPG, TIF or PDF files will be available in a hundred years? Who is going to keep converting file formats as years go by, and recopy the data to whatever the latest storage medium is?

Microfilm is the perfect storage solution for what it is used for.