Take Control of Your Digital Legacy, 2nd Edition

10. Preserve Your Data for Posterity

What you’re creating amounts to a time capsule that will need to be preserved so people far in the future can see and appreciate your data.

You’ve catalogued your digital data and decided what should be done with it when you’re gone. That’s terrific—and essential—but if your plan hinges on a great-grandchild being able to boot your old iMac that’s been passed down for generations, you’ve still got a problem.

Imagine finding a 1981 IBM PC, forgotten for decades in an attic. It might still turn on, or maybe not. Depending on the configuration, it may include a hard drive or, more likely, 5¼-inch floppy drives ...