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Am 08.01.2013 16:42, schrieb Michael Mol: |
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> On Tue, Jan 8, 2013 at 10:29 AM, Grant Edwards |
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> <grant.b.edwards@×××××.com> wrote: |
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>> On 2013-01-08, Florian Philipp <lists@×××××××××××.net> wrote: |
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>>> Am 08.01.2013 00:20, schrieb Alan McKinnon: |
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>>>> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 21:11:35 +0100 |
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>>>> Florian Philipp <lists@×××××××××××.net> wrote: |
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>>>> |
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>>>>> Hi list! |
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>>>>> |
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>>>>> I have a use case where I am seriously concerned about bit rot [1] |
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>>>>> and I thought it might be a good idea to start looking for it in my |
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>>>>> own private stuff, too. |
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>>> [...] |
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>>>>> [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bit_rot |
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>>>>> |
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>>>>> Regards, |
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>>>>> Florian Philipp |
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>>>>> |
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>>>> |
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>>>> You are using a very peculiar definition of bitrot. |
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>>>> |
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>>>> "bits" do not "rot", they are not apples in a barrel. Bitrot usually |
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>>>> refers to code that goes unmaintained and no longer works in the |
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>>>> system it was installed. What definition are you using? |
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>>> |
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>>> That's why I referred to wikipedia, not the jargon file ;-) |
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>> |
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>> The wikipedia page to which you refer has _two_ definitions. The |
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>> "uncommon" on you're using: |
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>> |
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>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bit_rot#Decay_of_storage_media |
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>> |
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>> and the the common one: |
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>> |
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>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bit_rot#Problems_with_software |
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>> |
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>> I've heard the term "bit rot" for decades, but I've never heard the |
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>> "decay of storage media" usage. It's always referred to unmaintained |
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>> code that no longer words because of changes to tools or the |
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>> surrounding environment. |
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> |
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> Frankly, I'd heard of bitrot first as applying to decay of storage |
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> media. But this was back when your average storage media decay |
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> (floppies and early hard disks) was expected to happen within months, |
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> if not weeks. |
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> |
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> The term's applying to software utility being damaged by assumptions |
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> about its platform is a far, far newer application of the term. I |
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> still think of "crappy media and errors in transmission" before I |
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> think of platform compatibility decay. |
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> |
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> -- |
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> :wq |
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> |
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|
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Google Scholar and Google Search have both usages on the first page of |
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their search results for bit rot. So let's agree that both forms are |
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common depending on the context. Next time, when I write about "Fighting |
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bugs" I'll make it clear if I'm dealing with an infestation of critters. |
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|
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Regards, |
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Florian Philipp |
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