Time Capsules - Classic or Online
We often get asked by people whether it is best to put their memories in one of our online Time Capsules or to use a classic Time Capsule.
First you need to be clear about exactly you want to keep and how you want to retrieve it. The first difference between the two options is that with an Online Time Capsule from The100YearWebSite it is possible to open and look at your capsule when you like. In fact many people use the site more as an archiving system which they review and add to on a daily/weekly basis.
In my mind you would use a classic time capsule and an online time capsule for completely different reasons. In an online time capsule/archive the data should be kept in an active management system (meaning it is continually updated so that it is always readable). The issues with putting any digital media in a classic time capsule are numerous.
- Will the device you put the data on degrade in the time capsule?
- Will it be possible to read the device when it is dug up (i.e will there be DVD readers in 20 years time)?
- If you include a reading device will the internal components survive?
- Will there be a way of operating the hardware device?
All in all it is really taking a long shot if you think that any digital media you put into a time capsule and bury underground will ever be seen again.
On the other side of the coin however it is pretty obvious that anything physical must go into a classic time capsule.
By far the best and most interesting way to approach this is to have both options. Put all digital data (text, scans, web grabs, photos, audio and video in The100YearWebSite) and put every physical item in a classic time capsuule. Then reference the online time capsule in the classic one and vice versa.