Of technology, archaeologists and engineers

When we look at technology which is only 15 or 20 years old it can often seem like its from another age — some dark and very distant past that we'd never want to return to, or that seems quaint and we view with a sense of fond nostalgia. On the whole, the fast pace of technological innovation is a good thing, but it can cause us problems further down the line and the need for technology conservation is becoming increasingly clear.

The luckiest computers are probably games consoles that are used at home and with which we develop the closest bonds. If they play their cards right and serve us well, they may just live long enough to become retro and be given a stay of execution as they reach their twilight years. But for the untiring workhorses of industry it's a different story altogether, and the moment a machine is no longer cost effective to maintain or operate, it will almost certainly be bound for the scrap heap. 

As we dispose of technology now it can seem incomprehensible that there would be any reason to preserve it. Although technology is not alone here and it's not until many years later that you wish you'd saved that now collectable product catalogue or other piece of marketing ephemera. But where technology is different to such things is that it can take up an awful lot of storage space, and unlike a chair or a tin that once contained tea, it may have neither utility nor decorative value.

The Console of the IBM Stretch Computer (large, but arguably decorative!)

There are many reasons why we may one day require access to things such as long outmoded computers, and it's not just about preserving history, as important as that is. For example, there may be data that we need to retrieve and which is stored on an obsolete media format. Or we may want to understand how we arrived at a particular design and the answer may rest with a distant ancestor.

Sophie Wilson telling the story the behind the BBC Micro and how it lead to the ARM processor

Such problems did not escape the team which had to work extremely hard to retrieve and make sense of data from the BBC Domesday Project in the lead up to its 25^th anniversary. And this fundamental problem is one which writer, Bruce Sterling, foresaw with great insight in 1995 when he proposed the Dead Media Project. But who would have thought that researching the history of computing — a history which spans considerably less than a century — would be a job for an archaeologist?

Computers present perhaps one of the most significant challenges when it comes to conservation, due to not only their size and the speed of innovation, but the fact that it is so easily for software to become lost forever. Although the problems faced are by no means unique to computing, and can be seen with technology which is still in use today, such as the BBC Radio 4 Long Wave transmitter.

Providing support

There are lots of different ways to help with conservation efforts. For example, many large organisations maintain their own archives, but it may be just as important for smaller businesses to archive artefacts and record histories. And where a home is needed for materials companies may wish to consider whether it would be appropriate to place these with a museum.

The ICL Archives at the National Museum of Computing

Some engineers may even wish to volunteer their time at museums such as the National Museum of Computing, where they can help with everything from the repair of machines to explaining fundamental principles to groups of visiting schoolchildren.

Just a few of the thyratrons in the rebuild of the Colossus computer

Hardware and software-based emulators have a vital part to play in enabling many more to experience and understand past technologies, and this is another area where engineers can help. By contributing to the development of open source software emulators such as SimH, and in creating complementary hardware consoles that enhance the experience of using them.

An IBM System/360 mainframe implemented inside an FPGA

Stop to think

So, next time you're about to throw out that long-serving piece of equipment which has just been upgraded, or to dispose of those floppy disks which have been sat in the cupboard for what seems like forever, pause to consider whether one day they might be of vital importance...

Top image: Dr Sue Black holding a Raspberry Pi and standing in front of the Colossus rebuild. From the Follow Me project and copyright 2012 Travis Hodges.