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Re: Digital Nomenclature



Thank you, Mr. Lee, for answering my question.  Using the
term archive to describe a "container" of information (an
archive of email  messages, for example) is understandeable
and forgiveable.  I am still upset, though, that the
IT-world uses the word to refer to stored information. Oh
well. I enjoyed the links you sent. From the opinions I
have met on this (not many, btw) the consensus is that it
is not *that* important, not important enough to try to
change.  Rest assured, however, that I do tend to engage in
endless semantic battles far too frequently and I have no
doubt that I shall probably bring this up when next I find
myself socializing with IT people (which happens very
frequently in the DC-environs.)  Thanks much, Jen Gunter

On Thu, 25 Jan 2001 07:46:08 -0500 Cal Lee <calz@UMICH.EDU>
wrote:

> Jennifer Gunter wrote:
> > I was informed today that in the technological arena, the
> term ARCHIVE refers to storage.
>
> You may want to look at some of the IT dictionaries listed at
> http://www-personal.si.umich.edu/~calz/ermlinks/term_it.htm
> and look for the word "archive" under some of them
>
> One source with three illustrative examples is:
> http://webopedia.internet.com/TERM/a/archive.html
>
> You will rarely see the use of the term by IT professionals in any way that resembles how we, as
> archivists, would traditionally use the term.  They often mean something like near-line or off-line
> storage, or compression for saving storage space.  It's also worth noting that the system for
> accessing through your web browser old email messages posted to this is also referred to as an
> archive.
> http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html
>
> I'm sure opinions vary widely on this issue, but I think in many cases it's more important for us to
> convey to IT people what we think needs to be done (authenticity, metadata, physical refreshing, etc.)
> than to enter an endless semantic battle with them.
>
> =========================================================
>  Cal Lee
>  University of Michigan
>  School of Information
>  Phone: 734-647-0505
>  http://www-personal.si.umich.edu/~calz/
>  "How can I know what I think because I forgot what I said?"
>                                          - Karl Weick, 1979
>
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> Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>

Jennifer Gunter
NHPRC Archival Administration Fellow
Special Collections
University of Virginia
Telephone: (804)924-0510
Fax: (804)924-4968

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>