[ExI] File survival and the transparency of the future

[BillK]

On Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 12:14 PM, Anders Sandberg wrote:
> I just investigated the user area of my laptop, looking at my oldest files.
>
> The median and mean dates of the files were 2007, around the time I got the
> laptop.  The oldest file claimed to be from 1980, which is unlikely since it
> is a truetype file. However, I do have a bunch of truetype files with dates
> in the early 90s that I know I used way back. From 1995 there is a stellar
> catalog I laboriously copied by hand and now exist in a few different
> locations. From 1998 and onward there are not just old font files but also
> ancient DLLs and a few of my own pictures. Moving on I find more picture
> files from various sources and by 2000 a few old mp3s.

Ah, the old 1980 date problem!  This happens when your CMOS battery
runs down and needs replacing. This is a fairly rare event that most
people will never encounter. As I play with old computers and laptops,
I see it quite a lot. The computer defaults to a date in 1980, because
without a CMOS battery it doesn't know which end is up. If you save a
file while it is in this condition, you get a 1980 date put on it.

I wouldn't trust the dates on computer files. You can change the date
too easily.
It definitely wouldn't stand up in court.  ;)


BillK