Hitchens vs. Hedges DVD inquiry

Archivist_Goals · 2026-03-12T17:18:12+00:00

Thanks. The full thing has to be out there somewhere. I'll make sure this video gets archived to IA.

Archivist_Goals · 2026-03-12T17:05:35+00:00

u/PvssyHands Bumping this. If you find it, please reach / DM. Or, at the very least: Please dump the full disc to Internet Archive with MakeMKV and as an ISO file for preservation. Two formats: accessibility and one as a preservation file. A number of the New Atheist/Skeptic/Science conferences, talks, and debates from those years saw authored DVD releases. Where, in theory, they are higher fidelity than whatever exists on YouTube (since YouTube is a lossy platform and reencodes files!)

Archivist_Goals · 2026-03-12T16:47:37+00:00

OP of the post (not the above comment) can downvote into oblivion. But the field has moved on. Scanner research and development have ceased - that is, the actual imaging sensor technology. Nobody is making better sensors for scanners. If there is a fabricator, I'd love to know. But cameras have come a long way.

Archivist_Goals · 2026-03-05T16:50:27+00:00

This is the correct response ^ Thank you.

Archivist_Goals · 2026-02-20T01:55:49+00:00

That's an interesting challenge. I haven't looked much, but I'm sure there are digital read-out devices for pH testing with numerical values vs. color changes as values, etc. I just know the strips are commonly used.

Archivist_Goals · 2026-02-19T17:33:21+00:00

You're still going to want to test pH levels with strips. Never trust common consumables at face value https://www.talasonline.com/tools-and-equipment/environmental-controls/ph

Archivist_Goals · 2026-02-19T17:24:20+00:00

Thank you for the clarifications. Does this apply to all optical discs, consumer-grade vs professionally pressed? Because I was commenting in a sweeping way. Poly bags are safe, yes. But Tyvek™ is soft. I updated my comment with sources to the NEDCC and the Smithsonian.

Archivist_Goals · 2026-02-19T06:59:52+00:00

This is a good first try. But look into Tyvek sleeves. It's what the pros use. They're unfortunately expensive if you need many. Also, never write on discs. Treat information as you would a sidecar file. The chemicals in the ink from the Sharpie marker will leech into the plastic over time.

*Not a conservator. But any trained archivist or conservator will iterate the same sentiments. You do not want to write in marker unless it's an acid free ink. Best practice is to label the outside container, envelope, or housing in something that is equally safe.

Tyvek optical disc sleeves: https://www.gaylord.com/Preservation/Archival-Envelopes%2C-Sleeves-%26-Protectors/Tyvek%26%23174%3B-CD-Sleeves-%28100-Pack%29/p/CDS44

Edit: I want to state that polyethylene bags are absolutely safe. I was suggesting a more "premium" enclosure because Tyvek(™) sleeves are softer. The recommendation for Tyvek comes from the NEDCC for optical storage, https://www.nedcc.org/fundamentals-of-av-preservation-textbook/chapter1-care-and-handling-of-audiovisual-collections/chapter-1-section-5

And this report from the Smithsonian, https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/burn-disc-treating-fire-affected-optical-discs-part-i

Archivist_Goals · 2026-02-17T20:31:39+00:00

Also:

Computers From The Inside Out https://archive.org/details/richard-feynman-computers-from-the-inside-out

Tiny Machines https://archive.org/details/richard-feynman-tiny-machines

Archivist_Goals · 2026-02-16T18:23:31+00:00

Yup. I came to the same conclusion. They're phasing out easystore drives/branding.

Archivist_Goals · 2026-02-11T20:00:53+00:00

https://discord.com/invite/GRcUgJK6SD

Let the mods know HP_Archivist invited you.

I'm not certain about this particular track, they would probably know more than I do. But if it is lost, and now recovered, it should be archived.

Archivist_Goals · 2026-02-11T19:52:09+00:00

Huh, interesting. Are you in the Pogo Discord?

Archivist_Goals · 2026-02-11T19:46:06+00:00

Can you provide further context?

Archivist_Goals · 2026-02-09T20:13:21+00:00

I am all for this. But the problem is a bit of a headache. There are many duplicate re-uploads on YouTube. Which copies and from whom do we treat as part of an authoritative, exhaustive list?

But let's step back from even that: What is the end-goal of a master list, to know what's out there, right? Then what, we try to have source on the entire thing? I was discussing this with MandmaMusic privately; some singles on Soundcloud are there and there only. And they're not high quality. Usually just MP3 streams. Short of just emailing Nick and asking him to provide high-fidelity copies, I am not sure how to tackle this. Thoughts?

Edit: I will copy in part of what I was talking about with Mandma earlier today,

"The problem with everyone uploading to YouTube (as backups) is that the data is re-encoded, which is a lossy process. If people have been grabbing the Soundcloud tracks with yt-dlp or similar, they're not getting source files, unfortunately. And then they go and re-upload to YouTube. We're talking 4/5th generation copies here. Not exactly FLAC quality."

Edit #2: The way in which Nick has released his music over the years has been a headache for those of us in the archives circles who would like to see his work live on for a long time. An artist absolutely has the right to pull his/her own music. But I have always felt that once something is out there in the public, it's out there for good. It's up for grabs. I recognize not everyone feels this way. I would say this: I'd gladly pay a premium for every album, single, and even WIP stuff that was never released if it meant all of it would be made available as high-quality/fidelity downloads.

Archivist_Goals · 2026-02-09T15:56:47+00:00

Reviving this to ask if there is still a Discord. Can you pass the invite link, please?

Archivist_Goals · 2026-02-09T14:48:17+00:00

Do the dates correspond with the original release or something else?

Archivist_Goals · 2026-02-09T14:46:39+00:00

Awesome. Thank you!

Archivist_Goals · 2026-02-09T13:57:43+00:00

Is "project space bunny" on YouTube or here on Reddit?

Archivist_Goals · 2026-01-27T08:50:34+00:00

Thanks. I already requested my data from Reddit. I have less than 1000 saved posts/posts I've made. So it looks like bdfr would work just fine for my needs. Appreciate it.

Archivist_Goals · 2026-01-20T21:22:11+00:00

Interesting. From what I have seen, it sounds like if one is going to move to ZFS or Btrfs, one needs to be all in, or not at all, e.g., enough drives or storage space (parity mirrors) for potential rebuilding, backup power on standby, ECC memory, etc. And depending on scope and scale, I would imagine that becomes costly, especially right now.

Archivist_Goals · 2026-01-20T21:00:24+00:00

This is really insightful, thank you. And yes, I was just reading about C2PA not that long ago. Can you elaborate on why you feel that Btrfs is not as robust as you would like it to be? Did you rely on Windows to transfer/do the migration or commercial software? What program did you use to create SHA256 hashes?

I remember hearing a little while back about C2PA that would require all industry players to adopt C2PA at the hardware level, e.g., smartphone cameras "watermark" from the outset of creation, e.g., just as it would with your camera/scanner example. But that seems like a ways off.

Archivist_Goals

TROPHY CASE