The Afterlife of Data: What Happens to Your Information When You Die and Why You Should Care
- Downloads：7629
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2024-05-23 08:20:28
- Update Date：2025-09-11
- Status：finish
- Author：Carl Öhman
- ISBN：0226828220
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
J。J。
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This work does a particularly good job of orienting our present moment within the long history of how we humans have dealt with both death and what remains of those who die。 This approach is certainly helpful with developing an a deeper understanding of what is unique about our present moment and the ways it might resemble the past。 In that way， the weight of the choices that we're making now are very well presented。 That is， arguably， the greatest strength of this work。 We are creating so much This work does a particularly good job of orienting our present moment within the long history of how we humans have dealt with both death and what remains of those who die。 This approach is certainly helpful with developing an a deeper understanding of what is unique about our present moment and the ways it might resemble the past。 In that way， the weight of the choices that we're making now are very well presented。 That is， arguably， the greatest strength of this work。 We are creating so much data about so many people， and it is not feasible that it can all be saved forever。 What do we do in light of that？ This book posits that question brilliantly。 On the other hand， the analysis of our present moment is all too swept up in the tides of capitalism。 The author very correctly points out that even companies and organizations that feel very permanent， like Meta or Alphabet， or even perhaps Ancestry。com， will inevitably close or be sold。 We saw a change in Twitter completely alter its relationship to archival research， as Elon Musk made it virtually inaccessible to academics。 Even governmental regulation falls under this critique -- no institution lasts forever。 Öhman clearly struggles with how to approach the preservation of our data from this long-term perspective of hundreds or even thousands of years。 That struggle is certainly worthwhile。These questions are so big as to guarantee they are entirely out of our control。 Even if we could all work together collectively to make changes now across the globe， that doesn't generate any certainty that our descendants in two hundred years will agree and maintain those practices。 I do wish， that in the context of these difficult long-term questions， this book could also tackle the question from a more personal perspective。 This is hinted at here and there， but never fully addressed。 For those of who accept the premise of the book， and want to be stewards of our data afterlife， what can we do individually？ This is a conversation worth having。 Beyond the academic philosophers and media theorists who will be interested in this work （and I'm one of those）， I also feel this book will be relevant to those with professional or hobby interests in genealogy （of which I am also one）， though they will have to put in a little work to make some connections that aren't drawn explicitly in the book。 It's a short read， and the jargon is minimal， making it accessible to a wide audience。 。。。more
Lisa Davidson
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