Z:gnu-www-ja-rms-nyu-2001-transcript--b2d64e-Archivists are finding a probl/en

Archivists are finding a problem now, that files written on computers ten years ago often can't be accessed; they were written with proprietary software that's essentially lost now. If it were written with free software, then it could be brought up-to-date and run. And those things would not, those records would not be lost, would not be inaccessible. They were even complaining about this on NPR recently in citing free software as a solution. And so, in effect, by using a non-free program to store your own data, you are putting your head in a noose.