Preservation Spotlight:

Why would anyone introduce the risk of blue dye bleeing onto your white gown? Have you ever worn pastel clothes to show off a new tan? Same logic here. The blue makes the wedding gown look more white. Personally, I would prefer that the dry cleaner simply clean the gown. White tissue is a safer choice. Acid free white tissue is your best choice.

#2. Stains not removed.

By her own admission, the bride waited about a year before she took her gown to the cleaner. And we all know that if a stain sits for a while, it sets. So we can't fault the cleaner for failing to remove an old stain.

But is it ethical to pack a gown and tape it shut into a box without telling the customer that there were stains he couldn't remove? I say no way.

#3 Dead bug.

The larger spot is the bug carcass. The smaller one is the stain it left behind. I still can't figure out how this happened. The dress was sealed into not one but two boxes, so the bug (egg, maybe?) must have been packed up with it at the cleaners.

Shocking.

CD Care

Protect Both Sides
This helpful graphic shows how a scratch on the label side can be far more damaging than a scratch on the play side.

CD Failure Rate Research
CD-R Media Survey by Jerome L. Hartke, Media Sciences, Inc. Originally published in Software Fulfillment News.

Detailed Report on CD Care
This is everything you'll need to know...and more. Very comprehensive.

Digital Preservation

Written on the Wind
This is my all time favorite essay on the fragility of digital records. Eloquently written and enjoyable to read. Essay by Stewart Brand, made available through The Long Now Foundation.

The Fragility of Digital Records From a book called Digital History by Daniel Cohen and Roy Rosenzweig. Read the other chapters to get more tips on what to do with your digital files.