Dead Media | 0.01-02.0 | 02.1-04.0 | 04.1-06.0 | 06.1-08.0 | 08.1-10.0 | 10.1-12.0 |

Subject: Dead Media Working Notes 01.4

Theoretical disquisition: The term "Dead"

From house127_AT_teleport.com (Trevor Blake)

Blake's "Vital Signs Checklist for Dead Media":
(a work in progress -- comments and amendments welcome)

1. Is the device still manufactured?

2. Does the company still exist?

3. Is technical support or documentation still available?

4. Is anyone anywhere still using or supporting the thing?

5. Does the (social, economic, political, artistic, archival) function that it served still exist? Does it still do what it was supposed to do?

6. Does the society that invented it still exist?

7. Are there other and newer things that serve the same function with more speed, efficiency, or glamor?

8. Was the thing the victim of planned obsolescence?

9. Does it employ some basic technology generally considered no longer up to the task?

10. Does it require storage or power devices that are no longer used or manufactured?

11. Is it inherently dangerous?

12. If it were invented today, would it be declared illegal by occupational, safety & health people?

13. How many of them will I see at a Goodwill, garage sale or junkshop in a year, or ever? Will I ever see one anytime anywhere?

14. How utterly has it disappeared from the history books and popular consciousness?

15. Is it collected?

16. Would I take someone out to dinner so I could borrow one? Would I be hard pressed to actually pay money for one, even as a curiosity?

17. Are there clubs or user's groups for them?

18. Could I make one in my spare time if I wanted?

Committing these factors to screen, I note my idea of dead tech relies as much on my personal relation with the thing as what the thing is. Hmmm.

Best, - Trevor Blake

Dead Media | 0.01-02.0 | 02.1-04.0 | 04.1-06.0 | 06.1-08.0 | 08.1-10.0 | 10.1-12.0 |