Passive and dynamic

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Passive and dynamic

• Two types of file
• Passive do not contain embedded logic
• eg MS Word, ASCII text files, plain HTML
• Dynamic - contain logic required to run
• eg web pages with embedded links, MS Word
  files with macros, Excel files with Macros

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Preservation Issues

• Passive files
• Can be reformatted and viewed with no loss of
  content or format info
• Can be translated to a newer file format and
  retain look and feel of original
• Dynamic files
• Need additional files or emulation to reproduce
  look and feel

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What the PRO imagined

• 2004 target for ERM systems in government
• Large volumes of text files
• Well structured, good metadata

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What the PRO found

• Text files largely closed for 30 years
• We are getting examples of government websites
  with dynamic content
• Publications using Flash animation
• Inquiries using computer graphics, 3 dimensional
  models etc

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Delivery System

• Access versions of digital objects
• Currently readable manifestation
• Technical metadata
• Historical information about format changes

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But what can we deliver???

• Reformatted versions of passive files
• Word, ASCII Text files, HTML
• Halfway house eg animations requiring common
  plug-ins
• Bitstream versions of active files eg vitual
  reality models
• DVDs of large files (videos etc)