Library of Congress' hidden Twitter computer room: WalletPop takes a peek
Filed under: Extracurriculars, Technology, Video, In the News
The Library of Congress recently made headlines by announcing an unusual acquisition: every public tweet ever sent on Twitter. Cleverly, it made the announcement by Twitter -- and the interest brought the library's servers to a standstill. For all that, the IT guys in charge of keeping every tweet for
posterity don't tweet at all.
Why would the Library be interested in obtaining something like that? And where are they going to put those tweets? I was given an exclusive invitation to come to Washington, DC, to find out.
In the humming computer stacks in the James Madison Memorial Building of the Library, preserving digital media is an ongoing challenge. Everything that's chosen for preservation, and there's a lot beyond Twitter messages, must be backed up, and as the storage media ages and evolves, must be put on the latest storage devices to ensure it can be read by the next generation of users.
The Library of Congress is your library. Like Twitter, it's free to use. So there's an advantage to keeping those throwaway bits of minutia clogging the Web.
If you're an anthropologist, you don't see a tweet as useless at all. Years from now, they will illuminate everyday life in a way we never have been able to do for previous generations.
Just like at home, computers can go down. At the Library of Congress, IT technicians sometimes find themselves in futile arguments with impassive computers. On one keyboard in the storage area, the IT guys jokingly leave spare change in the hopes that they'll appease the computer gods -- in this case, one of the processor towers is nicknamed Minerva, after a landmark mural in the Great Hall of the Library's Thomas Jefferson Building.
We're in the Library of Congress now, too: WalletPop is on Twitter as @walletpopper, and I'm there as @bastable.
Follow WalletPop's Jason Cochran on Facebook.
Why would the Library be interested in obtaining something like that? And where are they going to put those tweets? I was given an exclusive invitation to come to Washington, DC, to find out.
In the humming computer stacks in the James Madison Memorial Building of the Library, preserving digital media is an ongoing challenge. Everything that's chosen for preservation, and there's a lot beyond Twitter messages, must be backed up, and as the storage media ages and evolves, must be put on the latest storage devices to ensure it can be read by the next generation of users.
The Library of Congress is your library. Like Twitter, it's free to use. So there's an advantage to keeping those throwaway bits of minutia clogging the Web.
If you're an anthropologist, you don't see a tweet as useless at all. Years from now, they will illuminate everyday life in a way we never have been able to do for previous generations.
Just like at home, computers can go down. At the Library of Congress, IT technicians sometimes find themselves in futile arguments with impassive computers. On one keyboard in the storage area, the IT guys jokingly leave spare change in the hopes that they'll appease the computer gods -- in this case, one of the processor towers is nicknamed Minerva, after a landmark mural in the Great Hall of the Library's Thomas Jefferson Building.
We're in the Library of Congress now, too: WalletPop is on Twitter as @walletpopper, and I'm there as @bastable.
Follow WalletPop's Jason Cochran on Facebook.
Watch Jason Cochran's latest video:
Follow WalletPop's Jason Cochran on Facebook.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-20-2010 @ 9:07AM
E. Parker said...
What a waste! I thought this was going to be an interesting article about the room shown in the 'National Treasure II' movie, but no, it was about computer garbage. Instead of something fascinating and incomprehensibly valuable, it was about tripe written by, in some cases, semi-literates.
Reply
5-20-2010 @ 11:03AM
poot said...
True, I think a much better question than "where," is "why?"
5-20-2010 @ 1:06PM
ed said...
you sound like a real winner. I bet the girls are lining up right now.
5-20-2010 @ 9:20AM
james said...
Just one of the first steps to collect information on all of you. Beware big brother, he is alive and dangerously well.
Reply
5-20-2010 @ 11:04AM
poot said...
paranoid much?
5-21-2010 @ 12:51AM
Opihi said...
And Big Brother is alive on these AOL affiliate boards. Yep. Did you know that every comment you've written on ANY AOL board is archived and preserved under your profile? Bet you didn't even know about that profile. They didn't mention it was set up linked to your Email the very first time you posted a comment. Yep. They just said your comment was "verified" ... nothing about a profie or archives.
WARNING ... there is a Hyperlink under your display name on this comment board. Try it. WOW .... isn't that neat?. There's your "profile'.
That profile was created the first time you signed on to ANY comment board on AOL ... and there are almost a hundred of them, including this one. It's linked to your EMail address . Permanently.
Now look at the nice archives of EVERY comment you've ever made, right there on your profile. To be seen by anyone who clicks onto it.
AOL never warned you that whatever name you first used would be DISPLAYED online and on that profile. Even if you later post under a pseudonym .... heck ... that original name is still on your profile. Gee whiz .... they never even warned you a "profile" was being made. Only that your comment had been "verified". Sneaky sneaky ....
Oh yes. If you have an unusual name and you've ever posted anything on LemonDrop, your profile may be picked up by Google Search and you'll be all over the World Wide Web as an independent link. Instant fame?
Nasty Nasty ....
5-20-2010 @ 9:41AM
C said...
More government waste of OUR tax dollars!
Reply
5-20-2010 @ 1:54PM
sarah said...
you can say that again true
5-20-2010 @ 2:20PM
jason.cochran said...
This viewpoint perplexes me. Just how much do you think it costs to transfer digital information to a few disks and leave it there?
5-20-2010 @ 9:55AM
G said...
Sounds like invasion of privacy to me. Be careful what you tweet about tweeters.
Reply
5-20-2010 @ 11:05AM
poot said...
No invasion of privacy... perhaps you need to read the agreement that you so hastily pass over to click the "accept" button some time.
5-21-2010 @ 9:14AM
DealsWithMorons said...
What kind of idiotic comment is 'invasion of privacy"? Its twitter moron. Its a public (re:public not private) forum.
5-20-2010 @ 10:03AM
TR9988 said...
DID THEY FIND SANDY BURGLAR??????
Reply
5-20-2010 @ 10:58AM
Barbara said...
I see some of you are worried about "Big Brother." It's a little late now. There seems to be a wide spread compulsion to tell the world everything, and people have rushed to facebook, twitter, and, of course, computers. We, the people, have endangered our own privacy; no one has forced you to give out this information. Instead of berating Uncle Sam, it would be easier to stop the flow of information at the source.
Reply
5-20-2010 @ 11:06AM
poot said...
Bingo! Someone actually gets it! Thank you Barbara!
5-20-2010 @ 1:54PM
Dave said...
Good post. Most people either don't care, or don't even realize just how they've been trained to put their lives on the internet. THere is still a choice. Either take part in the social networking revolution, or don't. But certainly don't blame the "man" when your running to update your facebook status.
5-20-2010 @ 3:24PM
Sergio said...
hahahaha!! Barbara...you ma'am... are a genius! Could not have said it better myself. People are so concerned as to who is monitoring them on the streets, or in public...yet have no problems going to the internet to post their latest sexual conquests or pictures of them at parties behaving in a way they do not want the public to view them. If you dont want your business out there...then do not post it all over the internet where millions of people can see!!!
5-20-2010 @ 11:34AM
chri said...
haha Dell servers
Reply
5-20-2010 @ 12:13PM
SVA said...
Norice the article doesnt say when this record keeping was started. I have a gues, it is recent.
Reply
5-20-2010 @ 12:14PM
Jim said...
About 70% of those, including me, who type out something. the first 2 or 3 words are blocked out (God know's why, does WalletPop?)' and if the comment goes to a second and third line, it will be partially blocked by whatever that thing is.
Reply