️ Choosing the right long-term storage media is part of protecting your data from degradation or other forms of loss. But it's not just about the media.

Common storage methods such as CDs, DVDs, memory cards, and USB drives are susceptible to wear and loss of data over time. Even SSDs, a more expensive flash memory option, are not guaranteed to last for decades. The most reliable option appears to be traditional spinning hard drives, which have demonstrated durability over long periods of time. What is essential is to periodically transfer data from old storage media to newer technologies to avoid data loss. Also consider the longevity of file formats. Ubiquitous formats like .docx and PDF will likely remain accessible in the future, but obscure formats could become unreadable. Cloud storage is another useful solution, but should be treated as an "additional" backup, given potential account takeovers or service outages. Finally, although paper retains data without technological interference, it is vulnerable to environmental damage. Essentially, the key to long-term data preservation lies in redundancy and regular data migration.

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