Ben Waber reviewed Archiving Machines by Amelia Acker
An Engaging Tour Through Digital Data History
4 stars
This is an engaging examination of the history of digital data storage, focusing on technologies and initiatives centering that paradigm. This is most clear when Acker is analyzing more centralized systems, particularly early US government attempts to create vast databases that posed varying privacy risks. As we get closer to the modern day the analytical throughline becomes a bit muddied, although what does remain clear is how data is stored and controlled is deeply sociotechnical. Highly recommend