Have you ever thought about what happens when a file format dies?
Have you ever thought about what happens when a file format dies? Like today we have MP4, WAV, MP3 formats. There have been so many formats in the past for which now no software exists. So when a file format dies, what happens to these files? Let's talk about this in this article because we have seen in the past that there are so many archive files, so many proprietary files—like raw files that cameras used to create—which now simply cannot be opened.
The Software Dies First
First thing that happens when a file format dies is that its software dies first. Meaning, the software needed to open that file stops being made, or is not available in the market, or doesn't run on latest operating systems. And that means that file is now useless. You will double-click on them, nothing will happen because suitable software or applications to open them simply don't exist in the market.
That file exists on your CD, floppy, hard disk, SSD, pen drive—but you cannot open them, cannot use them, cannot see them. So when these files remain, what things are in them? There are raw files from cameras with their proprietary extensions. So if that camera stopped coming, then its proprietary format's software also died, and those images cannot be opened.
Government has so much data that was in old DOC files—which were in old Word or very initial stage office files that used to exist once. Although they support most, but there are so many document formats that now don't open. So those files, records, research papers are now useless. Just taking up storage space, nothing else.
AI Cannot Save Everything
Many people will say that AI can open these files. But reality is not like this, friends. AI is not magic. AI needs examples, only then it can do something. If you don't feed it data, it doesn't get dreams on its own that it can do something. So until you explain to AI the algorithms to open that file, its codecs, and all those things—which there is no way to do because all software, all their proprietary software, mechanisms, algorithms are finished—AI cannot decode them.
That means that file is gone. That data remains in digital graveyard and is of no use to anyone.
Converters Also Die
Next thing that happens is converters start dying. Meaning, when there is no software, a stage comes where if the file format was very popular—like old Word files or whatever documents—then there are converters which are quite expensive. Some rich companies if they have some proprietary code or got something from somewhere, they make converters. Then those converters also start ending. Meaning, you cannot even convert those files into usable format.
And there, the real end begins of those file formats which now you can never open.
The Irony of Modern Technology
Here's an irony I will tell you. Any script written 500 years ago can be decoded today. But a file generated 30 years ago perhaps cannot be opened today. This is the irony. Meaning, what you were writing on paper—even after 500 years because there physical damage happens. Written on stone—brother, even after 1000-2000 years you can decode it. The craftsmanship, the carvings that used to happen earlier, they can still be decoded today.
But think—that file from 30 years ago, you cannot open it now. You cannot see what was in it, what was inside them. If its headers etc. got corrupted, you simply cannot open it. How big and strange thing this is, right? We will call this limitation of modern technology.
Encrypted Files Are Gone Forever
And here, if those files are encrypted, then brother, you forget it. They will never open. Because those files where the encryption keys were—those keys of some particular software's on their server—all are lost now. You lost your key. So that is just a file. It cannot be opened. Just store it and keep. It won't open, nothing. It's garbage, just delete it. It will never open.
And encryption etc. went away with that company which shut down. In the past, there were archivers like KGB Archiver who used to claim in old times that when GTA 4 came, they would compress it brother to 20 MB. I was a kid brother, if 20 GB can be compressed to 20 MB or whatever—so similarly there have been so many file formats which never open, they never used to open anyway, so now they cannot open like this either.
So these are garbage collecting things. That file is gone forever for you. Old census data, old medical files, old research papers, World War related things which perhaps they had put in computer in some format which now can never open—all this data friends is finished.
The Digital Dark Hole
This is what happens friends when a file format ends. That's why it is said that you should choose such formats which will be supported in future, otherwise write on paper and keep, otherwise today's data may not remain tomorrow.
So you must have heard about internet dark hole, right? So this data finally remains in corners of internet's dark hole, occupying useless space, waiting for future—hoping that some technology comes that can open and see them. But sadly, perhaps this will never happen.