Consider adding ieterna Archive storage in addition to your personal storage for lasting content.
| Personal Backup | ieterna Foundation Archive | |
| Storage | Data resides on your personal computer, external disk, cloud storage, or printed materials. | Data resides on ieterna servers in multiple geographic locations as well as backup copies on physical media. |
| Format | Data may be in multiple formats. File formats evolve and some data may be difficult or impossible to access in the future if you don’t also keep a copy of the original programs you used to create the files. | Data is converted to open-source archive formats used by major libraries and universities. File formats can always be migrated to new technologies in the future. |
| Accessibility | Use your own computer software to navigate, search, read documents, view images or playback audio and video. Not everyone may have the software required to view all files. | Use free, open-source software through ieterna websites to navigate, search, read documents, view images or playback audio and video. Data is always accessible and can be downloaded or printed from any computer that can access the internet. |
| Backup | Data backup is self-managed. Your external disks or CD’s can get lost or damaged and data transferred to your computer is subject to loss due to hardware failure or malicious software damage. | ieterna maintains complete data backups in multiple geographic locations as well as physical media to protect against loss. |
| Distribution | Distribution is self-managed. You determine how many copies are made and who gets them. | Free, worldwide public internet access for your published materials, now and in the future. Works in progress can be private. |
| Editing | Adding or editing data requires redistribution to everyone with existing copies. | Data can be added or edited through the ieterna website and is immediately available. |
| Life | Manufacturers claim life spans from 30 to 100 years depending on the disk technology, handling and storage. This guarantees someone will have to make copies regularly in the future for your works to last. Who will do that? | ieterna foundation’s goal is to make your works freely and publicly available, preserve and migrate to new technologies, forever. Your works will always be remembered. |
