---
author:
    email: mail@petermolnar.net
    image: https://petermolnar.net/favicon.jpg
    name: Peter Molnar
    url: https://petermolnar.net
copies:
- http://web.archive.org/web/20190624130015/https://petermolnar.net/re-digital-memories/
in-reply-to: http://rhiaro.co.uk/2015/07/digital-memories
lang: en
published: '2015-11-11T11:28:18+00:00'
tags:
- internet

---

> Collectively, the Web-privileged world is recording an insane amount
> of unstructured personal data; so many fleeting thoughts and feelings
> and desires and needs. Where did this come from? Didn't we used to
> manage fine without?

A bit to read: "[We, the Web Kids by Piotr
Czerski](http://pastebin.com/0xXV8k7k)"

> If we're not going to do that, we should probably focus on living in
> the moment a bit more. I feel like that is healthier, but it goes
> against my impulse to (at least try to) record and permanently store
> everything.

We, as living beings, are ephemeral. Some of our data might worth to
outlive us, but most of it probably doesn't. It is indeed important to
live and enjoy those moments. *Some would say those are the moments
dreamers refer to as happiness, so the struggle to archive them could
easily invalidate that happiness factor.*

If you manage to archive without effort ( see: The best interface is no
interface by Golden Krishna[^1] ) that is probably best of both worlds,
and might take the burden off. Thought in my belief, it's still futile:
you can't re-live everything you forget, since after a while it'd take
longer to revive the memories than the time you have left in this world.

[^1]: <https://www.theverge.com/2015/3/17/8103593/golden-krishna-best-interface-is-no-interface-excerpt>