Mankind has been dealing with words for thousands and thousands of years,
from the clay tablets of the Sumerians to present day documents in
Microsoft Word. While, I cannot view the plays of George Ade written
during the 1800s and I cannot see the plays as they were preformed by the
ancient Greeks and while maybe the written words (and the reconstructions
created there from) pale in comparison, at least I have those words to
view.  One hundred years from now they might not be able to view our
videos, mpgs, and other formats that go along with our T/Ds, or even if
they can it may be prohibitively expensive in time and money to so.  But
even so, they will be able to read the archival paper copy and reconstruct
what they want from there.

>
> Does it seem possible to you that the writing space can evolve in ways
> that cannot be depicted within one inch margins.
> Can the writing experience be as important as whether or not it's read?
>
>

Can the "writing space" expand?  Of course.  Should such things be saved
if possible?  Of course.  Can the writing experience be as important than
whether or not it is read?  Who's to say.  It is not our job as an
archivist to moralize and decide.  It is our job to preserve the form, and
while preserving the "expanded"  form you talk about is good and need,
with the written form we have a more stable  platform with a better chance
of surviving.  This will help ensure our information  makes it through to
the next generations.

James Beaven
Library Assistant V
Special Collections, Archives, and Thesis Deposit
Purdue University