Hi All,
I came across a page which neatly summarises the issues of creation date h=
andling on Win2K, Mac OSX, and Linux from an archival perspective. It's wo=
rthwhile (perhaps even compulsory) reading for anyone who is relying on cre=
ation dates as the primary time stamp on their files.
http://thomas.kiehnefamily.us/whats_in_a_creation_date
"Each of these experiments shows how the assumptions of the software makers=
dictates the behavior of what seem to be common sense concepts, thus threa=
tening the validity of assumptions we make while using them. In the case of=
Windows, the assumption is that any copy operation creates a new file and =
is treated as a new object, but leaves behind a paradoxical situation where=
the modification date precedes creation. In Macintosh, every copy of a fil=
e, so long as it is made on a compatible volume, can be traced back to the =
original object by creation date -- in essence, every copy of a Macintosh f=
ile is simply a new version, not a new object. Linux, on the other hand, re=
pairs the Windows dichotomy by bringing the modification date forward with =
each new object instance.
At the surface, we may want to proclaim that filesystem metadata cannot be =
trusted and debate the merits of ignoring it completely. This is understand=
able, but perhaps a bit hasty. It might be better to consider filesystem me=
tadata as helpful to the extent that it has been properly maintained during=
the record's lifetime. Since creation and modification dates support authe=
nticity it only seems fitting that our treatment of their apparent flaws sh=
ould derive from similar concepts. In other words, the lessons of this expe=
riment should not only guide the handling of digital objects in a repositor=
y setting, but in assessing the reliability of filesystem metadata as gener=
ated in the originating environment. If the recordkeeping systems that gene=
rated the digital objects, including policies and documented procedures out=
side the systems, if any, can be assessed, then the metadata accompanying t=
he objects may be salvageable. Without such knowledge, though, it is wise t=
o treat any and all filesystem metadata with prejudice."
cheers
Paul
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