My Time Capsule(s)--Part 2

Ok, so in my last post on this subject, I laid out my capsule(s)' mission (goals).  In this blog post, I will discuss what type of capsule(s) I would use and why...

Until recently, I would not have ruminated on what type of vessel(s) I would use for a time capsule(s).  Oh, I might have debated the size and shape of the thing; however, in the end, I would have definitely chosen a box or some other, material container.  I would not have given any thought to using a virtual storage method.  All of that changed a few years ago when I became swept up in the Internet Revolution.

Until the Internet Revolution (or perhaps more broadly speaking, the Technology Revolution), people lived almost exclusively in the material realm--the world that they could feel, touch, and see.  Some men and women might have looked to the supernatural world for guidance or they may have spent a significant amount of their focus on the mental realm; however, if men and women wanted to interact with each other, they had to rely exclusively on the material world.  They could write each other, call each other, touch each other, speak to each other; however, they could not interact through telepathy and transmission by prayer (if possible) was quite sporadic.  All of their possessions, at least the ones that they could exhibit to others, were made of some substance--a physical material.  The same thing held true for their memories and records, which were compiled with paint, pen, camera, or phonograph recorder.

Beginning in the mid-90s (or maybe before that time), people started using a new medium--a virtual one.  They communicated via the Internet, which was nowhere and everywhere at once.  They would e-mail each other, or communicate with each other on message boards, or talk to each other in chat rooms.  This virtual world occupied another sphere; while people could make material copies (via disk or on drives), they did not have to do so.  As the Internet Age advanced and on-line gaming and social media came of age, humankind (at least some portion of it) became more and more intertwined with the virtual--they created virtual personalities, had virtual relationships, etc.  I think this virtual world is here to stay and will be a much greater part of our lives (for whoever is around) in 100 years.

So, I will use two time capsules.  The first capsule will consist of a 3' X 3' foot metal box, which will be buried in a specific location and opened up in 100 years time.  I will also create a website that will hold some of my most precious, virtual "items."  It will remain dark until a certain day/time in 2112.  I will endow a trust fund with enough money to ensure that the someone opens the box and activates the website in 100 years.  Of course, technology will change; perhaps the Internet will change as well.  With that in mind, I will empower the trust to do whatever is necessary to keep the website's format/structure up-to-date; the trustees have the power to move the website to a new, virtual medium if necessary. 

The trustees will also be responsible for creating marketing campaigns and other strategies designed to get the public interested in the grand opening in 2112.  They might achieve this result through any number of means (perhaps even through a game/treasure hunt).  I will leave that particular detail up to them....To be continued.

Clip art courtesy of Microsoft Office.