etoy.CORPORATION 2007

DATA STORAGE

MISSION ETERNITY is a social memory system to maximize long term existence and visibility of ARCANUM CAPSULES. M∞ will be maintained by hundreds or thousands of independent individuals who are emotionally involved and attached to the content of the project. This MISSION ETERNITY ANGELS contribute a small part of their digital storage to the project (at least 50 MB), build new M∞ BRIDGES (output channels for M∞ DATA) and pass M∞ on to their children or friends - the next generation of angels.

The resistant data architecture is not based on sophisticated and expensive storage hardware but on massive public distribution and redundancy.

Emotional involvement of M∞ ANGELS (the hosts and protectors of M∞), sustainable documentation, publicly available components and code (licensed as Free software, Creative Commons etc.), various legal strategies including a public trust holding financial securities to operate a minimal infrastructure on the long run and stable backup partners (art collections, libraries and governmental archives) maximize the life span and accessibility of MISSION ETERNITY DATA.

M∞ is built on Free software and public licenses to guarantee the flow of knowledge and data required to keep the encapsulated M∞ PILOTS and the project alive. All technical or legal impediments to this flow must be overcome or avoided. A multilayer backup plan involving very different stakeholders (private users, institutions etc.) with different interests increase the chance for survival of the project.

M∞ will only be functional if it becomes a cult that is deeply embedded in a community of committed M∞ ANGELS on different continents and with different cultural backgrounds (art as we know it today will disappear sooner or later). To reach this goal M∞ depends on artistically strong and multifaceted manifestations: M∞ BRIDGES (installations such as the M∞ SARCOPHAGUS) displaying, broadcasting, linking and transforming MISSION ETERNITY CONTENT (ARCANUM CAPSULES). The artistic quality and cultural relevance of all MISSION ETERNITY components is a key to the success of the foolhardy operation.

The plan to survive is to hack deep into culture.