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So are the bits of our lives

30 April 2008

Microsoft researcher Gordon Bell (pictured with Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology Professor Ron Weber) is "digitally immortalising" himself on computer as part of the MyLifeBits experiment.

Imagine recording every moment of your day-to-day life and storing it on your home computer.

That's exactly what Microsoft researcher Gordon Bell is doing as part of the MyLifeBits experiment, which aims to supplement human memory, create digital immortality and eliminate clutter.

More than 70 people attended a seminar and workshop at Caulfield to hear Mr Bell speak about MyLifeBits and his experiences in setting up a computer history museum in the US.

The event was organised by the Faculty of Information Technology, Monash Museum of Computing History, Centre for Organisational and Social Informatics and the Monash University e-Research Centre.

MyLifeBits started in 1999 when Mr Bell started scanning everything he has accumulated, written, photographed and presented and storing it in a database.

"In 2005 I started using a SenseCam around my neck," Mr Bell said. "This takes a photograph every 20 seconds and then reproduces the images in a time lapse format.

"I save around a gigabyte of information every month and think I'll eventually fill around one terabyte of storage space.

Mr Bell is also a foundation Board member of the Computer History Museum, which aims to preserve and present artefacts and stories from the Information Age.

He started collecting early computer material when he was working at Digital Equipment Corporation.

This collection became the basis for the Computer History Museum which is now housed in Silicon Valley, California. It is one of the largest computer museums in the world.

Mr Bell said it was important to record the experiences of people involved in the development of computing history.

"The Computer History Museum now has a large collection of interviews which complements their collection of artefacts," Mr Bell said.

"The Museum is also providing access to these resources through a "cyber museum."

For more information visit the MyLifeBits website or the Monash Museum of Computing History website.