The NSA has a video recording of a 1982 lecture by Adm. Grace Hopper titled “Future Possibilities: Data, Hardware, Software, and People.” The agency is (so far) refusing to release it.
Basically, the recording is in an obscure video format. People at the NSA can’t easily watch it, so they can’t redact it. So they won’t do anything.
I had to check -
This is a terrible excuse, as can be found by a simple web search that shows sites like this, which is a fantastic site btw.
I’m sure the NSA doesn’t want to transfer a recording that might contain elements they still want to redact to any old outside firm, especially not one outside the U.S. as is your example. In the end I suspect this probably isn’t the only 1-inch open reel tape they would want to transfer to newer media. They would probably want to either bring a unit in-house or go to a facility where they can thoroughly vet the equipment and staff and basically take control for the duration of the project.
Yeah that’s my point really, saying they can’t easily watch it is a cop out because it’s easy to find ways to make it possible. Which includes facilities and equipment such as in my example, but there’s plenty in the US and I’d be surprised if they don’t have their own facility they can hire the equipment into.
The thing that got my interest is the terms used themselves. Why say it’s an old format, rather than or as well as what the format actually is?
The media used, which I quoted, is not unusual itself but it is unusual to be used for a video format. Cinema film is usually 35 or 70mm gauge, and stereo audio is usually half or quarter inch. One inch is more commonly used for multi-track audio recording.
Maybe that’s all there is to it, there being no playback device, but its all rather intriguing, and it feels like there’s more they aren’t saying.
I demand details, goddamn it!