More than at any point in history private citizens find themselves preoccupied with the task of cultural preservation. The motivations are rather obvious. All too many recent works, especially digital ones, have been utterly lost.

We watched television shows and movies in our youth which will never be seen again. We spent hours creating entire worlds on digital platforms that can not be revisited—my GeoCities site among them. So much of the media we pay for is encumbered with DRM, offering no certainty of how long it will be available.

In response, some people are hoarding. I know many who insist on buying physical media despite the added expense and hassle. Others fill hard drives with more media than can be consumed in a lifetime. These collections can offer peace of mind, but do little to answer the question of long term preservation.

When the question does arise, only the threat of mother nature seems to get meaningful consideration, and only technological solutions are considered. Paper items are sealed in mylar to prevent oxidation and yellowing. Picture frames have UV blocking glass to prevent color desaturation. Digital archives are backed up in several locations. Some even go so far as to use obscure formats like M-Disc.

These measures are effective and necessary. Many important items would be lost if we allowed them to be exposed. While entropy is a threat, in my view it is a minor one. If we want something to last and be enjoyed for generations, we should be primarily concerned with fighting against indifference.

Consider the mummy. Egyptians used the best techniques available to protect the corpses of their pharaohs. Those methods worked, otherwise the sarcophagi would be filled with dust today. But mummification alone was not sufficient. Many tombs were defiled over the centuries. The culture extinct, few living people knew or cared to protect them. The only reason mummies are still intact today is because living people took an interest in them before it was too late. If in another millennium humanity again loses interest in ancient Egypt, then all could be lost.

This is why the most important task is not archival, but exhibition. When people are exposed to mummies, fossils, paintings, or even grandma’s spoon collection, they begin to care. That sentiment is the best weapon to defeat indifference.

I have created a lot of things in my time, and plan to create much more while I can. What will come of it when I pass on? Even if my family line were to continue, would my descendants care to save anything? How much of our ancestors work do any of us possess today? I have very few items that belonged to my grandparents, who I knew in life. We recently cleaned out my family home, and most things are going to be discarded. I don’t even see fit to keep the remnants of my own life, so why would anyone else?

If people truly care about cultural preservation they should put their greatest efforts towards exhibition. I have seen some great examples of this in the video game space. The Video Game History Foundation has been very successful at getting other enthusiasts excited about their work. Art of Nintendo Power also does a great job of sharing their collection with the public. Organizations such as these should be the model for the rest of us to follow.

There is no point in so carefully protecting material goods just for them to be discarded when we are gone. Only by ensuring that other younger stewards wish to carry on our work can we have any hope of establishing a legacy that is not forgotten.