Backups using compress

[Dan Bernstein]

In article <275A875A.3AB0 at tct.uucp> chip at tct.uucp (Chip Salzenberg) writes:
> According to brnstnd at kramden.acf.nyu.edu (Dan Bernstein):
> >In article <27551FBF.2222 at tct.uucp> chip at tct.uucp (Chip Salzenberg) writes:
> >> I would think twice before using this method for backups.  LZW
> >> compression (i.e. /usr/bin/compress), like most kinds of compression,
> >> is _extremely_ unforgiving of trashed data.  If you lose ONE BYTE, the
> >> rest of the archive will probably be lost permanently.
> >If you want to correct errors, use an error-correcting code.
> Sure, error correction is very nice.  But sometimes data are lost,
> period, no recourse, from the *middle* of a backup.

So what? Do you mean to say that error-correcting codes can't correct
errors?

``But if someone bombs your computer center and all your offsite storage
locations then you probably won't be able to recover the backup.''
Great, Chip. I think I'll waste half the space on every tape just in
case that happens.

---Dan