Project Rhesus FAQ.
By Cybrarians:

Kau Lin
Laughing Fool
Side_fx
Coyote
Cthulu
HaUer
Dr. Frank N. Furter
Kredok


Dinner Menu:

1) DataSquirrels of the Galaxy Unite!
2) What Can Go In
3) Your Basic DataCoffin
4) How To Submit Something


1. DataSquirrels of the Galaxy Unite!

	The idea that we will all die, and our world with us, is 
permeating and constant. With every second, the universe re-creates 
itself from the old, wiping away what was there before. It is for human 
reasons that we look back and hurt from it. We, as humans, need SAMENESS 
and identity. Project RHESUS seeks to preserve the short present that we 
all live in at its inception. 

	DataSquirrels? We are all DataSquirrels. Anybody interested in 
sending a "Message In A Bottle" as The Police so eloquently put it, to 
the future may apply. Essentially, RHESUS seeks out large deposits of 
relevant data and stores them. Even Irrelevant data. Irrelevant data, to 
us here in our idea of the present, may be of endless use to future 
historians/sales execs. 

2. What Goes in...

	An individual may submit anything digital to project RHESUS. We 
provide room for 1 small data storage unit by donation (ie: 1 floppy, 1 
optical disk, 1 tape cartridge) and beyond that the charge is $5 per half 
megabyte. If a person does not have any money to donate, jsut give 
us the disk ok? Concrete material is stored under posterity 
(ie, if you create for Concrete an article on snot, RHESUS stores it.) 

	Genetic samples (ie blood/saliva/etc) are also stored and are 
subject to the same materials above. By donation, or by posterity.

	RHESUS seeks to store masses of data. We have therefore acquired 
many large deposits of information. Tapes of software, mail archives, 
pictures,sounds, commercial software, etc. We seek to store as much as 
possible.

GUIDELINES:

When submitting your data, keep the formats constant. RHESUS guidelines 
are not 'absolute.' If you want to give us an IBM 4561 Quarter Inch MVS 
format tape full of tax data, fine. But it takes up physical 
coffin-space, and if you annoy us, we may say :

"No, Put it in a different format."

This does not apply for floppies. Do whatever you want. PC, Mac, Amiga, 
flipping Os/2. In the future, they'll probably emulate them all.

When submitting a disk, you might consider keeping image formats and 
sound formats constant. We have agreed to the following at RHESUS as 
being your best bet. If you disagree, fine. Its your disk.

Documents: Raw Text (ANSI and ISO), HTML, PostScript
Images: JPEG, .GIF, .FRA (fractal compressed) are recommended
Sound: .WAV, .AU are recommended
Animation: .AVI, MPEG, .MOV are recommended
Encryption: PGP (securest yet), DES
3D: VRML (.wrl), AutoCad

Of course, the more file formats the merrier. You might remember that 
these people will never have worked with a 20th century computer. It will 
be difficult.

We don't care what you put on your data /floppy.

We are leaning towards people using the 'less is more' approach. IE: If 
you have under half a meg, then keeping it on one of our communal CD's 
will be easier and cheaper for everybody. But then again, floppies are cheap.


3. Your Basic DataCoffin

	The DataCoffin, as it is called, or DataCrypt, will be a cylinder 
of approximately 100L capacity, composed of hermetically sealed plastic. 
The plastic is approximately 2.5 cm thick, and may be subject to breach. 
Logically, plastic is best. Even when exposed to the elements, it does 
not break down much except when exposed to UV and sunlight. For this 
reason, the DataCoffin will be buried in sedimentary ground, in a 
Provincial park. The Park officials will be quite pissed off if they find 
out, of course. It will be buried in a place unknown to all except the 
two chosen Cybrarians who will bury it. It will be buried in an area with 
no prospective natural resource/industrial/residential potential as we 
know it. 

	The DataCoffin will be filled and sealed. Its exterior will bear, 
engraved, the words:

"WARNING: HISTORICAL ARTIFACT. PLEASE TAKE TO NEAREST SCIENTIST. CONTAINS 
GENETIC MATERIAL AND RECORDS."

and in smaller letters:

"From the year 1996, greetings. This 
package contains possible sociological/medical danger. Open in the most 
sterile and secure facility possible. Intended for the descendents of 
Earth 1996."

In three languages (Chinese, English, Hebrew)

4. How to Submit Something

Contact The Laughing Fool, at Odyssey BBS (604-261-0309) or maxy@helix.net
Or Contact any member of Concrete. We accept cash donations only, and 
$2-10 is about the range.

-f00l