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Specialist Collectiedocumentatie bij het IISG, Amsterdam

Het Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis is op zoek naar een Specialist Collectiedocumentatie, zie de vacature hier.

Emulatie van Microsoft Multiplan spreadsheets uit de jaren '80 in DOSBox-X

Voor de liefhebbers - ik heb gisteren een blogje gepubliceerd over de emulatie van antieke Microsoft Multiplan spreadsheets in de DOSBox-X emulator: Emulating Microsoft Multiplan spreadsheets in DOSBox-X

In search of green AI

This is blog 17 in the blog series about Green IT. The previous blog post outlined how AI uses shocking amounts of energy and water. A lot of research is therefore being done to find (more) sustainable ways to apply AI. In this blog post, we examine the possibilities for green AI. We start by looking at the Four Ms of machine learning, a model that offers important guidelines for the reduction of AI energy consumption. We then transpose those ...

The paradox of AI’s environmental impact: what you need to know

This is blog 16 in the blog series about Green IT. On 10 October 2023, an article was published with the fairly disturbing title (translated from Dutch): “Energy-guzzling AI: power consumption could equal that of the Netherlands four years from now”. The article was based on research by Dutch consultant and researcher Alex de Vries, who showed that if artificial intelligence is embraced throughout the world, its energy consumption will rapidly...

AI is not a new thing in digital heritage

This is blog 15 in the blog series about Green IT. Heritage organisations have been using AI for many years to make their digital collections accessible and searchable in new ways and to allow more people to discover, explore and make use of cultural treasures. In this blog, we look at how the heritage sector is already using AI, and discuss a few example projects. Applications in the heritage sector Applying AI is actually not a new developme...

Introducing Artificial Intelligence: friend or foe?

This is blog 14 in the blog series about Green IT. Since the launch of Chat GPT in late 2021, use of this chatbot has skyrocketed. No less than 100 million users registered in the first two months after the launch, giving a huge boost to the use of artificial intelligence. Microsoft and Alfabet (Google’s parent company) quickly followed with similar chatbots: Bing Chat and Bard. While the potential of AI seems boundless, it comes with consider...

Green software: Measuring to understand and to improve

This is blog 13 in the blog series on Green IT. To measure is to know, certainly where CO2 emissions are concerned. Since the late 1990s, organisations have pursued a uniform method to measure their footprint. This makes it possible to compare data and encourages organisations to take specific steps toward improvement. When using green software, it is vital to understand how your organisation’s efforts are contributing to reducing energy consu...

Green software: Extend the lifespan of your (used) IT equipment

This is blog 12 in the blog series about Green IT. Did you know that the lion’s share of the CO2 footprint of IT equipment is attributable to the production phase? When measuring the impact of ICT, it is therefore important to also consider the production of the hardware you use. This includes things like the servers in the data centre, the laptop and mobile phone you use, and the cables required to transport the data. In the previous two blog...

Green software: Do more when the electricity is cleaner

This is blog 11 in the blog series about Green IT. Although the proportion of green energy is growing in the Netherlands, currently just 40% of our energy comes from renewable sources (1). The lion’s share is still generated using fossil fuels, also known as ‘grey energy’. Green energy isn’t always sufficiently available and remains dependent on weather conditions. The third principle of green software concerns creative solutions to better mat...

Green software: less energy = less CO2 emission

This is blog 10 in a series about Green IT. ​​ Imagine you download a new app, and suddenly your battery runs out much more quickly than previously. The cause: poorly programmed software. This is, in miniature, what also happens on a grand scale: in data centres and on the internet. Poorly programmed or incorrectly used software contributes to the ICT sector’s carbon footprint. How? We will explore this in the coming blogs about green software...

Actualisatie VNG Meerjarenplan - deadline 1 juli 2025!

De Wet open overheid (Woo) verplicht alle overheidsorganen een meerjarenplan op te stellen over het op orde brengen van de digitale informatiehuishouding. Namens de Nederlandse gemeenten stelt de VNG dit plan op. Het huidige meerjarenplan loopt in basis tot mei 2027, maar er zijn meerdere redenen om het meerjarenplan te actualiseren. Het onderwerp heeft politiek/bestuurlijke aandacht en tegelijkertijd is in de praktijk het moeizaam om de te ...

Data storage in glass: Superman has already been immortalised

This is blog 9 in the blog series about Green IT. The last innovative storage technique that does seem promising, certainly for digital heritage, uses glass. Microsoft has been researching this possibility for several years now, in its Project Silica. Researchers use specially manufactured glass to store large amounts of data for the long-term and in a sustainable manner. In this blog we explain how this method works. (1) Project Silica starte...

Data storage in atoms: science fiction or future reality?

This is blog 8 in the blog series about Green IT. Atoms, the tiniest particles on earth, could spark a revolution in data storage. Just imagine: storing one thousand times as much information on current hard disks. The high data density of atoms will make it possible to store the entire iTunes library of 35 million songs (1) on a device the size of a credit card. This blog describes how it works and looks at the pros and cons of this storage m...

Data storage in synthetic DNA: coding and decoding in secret code

This is blog 7 in the blog series about Green IT. Visitors to the Archive Days 2023, organised by the Royal Association of Archivists in the Netherlands (KVAN), will remember the fascinating story by researcher Dina Zielinski about storing data in synthetic DNA. She also explains it clearly in her TED talk on YouTube (1). Despite the advanced stage of research, the costs of storage in DNA remains an obstacle. Nevertheless, the technology is ex...

The quest for sustainable alternatives to disks and tapes

To store 1% of the world’s data: what does that cost in terms of CO2 emission?

This is blog 5 in the blog series about Green IT. We are heading towards a data explosion. In 2026, the amount of data worldwide will likely exceed the number of sand grains found on all beaches worldwide. This massive amount of data will largely be stored in the cloud, with huge CO2 emissions as a result. This prospect is a source of great concern for the discipline of digital preservation. In this blog we discuss the hypothetical CO2 impact ...

The hidden impact of cloud storage

This is blog 4 in the blog series on Green IT. The previous blog post looked at the immense growth of digital data. We also saw that a vast amount of these data (some 80 per cent) are never again used after being created. In this blog we will examine the cloud, which is where these data usually end up. We will also look at the ecological impact of this omnipresent storage method on the climate. Wolf in sheep’s clothing While a ‘cloud’ conjures...

The digital databerg

This is blog 3 in the blog series on Green IT. Did you ever think about the huge amount of data being generated worldwide, minute after minute? Since 2013, the 'Data Never Sleeps Infographic' offers stark insight. For example, for each minute in 2022 we sent 231.4 million emails, shared 66,000 photographs on Instagram, and uploaded 500 hours of video to YouTube. Astonishing numbers, certainly when you consider that all these data end up in dif...

The need for a sustainability framework for the heritage sector

This is blog 2 in the blog series about Green IT. This blog post is the second part of an introduction to Green IT. In the first part we gave a definition of Green IT and emphasised how the ICT sector has a negative impact on the environment due to its high energy consumption, the use of non-renewable resources, and the considerable amount of electronic waste. But we also showed how digitalisation can contribute positively to environmental iss...

IT’s double role in sustainability

This is blog 1 in the blog series about Green IT For many organisations in the Netherlands, sustainability as part of corporate social responsibility is a priority issue. Many efforts are made in terms of energy saving and climate transition. We are switching to electric cars, our bicycle or public transport, use green energy, serve only vegetarian lunches, recycle our waste, and so on. But did you know that IT contributes substantially to env...