HG> No they don't.  Just like music cassettes the magnetic information   
   HG> migrates between the rolled up tape layers.   
      
   If you're using digital quality tapes, not the old analog ones, their   
   formulation is different enough to where there's a substantial difference in   
   longetivity compared to the old ones.  The average tape life can be between   
   10-30 years depending on how often they're used.   
      
   See:   
   http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub54/4life_expectancy.html   
      
   There's a reason why tapes are still being used in business, mainly as cold   
   backups.  They do use some tapes for warm and hot backups though, but   
   they're replaced fairly often.   
      
   HG> In this regard CDs and DVDs are better but they aren't perfect either.   
   HG> The silver platters are prone to destroy themselves with age if you   
   HG> don't know the quality of them.   
      
   The average life of a CD/DVD is two to five years.   
      
   See:   
   http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/initiatives/temp-opmedia-faq.html   
      
   HG> Only time will tell you the true quality of the platters so the only way   
   HG> to ensure that the data is reliable is to make new copies of them within   
   HG> their life expectancy. What that is, is unknown ;o)   
      
   It's all in what types of backups you're wanting to do also.  I've used   
   tapes primarily over the past 20 years with the BBS and I've really had good   
   experiences with them.  In fact, I'm being sent a DDS-4 external drive that   
   I'm working on putting into the BBS.   
      
   However, nitpicking aside, any good backup is better than no backup at all,   
   no matter what medium you use to back it up with!   
      
   --Sean   
      
      
      
   --- MBSE BBS v1.0.5.1 (GNU/Linux-i386)   
    * Origin: Outpost BBS * Johnson City, TN, USA (1:18/200)