in a 2023 hallowstream you mentioned something like "forgetting is good" or something along the lines of forgetting is important alongside preservation and remembering (specifically in the context of archives, and internet, tying into hallowstreams being ephemeral and not put up on youtube) and i was wondering if you had readings that led you to that conclusion!
hello yes -- this is something that i think about a lot, actually, as someone who is a huge proponent of forgetful data. i've separated my answer into three parts: forgetting hallowstream, forgetting data, and data afterlives. below is a rambling essay that intermingles my own feelings about growing up online, digital recordkeeping, and how the internet became a marketing tool instead of an archive... but at the end i have a far more practical bibliography/recommended reading list.
also if anyone can define a "dead presidents letter" in this context that would help me
thank you for thinking about digital preservation efforts and for asking questions about it! i am happy to clarify, but @h-m-m has pretty much nailed it. i can expand: