One thing I have been pondering a bit lately is the wear and tear that inevitably happens to things in the analog world. We all own things that are very dear to us. Some of them we (or others before us) have used for a long time. A book that has been read a thousand times. The favorite pair of jeans that feels just right. A chair that looks too worn to sit on. Both the look and feel of these things signify that they have been significant objects that have induced a lot of use.

Wear and tear also often serve as reminders. They remind us of significant events or people that are somehow connected with the objects. There are also some things that we appreciate even more as they get older. Wine, cheese and vintage instruments, to name a few.

There is no grace in the degradation of digital things. Either you have a digital object or you do not. Even copies will look and feel exactly like the original. In a sense, there are no antiques when it comes to digital. You might be able to distinguish older digital objects from never ones by its design, but then again the old one could have been made to look old on purpose.

My question is, should we start to design degradation into digital objects, so that the old and new could be distinguished? And is that even possible?