bit rot

See also: bitrot

English

Alternative forms

• bitrot

Noun

bit rot (uncountable)

1. (computing) The putative tendency of content in storage to become corrupt over time.

   Synonyms: bit decay, software rot

   • 2015 February 13, Ian Sample, “Google boss warns of 'forgotten century' with email and photos at risk”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     The rise of gaming has its own place in the story of digital culture, but Cerf warns that important political and historical documents will also be lost to bit rot.

2. (computing) The tendency of software in storage to develop bugs over time due to minor incompatibilities with newer operating environments.

   Synonyms: bit decay, software rot

See also

• disc rot
• data rot
• link rot

Further reading

• data degradation on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• bittor, britot