Editing Data storage (section)

==Recording media==<!--Recording medium, record medium and others redirect here-->
A recording medium is a physical material that holds information. Newly created information is distributed and can be stored in four storage media–print, film, magnetic, and optical–and seen or heard in four information flows–telephone, radio and TV, and the Internet<ref name="Berk2003">{{cite web
 |url=http://groups.ischool.berkeley.edu/archive/how-much-info-2003/
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208212331/http://groups.ischool.berkeley.edu/archive/how-much-info-2003/printable_report.pdf
 |archive-date=December 8, 2017
 |title=HOW MUCH INFORMATION 2003?
 |last1=Lyman  |first1=Peter
 |last2=Varian |first2=Hal R.
 |date=October 23, 2003
 |publisher=UC Berkeley, School of Information Management and Systems
 |access-date=November 25, 2017 }}</ref> as well as being observed directly.  Digital information is stored on [[electronic media]] in many different [[recording format]]s.

With [[electronic media]], the data and the recording media are sometimes referred to as "software" despite the more common use of the word to describe [[computer software]]. With ([[Media (arts)|traditional art]]) static media, [[art materials]] such as [[crayon]]s may be considered both equipment and medium as the wax, charcoal or chalk material from the equipment becomes part of the surface of the medium.

Some recording media may be temporary, either by design or by nature. [[Volatile organic compound]]s may be used to [[Sustainable design|preserve the environment]] or to purposely make data expire over time.  Data such as [[smoke signal]]s or [[skywriting]] are temporary by nature. Depending on the volatility, a [[gas]] (e.g. [[atmosphere]], [[smoke]]) or a liquid surface such as a [[lake]] would be considered a temporary recording medium if at all.