Now you're charming me?
No....but I am not taking you bait, either.:-)
I still have plies of proprietary raw data (and PCD's) I can't access. This problem has happened! It is a part of this industries history. Maybe it hasn't happened to you so the premise is difficult to swallow (I don't know why, is it unimaginable to you that some of us have old raw files we can't access?)
That is unfortunate for you. I do not know if you could have taken actions in the past to convert or avoid the current state. Only you can honestly know, whether you would ever admit to any fault in your current status is another question. However, others have posted that it IS possible to convert, so you CAN access...you just have to decide if it is important enough to expend the effort.
There are no problems backing up DNG's! You have to back them up which in itself is (to some) a problem time wise. Because as you update the data, the backup app see it's changed and of course it wants to back up an entire document when a tiny bit of metadata changes. So what Jeff does is work on his camera originals and only the tiny sidecar files get backed up (quickly). If he did what I do, he'd have to back up the entire DNG. That may be a problem for some, it isn't for me because this all happens in the middle of the night automatically. I'm also not dealing with the number of images Jeff is. So is there a problem? Not really. You can do what I do or you can do what Jeff does. You realize the same is true if you open an image in Photoshop and change a single pixel. The entire document is tagged for backup.
As I said, I did not bring this up as an issue...stop beating ME up for it.
Not at all (yes we covered it). I expect a prefect world where all photographers recognize that hundreds of proprietary raw formats can be problematic for others, that a solution is easy and that the more of us that put pressure on the companies we do buy from, the more likely a change we wish will result. That's the bottom line!
This is not a perfect world. It is a practical world. Mostly driven by economic factors. I asked you, "What would you expect me to do to change their mind....stop buying their stuff?" Your answer is not actionable. I will not stop buying Canon, and as long they only offer CR2, I will continue to use it. DNG, until an industry standard available from the camera buys me nothing.
Here lies our basic disagreement! Your attitude appears to be, nothing can be done. Further early in this discussion, you didn't seem to care much that it does affect others.
Not true...something can be done, but as I said, it needs to be B2B, "in the back rooms and the board rooms".
As I recall, the only instances you stated as effecting "others" where those compaining that they had to wait a short time for Adobe support of there new camera and those who complained that they were forced to buy the Adobe upgrade to get the support (though with some minor effort, they could use DNG converter....which still would not give them new features and, in my opinion would be shortsighted)
.I've seen changes in this industry from outside many companies.
Most changes to companies from the outside are mostly due to economic, i.e. market forces. Changing buying patterns, better "widgets, etc....not consumer voices....unless the consumer buys something else which is better (not boycotting...having better or different choices)
The differences between us is that with all the text we've typed over the last few days, one of us is very vocal about change the other would rather argue what we have is acceptable. The current condition IMHO isn't acceptable!
The CURRENT condition is acceptable....pragmatically, IT WORKS.
I thought you were concerned about the future condition....archiving, etc....which as others have said, is much bigger than just a RAW format...but again, we discussed that.
Go work the board rooms and back rooms....when/if an open standard comes ouy, I will use it. Then, I will only have to worry that the wonderful Lightroom code will continue to be available.