Obscura FlowContactGlossary
Twenty-two terms defined in one sentence each, with why they matter and what Obscura Flow does about them.
The property of a digital file whose content has not changed between two checks.
Why it mattersA file can degrade silently on a disk without triggering any alert. Without fixity checking, corruption is discovered exactly when the file was needed.
In Obscura FlowScheduled fixity audits recompute digests and compare them against the archive manifest.
Read moreA document listing every file in an archive together with its cryptographic digest.
Why it mattersThe manifest is the reference state: without it, you cannot demonstrate that a copy matches the original.
In Obscura FlowEvery archive package carries a SHA-256 manifest covering all of its files.
Read moreA hash function producing a 256-bit digest that changes if a single byte changes.
Why it mattersComparing two digests is instant, while comparing two files byte by byte is expensive across terabytes.
In Obscura FlowUsed for deduplication on import and for the digests in the archive manifest.
Read moreAn elliptic-curve digital signature scheme, fast and compact.
Why it mattersA digest proves content has not changed; a signature additionally proves who sealed it.
In Obscura FlowEvery archive is Ed25519-signed, and the signature is verified before any restore.
Read moreProgressive alteration of a file on its medium, with no error reported by the system.
Why it mattersIt is the most dangerous loss mode: the corrupted file copies normally and replaces good versions in every backup.
In Obscura FlowPeriodic audits catch the drift before it propagates to off-site copies.
Read moreThe state of a file format current software can no longer open.
Why it mattersAn intact but unreadable file is lost as surely as a deleted one.
In Obscura FlowFormat validation flags files whose future readability is at risk.
Read moreAn architecture where data lives on the user's device, with the network optional.
Why it mattersAccess to your images then depends on neither a connection, nor a subscription, nor a third-party service continuing to exist.
In Obscura FlowThe catalog opens offline with no account; cloud features only serve what you enable.
Read moreA companion file holding an image's metadata, stored next to the original.
Why it mattersIt allows enriching the description without rewriting the original, which is essential for proprietary RAW files.
In Obscura FlowAll enriched metadata is written to sidecars; the original is never modified.
Read moreTechnical metadata written by the camera: date, exposure, lens, sometimes location.
Why it mattersIt is the only context layer produced automatically, and often the only one surviving several migrations.
In Obscura FlowRead through ImageIO, and ExifTool when present, then indexed and searchable.
Read moreA descriptive metadata standard for press and photography: caption, author, rights, location.
Why it mattersIt is the vocabulary agencies, newsrooms, and image libraries can read without conversion.
In Obscura FlowIPTC fields are read, edited, and written to sidecars alongside the other metadata layers.
Read moreRecognition of text present in an image, turned into searchable text.
Why it mattersIn archives, photographed text — signs, documents, annotations on the back — often carries the most precise context.
In Obscura FlowOCR runs on the device through Apple Vision and feeds full-text search.
Read moreA hierarchical list of validated terms used to describe a collection consistently.
Why it mattersWithout controlled vocabulary, synonyms and variants fragment search results and make the corpus incoherent.
In Obscura FlowFree keywords can be promoted into the thesaurus after review.
Read moreA set defined by a rule rather than a list, whose contents update automatically.
Why it mattersA manual selection ages as soon as images are added; a rule stays correct without maintenance.
In Obscura FlowManual, smart, and nested collections coexist without moving originals.
Read moreDetecting identical files by comparing digests rather than names.
Why it mattersThe same file often exists under several names and in several folders: comparing names is not enough.
In Obscura FlowSHA-256 deduplication runs on import, before duplicates enter the catalog.
Read moreAn image visually very close to another without being an identical file.
Why it mattersBursts and export variants inflate a collection without adding anything, yet no digest relates them.
In Obscura FlowOn-device analysis groups near-duplicates so a decision can be made.
Read moreKeep three copies of your data, on two types of media, with one off-site.
Why it mattersIt covers the three most common loss modes: hardware failure, human error, and a local disaster.
In Obscura FlowGuided backup to S3, Backblaze B2, Cloudflare R2, NAS, or a local folder.
Read moreA copy kept in a location physically separate from the original.
Why it mattersA fire, a flood, or a theft takes every copy held within the same walls.
In Obscura FlowRemote destinations are configurable, with resume for interrupted transfers.
Read moreExtracting an archive after checking its integrity and signature.
Why it mattersRestoring a corrupted archive over healthy files turns an incident into permanent loss.
In Obscura FlowThe signature is checked before extraction, with conflict options and overwrite safeguards.
Read moreA set of fifteen documentary description elements, designed for exchange between catalogs.
Why it mattersIt is the smallest common denominator between documentary systems, which is what allows a collection to enter a union catalog.
In Obscura FlowRecords export to Dublin Core to feed a catalog or an external portal.
Read moreThe documented chain of origins, ownership, and successive transfers of a work.
Why it mattersFor a heritage item, provenance is part of the work: it determines authenticity and value.
In Obscura FlowProvenance and location history are documented alongside the image itself.
Read moreA critical, exhaustive inventory of an artist's works, with description and provenance.
Why it mattersIt is the reference document for study, appraisal, and the market around a photographic body of work.
In Obscura FlowBodies of work can be exported as a structured catalogue raisonné.
Read moreA unique, permanent identifier assigned to an item when it enters a collection.
Why it mattersFile names change and folders get reorganized: only a stable identifier allows citing an item durably.
In Obscura FlowNumbering in PREFIX_YEAR_sequence form, independent of the file name.
Read moreDecision
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