"Nelson H. F. Beebe" <beebe@math.utah.edu> writes:
> I came across an article today about another major industry that has
> been exceedingly careless about preserving its history

It's an extenssion of the hype cycle.  It starts like this:

1. Technology Trigger
2. Peak of Inflated Expectations
3. Trough of Disillusionment
4. Slope of Enlightenment
5. Plateau of Productivity

What is usually not pictured is the rest of the curve:

6. Dip of Sunset Technology.
7. Valley of Obsolete Stuff.
8. Throwing Away of Old Junk.
9. Resurge of Nostalgia.
10. Frantic Search on Ebay.
11. The Even Higher Peak of Collector's Holy Grail.