Last year, my desktop computer caught a virus and became unusable.

While this doesn’t amount to the destruction of the Great Library of Alexandria, it sure felt like that for me.

Gone was every paper I wrote in high school and all of my music that I obtained over the previous five years.

 I’d say that this incident cemented my love of physical media over digital formats.

Primarily, if I have something an album on disc, it’s mine for life.

For example, if my PlayStation 3 ever broke down, I could buy a new unit and then play “Mass Effect 2” on that.

Even 15 years from now, I can play the same game on my ancient PS3.

At the same time, “Mass Effect 2” is available for download from Sony’s online service, the PlayStation Network.

If the PSN is taken offline, the data would be deleted and no more “Mass Effect 2” for me.

I’ve also heard stories from Reddit of users of a popular online video game distributer, Steam, losing access to all of their games because they violated Steam’s terms of service by attempting to sell some of the games.

Another thing physical media has over digital media is the ability to sell it.

A friend of mine bought Lil Wayne’s newest album, “Tha Carter IV,” on CD.

However, after listening to it twice and seeing that music review website Pitchfork gave it a 6.2 out 10, he decided to sell the album.

Now imagine if my friend had bought it off iTunes.

How would he be able to recoup his poor investment?

You can’t sell MP3 files. He would have been at a loss.

While physical media gives you rights that digital media denies, it takes up a lot of space.

If you were to see my shelf, you’d think I have a hoarding problem.

It’s literally overflowing with video games, movies and music.

Let’s just say that Sonic Youth is next to Led Zeppelin, Lady Gaga and beneath Waka Flocka Flame on my shelf.

Meanwhile, my external hard drive on the opposite side of the room currently holds about four times as much music as my shelf and takes up very little space.

The hard drive also organizes things too.

Waka Flocka Flame is above Weezer, which is fitting because “Flockaveli” is a better work than anything Weezer has done since 2000.

Despite the space issues, I much prefer a physical library over the “Great Library of Kesler.”