rot
/ˈrät/
verb
to undergo decomposition from the action of bacteria or fungi
to become unsound or weak (as from use or chemical action)
to go to ruin : deteriorate
noun
the process of rotting : the state of being rotten : decay
something rotten or rotting
a wasting putrescent disease
noun
the tendency for digital information to degrade or become unusable over time
I toured independent radio station CKUA and manager Brian Dunsmore showed me the banks of hard drives that contain the music. … Yet he admitted bit rot was an issue. The drives have to be kept moving, have to write and rewrite the information constantly or it would degrade.