I was in London for leap year 2012, to say farewell to a former colleague who had spent nearly 40 years in The Economist group. A lot of old timers turned up, including myself (the gentleman we were saluting recruited me for my first real job in 1989: seems like yesterday). Young colleagues were also present, and witnessed a lively, crafted speech that mapped the history of that particular section of The Economist with a simple, poignant clarity. The younger members probably learned a lot. Institutional memory has been one of the victims of the e-revolution I think (see this article about the risk of a digital winter; worrying).