A record is any information recorded upon any media.   The "record copy" is a particular iteration on a server, system, or even in paper hard copy or a microform; whatever is designated as "record copy."   Usually the "record copy" (any media) is that generated and retained by the author if in-house; or the primary recipient if the info is received from another organization.  The "record copy" is governed closely via the retention policy schedule; other copies on any media are redundant and should be very short-lived (if not classified as Vital)...; by stated and published policy, and communicated by training.   However, a judge, jury, court, plaintiff's attorney, or regulatory agency cares not if we call it record copy, redundant copy, non-record, record, information, data, document, books, photographs, writings, etc.   They call it evidence.  They will accept it or reject it without regard for how  WE  define it.  Some may refer to it as smoking gun under certain circumstances.  Ask Enron.   Ask Arthur Andersen LLP...oops; not really around as a Big 5 firm anymore.

My point is that we in the RIM profession may slice and dice it any way we wish; define it and argue it to death by whomever's standards and wordsmithed definitions.  Nevertheless, we as a profession should not advocate that we will manage  X  because it fits our definition, but will not manage  Y  because it is outside the purview of our profession's narrow definition.  That does not serve the interests of our respective organization.   For anyone who wants to say that is not a record it is a document; or this is a non-record...; you will receive no sympathy in court or under subpoena.  The executives of your organization might want to visit with you after that. 

Let's take a look at the big picture.  By looking inward instead of outward when computer technology became mainstream is when we failed to manage electronic records and data; a battle we are still having with I/S in many organizations.

By the way, I liked what Dwight said about "require controls - such as the delete key, an IT policy removing extraneous e-mails after a certain point, the recycle bin, training, etc... ."   Those are the type of policies and procedures I write and implement at each organization.  Methinks he and I may agree on more than we disagree.

For anyone tired of this thread...; if we cannot define the basic tenets and products of our profession...; then we are confused and fragmented and, as a profession, appear to lack focus and clarity.  If we are confused about our profession, then what about those we are dedicated to serve..., and who pay our salaries and commissions...; and who support and approve our budget requests?   Does this not strike to the basics of our collective frustration to have our profession recognized and valued as much as it should? 


On the lighter side; I think back to the scene in Animal House where the Delta fraternity is already on double secret probation and is being railroaded at a student ethics hearing.  Just for bad grades and having a toga party.  Some slick and unmistakable logic and rationale turns the table on the student committee as being unpatriotic.

Hmmm, lemme see; Larry 'Funky Cold' Medina; Bruce White CRM, PMP, Peter K. CRM, CA, Patrtick Cunningham CRM, Doug Allen CRM, Bill Perry CRM,  Hugh Smith; I believe we have enough characters in RIM to cast another movie. 


Best regards, Steve
Steven D. Whitaker, CRM
Records Systems Manager; City of Reno

>>> [log in to unmask] 8/21/2008 1:20 PM >>>
If you take this e-mail, print it out, photocopy it 70 times, plaster it
on walls, stick a copy on a pipe, forward 80 versions to your friends,
and have the Goodyear Blimp fly overhead displaying it, you have
recorded the information on countless media (and you would also be more
than a little strange). Yet only a few copies would be a record as
defined within the context of your records management policy. All others
are non-record items, not subject to records management control, and
hopefully as ephemeral as my morning coffee. To claim that these are all
records implies records management controls - why would you possibly
want to do that? I can't imagine even attempting to cost justify such an
approach. Yes, they do require controls - such as the delete key, an IT
policy removing extraneous e-mails after a certain point, the recycle
bin, training, etc... These are relatively cheap, simple solutions. They
most definitely do not require taxonomies, retention controls,
disposition documentation, etc... etc.... a much more expensive, and
expansive, proposition.

The fact that records managers occasionally get called into court
regarding x or y piece of evidence may be more related to an overly
expansive identification of responsibility than whether x or y was
actually a record. Perhaps it is also evidence of the inability of
record keeping systems to capture records appropriately. Hopefully, such
expansiveness is covered by an equally expansive budget. That budget
would be better spent capturing and controlling records, and eliminating
non-records as quickly as possible, not controlling the entire known
universe of potential "evidence".

Dwight Wallis, CRM
Records Administrator
Multnomah County Fleet, Records, Electronics, Distribution and Stores
(FREDS)
1620 S.E. 190th Avenue
Portland, OR 97233
Phone: (503)988-3741
Fax: (503)988-3754
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