> On Nov 5, 2015, at 12:06 AM, RECMGMT-L automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> From: "Petersen, Steve" <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
> Subject: Re: Shelby County Archives has no place to put more boxes
> Date: November 4, 2015 at 9:04:45 AM EST
> 
> 
> Steve Whitaker stated: You got that right Hugh; I hate paper.  No need for it as an information media; outdated technology.
> 
> While I totally agree with both Steve/Hugh to an extent the REAL world says that budget/resource constraints will still cause this type of behavior to occur. The ability to lessen the impact on the constituents needing these records is now the key to  making the best of the resources available. Technology is great - but poorly executed technology is worse than stacked boxes that are properly archived.
> 
> Have a great week
> 
> 
> Steve


Wait….. I am talking to Steve to the second power or Steve Squared??

I must take the square root as I agree with Mr. Peterson and disagree with Mr Whitaker. 

The problem is like so much of our society.  It is the lack of respect.  The boxes sitting all jumbled up in a puddle of water shows a disrespect for the records.  And if I could include a photo, I would show the interior of one of my many vaults where the records are stacked like you expect at the Library of Congress or in a well run law firm. Neat as a pin with a bar-coded index that would put the Dewey Decimal System to shame.

It is the lack of respect for the written record that causes records to be destroyed.  The Cloud; and you can ask them and they will agree, is not about protecting records or preserving records for future generations or even to serve as the primary source for E-Discovery.

Their software agreement tells you that if you come back in 6 or 10 years, they make no guarantees that they will still have your records.  There is no guarantee of precise migration which holds all of the “Best Record” requirements.  In many vendors contracts, they tell you that in five years, you don’t even control the record and they may use any and all records for data mining or for whatever purpose suits them.

Remember when I predicted LinkedIn would have a problem and within a month they were hacked big time.  I predict some Judge will threaten sanctions on the big Clouds when they cannot produce the “Datamap” and proof of integrity on e-records.  He may not win the appeals that will follow but how can Judges allow these Big Clouds to take records and store them and not show respect for the integrity that a vital, or long term record requires.  I can tell you that business leaders think their records are protected in the Cloud and no one is publicly telling them “Beware!”  We do not implicitly protect your e-records and we don’t even think of them as records.  But that is changing.

And make no mistake;  E-Records can be vital records and Vital records are understood by auditors, CEO’s and Judges to be special and requiring protection.

“Poorly executed technology” is a given as there is no guiding force on storage, or; protection and returning the vital records stored in the Electronic Records System back to the entity requiring them from protection from a law suit or a prison term or a sanction or a financial loss.

Where is the guiding principle for storing electronic records.  Information Governance has no gravitas to weigh in here.  The Federal Courts will now make the rules but they are like the police officer who only pulls you over, after you committed the infraction.

Wail on you Judges.  Somebody needs to create some respect for records. In any format.

Just putting them into electronic format is no benefit unless some rules place restrictions on mapping them, preserving them long term and migrating them with a tracking system that can prove authenticity. Something that tracks back to the genesis of the record.

I watched a little Asian man asking questions at an ARMA presentation by the technical team of one of the electronic records systems; and, like a 4 year old, he had only one question and he soon had the IBM technical person practically in tears.

When they talked about how they could store the records long term and behave in a similar ability to archival storage of paper records.  His simple question in a heavily accented english….

“How you do dat?”  And they would launch into a technical description and he would ask “How you do dat?” and they would go deeper into the technical systems and he would say “How you do dat?” and soon the entire team of IBM experts were blubbering and they finally admitted they did not know how to do that!

Apparently IBM was not allowed to answer like I did with my kids  “Because God says so!!”  Doggone those IBM atheists!  They only believe in Watson. Just kidding on this paragraph.

See if you can describe an electronic records system that can survive ten “How you do dat?” inquiries.

But Steve to the Prime Number probably can do that with his records system.  ;~) I remember when Alan Andolsen would get hold of one of the speakers at ARMA and just destroy their new technology with his inquiries.

Can I get an “AMEN!!!”

Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
[log in to unmask]
(610)  756-4440    Fax (610)  756-4134
WWW.FIRELOCK.COM



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