Oh, please. Let's not start a round of "I'm superior to those in other
professions because I do this while they do that." Frankly, it gets
old and makes me wonder why it ever is necessary. I rarely roll my
eyes when I read List messages, but a round that I triggered by writing
about my dead twin sister doesn't deserve a fetish slap at archivists,
which, of course, I made clear that she was. She's not here to defend
herself, would that she were.
If some of you hate paper, fine, go ahead and hate it, hate anything
you want, that doesn't diminish me or my dead sister or those who were
or are comfortable doing research in paper or digital. Enjoyment is a
much more positive emotion to undergird one's hobbies or activities
than disdain. I don't hate much of anything, life is too short, as
losing my sis when she was 51 reminded me. If some of you cherish
holding old paper, either in historical research or because it is
associated with your loved ones -- I do understand that. And Chris
Browne and H. Pike's messages were interesting and nice, as far as I'm
concerned. If some of you want to argue that digital is easier to
handle, I get that too. Isn't that why I turned to you for help in the
first place? Sheesh.
What I don't understand is why someone somehow inevitably has take a
slap at people who deviate from their views -- when the views don't
threaten anyone's professionalism since they relate to issues that
arise with the handling of records in personal life. Yeah, I know
information is an asset, it's easier to handle in digital form, blah
blah blah. But even when we're discussing the office, this isn't about
playing King of the Hill, we don't have to trump each other in order to
have others listen to us, it's just a Listserv. If we get into X does
this,Y does that, the message that John Gervais posted last week about
a sense of community will ring hollow, LOL.
Come on, people, this is the good ol' US of A, we just celebrated
Independence Day, let's leave ourselves a little leeway for some
independence in expressing what we like and don't like outside the
office, shall we? save the smackdowns for when they are really needed
(which I say is -- rarely).
This note is not as clever as Steve Whitaker's list of likes and
dislikes (sorry, I'm not as witty as he), but definitely heartfelt.
Maarja ( usually pretty diplomatic but not in this note)
-----Original Message-----
From: Cunningham, Ray <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wed, 5 Jul 2006 13:17:10 -0500
Subject: [RM] Format Fetish - was all that other stuff....
I find that many archivists are in the profession for that very reason -
they love the look, smell and feel of the original paper and hold fast
to some mystical belief that reading the original is superior to reading
a digital representation on a screen. Sure it takes the romance out of
it.
I can handle and manage the digital much better than the analog paper.
I'll take the information please, straight up - hold the paper.
Raymond K. Cunningham, Jr. CRM, CA
Manager of Records Services
University of Illinois Foundation
Urbana IL 61801
-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Chris Browne
Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2006 1:10 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [RM] Knowledge management [Was Re: [RM] RAINdrip: Wonder if
reading through 25 year old e-mails wil
From the perspective of a historian, this has been a great discussion.
While I would enjoy reading the text and a looking at a picture of a 700
year old copy of the Magna Carta online, it would be a whole different
'sensory experience' to see a copy in person in the British Library, and
to be able to feel it and smell it.
I liken it to another pastime of mine - as a baseball fan, I'll watch
any game I can find on cable, but going to a major league park and
experiencing the same game is entirely different from a sensory
perspective. The experience is enhanced by the anticipation of the
event, the sights and sounds, smells, history and proximity, etc. While
I might enjoy an email sent from my grandma, I might enjoy it that much
more if I had the same text handwritten on a piece of Garfield
stationary, complete with motherly smells and smiley faces.
It has been said here that paper and electronic media must coexist. I
totally agree, as each generally serves a clear purpose. One cannot
replace the other (at least not completely.)
Hope everyone had a safe Independence Day!
Chris Browne
**********************
Russell, I agree when they're trying to get the tactile/sensory point
across,for example in a novel, and are making a conscious effort to do
so.
Not so with grandma's letters - you truly feel/sense the memories from
the handwriting, sensory environment that the letter was written. Just
went through the same exercise with some old stuff from my mother-in-law
and there was nothing about the conscious writing style that brought the
flood of memories . It was the touch,feel,smell of handling the
material
and the personal handwriting.
Steve Petersen CRM
Records Manager
Rockwell Collins Inc
319.295.5244
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