Item 20 on my list of information security tips is “Keep some paper records.” Still, I was shocked when I saw the picture in this tweet:
Does printing every email and organizing them by relationship seem extreme to you? Do you think this picture would make a great application to be on the show Hoarders? Is it crazy to keep a suitcase full of email? Perhaps, but Ariel Dovas’s wife, a professional archivist, still had her email messages even after Hotmail deleted her account for inactivity.
Would you miss anything if all your emails were suddenly gone?
What about your blog posts?
What about any other resources or memories that only exist online?
Personally, I covet such an archive. I don’t have the time, patience or space to do anything this comprehensive, but in the aftermath of Mat Honan’s experience perhaps I’ll print a few key messages. What about you?
Kim Z. Dale 