Thomas Dyer wrote:
>
>Who HASN'T lost something to the electronic void one way or another before
>backing it up?

Yes, we all have.  But HASN'T the information always been the product of a
few minutes writing or at most a single day's worth of data-entry?  Surely
no one is suggesting that catalog cards should be discarded after conversion
to electronic form, and even if they were, why would it be done before
backing up and checking the data?  If people are worried about or have
experienced this sort of complete loss they should be evaluating their
systems and procedures - it isn't the hardware, software or even the
electiricty to blame.  Hard copy cards and files get destroyed accidentally
as well, but they are much more likely to be unique than data files.  It's a
lot harder to photocopy your card file every night than it is to backup a
computer.  Even when cataloging directly to computer, the most that should
be potentially lost is between a day's and a week's worth of work.  How
often are hard copy files duplicated and transfered off site?

Melinda Serpa wrote:

>Yes!  Find this and read it!  It is a wonderful bit of writing
>and should give pause to the computerization fiends in our midst.

I'm sorry but I have to laugh at a comment like this from someone who is
obviously making use of the latest in computer technology herself!


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Bill Lazenby                                    Tel:    708-260-8187
Director of Museum Operations                   Fax:    708-260-9298
The First Division Museum at Cantigny           E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
1 South 151 Winfield Road           http://www.xnet.com:80~cantigny/fdm.htm
Wheaton, IL  60187-6097
USA
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