January 27, 2012
Dear Everyone:
We had a lovely bit of rain last week, but these
days it’s just cloudy skies, which I love, and cool weather, which is to
be expected. I’m over my
post-Holiday cold, except for the cough, which is also to be expected.
Nevertheless, this has kept me from getting back on
the treadmill, both figuratively and literally.
Maybe next week.
In the meantime, last night was
ARMA night.
The speaker has a string of degrees and is described as an
“evangelist”. I’ve seen this
a few times lately.
Evidently, “evangelist” no longer means someone deep in the throes of a
religion. Now it means
someone who knows a lot more than the rest of us about something
“technical”. Cue the lecture
on science-as-replacement-for-religion.
In any case, the guy knows his stuff and talked
about “Systems of Record versus
Systems of Engagement.”
Catchy title.
Actually, he didn’t talk much about Systems of
Record at all. Just assumed
we all know what that means.
Which we do, those of us who actually know about
Records Management,
that is. Instead, he talked
about “Systems of Engagement”.
Example:
(For this, we will use the “Butcher, the Baker and the
Candlestick Maker”.) Butcher
posts a photo, with remarks about pricing, on his
Facebook page.
Baker, replies, and forwards a link to Candlestick Maker.
Who responds to all, including a link to a
CNN video, with
further comments regarding pricing.
In fact, they’re all guilty of
price fixing and the
Feds can’t be
far behind.
Question:
Where, exactly, is the “record” of all this price fixing?
On B, B and C’s individual computers?
On their cell phones?
Captured by Facebook?
Google?
People are, more and more, using Facebook,
Twitter,
etc., to conduct business.
Hence, “Systems of Engagement”. Technology,
as always, is galloping light years ahead of the courts.
Gone are the days when a large, well-known financial firm whined
that finding a particular email would constitute “excessive burden” on
their part. (Wonder if that
$1.5 BILLION is still being held in escrow while they appeal the court’s
decision on that one?)
Cue the disgruntled manager complaining about “kids
these days”. You can’t get
them on the phone to talk with you because they’re too busy “tweeting”,
or something. Cue the
retiree waving his cell phone that “does absolutely NOTHING except make
phone calls.”
Actually, making calls is one of the least things I
use my phone for. Mostly, I
use the calendar and “tasks”, which remind me to do things after I’ve
completely forgotten them.
Don’t know where I’d be without it.
The whole thing resulted in a lively discussion,
with no solutions other than a couple of people who stated that you
“educate” the employees, then blame them when things go wrong.
In other words:
Situation normal*. In any
case, it gets me one hour closer to completing the 100 hours I need to
hold onto my CRM**.
Love, as always,
Pete
*”Situation normal, all fouled up” – “SNAFU” –
Supposedly a Navy term.
** Certified Records Manager.
100 hours Continuing Education (CE) credits required every five
years to maintain.
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