Well that's me well and truly put in my place...
To redress the balance of Peter's rather partial view of my professional
output over recent years I thought that those "professional colleagues
still struggling, with inadequate resources and support, to deal with
yesterday's legacy, today's 'must dos' and, in their copious free time,
planning for tomorrow's immediate challenges" might like to be reminded
of some of the "practical help" that I have either directly authored,
commissioned or otherwise made happen, all of which is freely available
via the JISC infoNet website at
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/records-management/a-to-z
During this time I've also given over 60 papers to conferences and
meetings large and small on issues ranging from email management and FOI
to EDRMS and data protection and over 40 papers on the same and more -
only a very small proportion of which relate to 'the need to engage with
the future'.
After all, I wouldn't like people to think that all I did was sit here
brooding and waiting for chances to 'berate' colleagues...
I think that's probably all from me for now.
Cheers
Steve
PS: Peter - rest assured, you were never in danger of being lost as a
potential supplier...
-----Original Message-----
From: The UK Records Management mailing list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Peter
Emmerson
Sent: 08 April 2010 15:02
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Unconference: Storing Information in the Cloud - 21 May in
Manchester
Steve
I'm reluctant to engage in this debate at length on the list. I think
you're in danger of taking yourself too seriously. My main concern was
that, in explaining an unfamiliar, and questionable, term to your
professional colleagues, you then chose to berate them for not being
sufficiently interested in the wider future of records and information
management. The two things were, and are, unconnected. Chris Tinsley
has
made the point already that the creation and use of new words for
familiar
concepts might, and in this case clearly did, get in the way of the
message.
It was this that I chose to categorise as BS not your wider point on the
need to engage with the future. I happen to think that you've gone too
far
down that route and are in danger of losing sight of some fundamental
principles, but you are entitled to your view. Much of your argument is
persuasive but you make assumptions about the nature of records and
recordkeeping, and indeed the role of recordkeeping professionals, which
will, in my view, exacerbate the very situation you seek to avoid. By
making the vision too all encompassing, it becomes unsustainable.
More generally, you're fortunate to work in an environment which
encourages
you to scan the far horizons and to think about the years ahead. Most
of
your professional colleagues are still struggling, with inadequate
resources
and support, to deal with yesterday's legacy, today's 'must dos' and, in
their copious free time, planning for tomorrow's immediate challenges.
While they need encouragement to get their heads up to see the horizon,
their feet are very firmly in the trenches of the day job. Most of them
would settle for some practical help with that rather than being berated
for
their lack of interest in a future which seems very remote from these
more
immediate concerns.
Thank you I am enjoying my retirement, if only because it gives me the
opportunity to engage in this kind of debate without fear of upsetting a
potential client.
Peter
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