I’ve been working on curating my personal digital archives for my Digital Preservation class. I thought it would be interesting and fun to articulate some promises that I would make to myself to help that process in the future. Here they go!

Promises for Personal Digital Archiving and Computer Usage

1. I will delete everything from my downloads folder, desktop, and recycle bin at least once a month.
2. I will create a space for “first drafts” and “works in progress” and keep working on them.
3. I will back up the things that need to be backed up and sync the things that need to be synced.
4. I will curate my photographs before loading them to my computer.
5. I will not re-use the same password for every website.
6. I will maintain and update all the tools I use. I will master the tools I use and “sharpen the ax” before trying to cut down the tree. *
7. I will not delete system files unless I’m positive I know what they do.
8. I will give files meaningful file names.
9. I will make clear distinctions between working copies and final products. I will delete working copies and keep final products.

I’ll keep the 10th spot open for a future revision or addition. But I think this is a good start!

* This is from the quote “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend four hours sharpening the axe” which is falsely attributed to Abraham Lincoln. The attribution might be false – but I think the call to preparation is true!