After reading the cover story “Safeguarding Data Has Companies Locking Digital Files,” I have to say that there will always be a need for paper records. It doesn’t take more than four or five years for a new electronic format to become outdated. In 10 years it becomes obsolete and in 20 years it will be unusable and unreadable. Buildings are expected to last more than a few years. If there aren’t plans on paper, or spec books or submittals stuffed in various closets, drawer files or storage bins, there will be no records at all.
I am pushing 60 years of age. I have seen the 78 and 45 rpm record made obsolete by the long-playing record that in turn was made obsolete by the 4-track tape deck, then quickly superseded by the 8-track, then the cassette deck and the CD. Now, the CD is being made obsolete by the IPOD. What is next? You can’t second guess where the next big technological breakthrough is going to be and that will affect the ability of the future to read the past’s documents.