Why do People Store Large Amounts of Personal Information - Assignment Example

Why do people store large amounts of personal information & What do they do with this information? Name: Roll No: Class: Teacher: Subject: February 24, 2008 University: Introduction File is a tool intended to create a computerized filing system. In this paper we endeavor to identify the reasons as to why the people store information and keep large amounts of data. A file in a computer works well to centralize the access and making it easier to store date in long term. (Smith, M. 2005). We have also attempted to search for the reasons as to why the information stored by people is never accessed and what they do with this information. Information does not force most of the people while they are using computerized filing system for accessing and reorganizing their information. In order to store information people use files that helps in finding all relevant information to specific information. (Buckland, M. 2004) Statement of the Research Topic The topic or research is why people store large amounts of personal information and what they do with this information. Aims and Objectives of the Research The aims and objectives of the research is to search for the answers to the below-mentioned questions: Why people keep large amounts of data. How they organize long term stores. How they access it. What is the use of folders, how deep they are and how they are accessed. Practicalities The study is conducted with taking all necessary precautions into account and ensuring that the respondents are contacted in the time that best suits them. Some of the respondents preferred to provide answers in office hours so they were not contacted at home and it was ensured that response was taken during office hours. Due to the grave nature of the research children below age of eighteen were not contacted for keeping contact with mature people. It was also assured that the ladies who avoided giving information for one reason or another, best known to them were not contacted for getting response. Personal hours of all respondents were duly respected. Research Question Why people keep large amount of personal data? Why folders are created and used by people? Research Approach The purpose of the paper was to explain and describe the reasons for storing information by people and search for the causes as to why they do not access most of this information. We attempted to differentiate different variables that effect the information collection and storing and explain how these variables took place. The analytical approach intended to aim at isolating and identifying causal relationships between different variables. The analytical approach shall enable us to, in an analytical manner work with the data collected i.e. analysis of the data collected. With this course of action our paper had an approach known as analytical approach. Hypothesis Deductive approaches are involved in the overall usage of hypothesis as it is a process in which researcher has a particular theory that implies testing a theory. Conversely the inductive approaches entrails generating a specific theory. The hypothesis of this paper is: H0: People keep large amount of data. H1: People do not keep large amount of data and frequently delete it from their systems H0: Folders are extensively created and used by the people. H1: Folders are not extensively created and used by the people. Limitations: As this is a mere exploratory research on why people keep large amounts of data, the way they organize and access it along with what is the usage of folders, how large they are and how often they are accessed, the researcher is not in a position to claim causality of results and findings. In stead it is believed by the researcher that cost and time constraints and the sample size could affect the authenticity and validity of research. However it is a useful addition to the present but limited literature on the particular subject. Definitions File: is a tool intended to create a computerized filing system Record: is a collection of associated fields for a particular maintained in database. Methods of Investigations Particular investigative methods were adopted to obtain response for the purpose of conducting empirical study. Survey was conducted and questionnaire distributed through e-mails and postal services. Data Analysis The data obtained is to be reduced into a compact form so the general trends and the connection between variable are shown. The quantitative approach and the quality of data were assessed and the variance was identified. The data that was collected and assembled in the duration of study particularly the data received from respondents was in the shape of questionnaire. Issues that required confirmation of findings provided support for recommending the solutions to the problems. Ethical Approval Information All information collected in the study is subject to strict confidentiality. It is ensured that the persons providing information and not in favor of disclosing their identities are not quoted in the paper rather a false identity has been used. Why People Keep Large Amount of Data Personal information is mostly stored in a haphazard manner- on hard drives of various home computers, on remote servers, on removable storage media, printed like hard copy and on personal devises. The cause of this distribution is for people in losing tracks of where particular digital belongings are and a version of file is recent; digital media storage are also exposed to failure, loss and obsolescence and can be non-reliant from the outset. (Buckland, M. 2004) One of the common manner digital belongings are distributed is via replication mostly for the sake of safety. For instance a person could share and save favorite pictures in various places; on external media like CDs, on local had drive, on services of photo-sharing like Flicker, on personal web sites on camera memory cards and last but not least computers of family members and friends in probably in the form of e-mails. (Cooper, B.F. 2002) While this kind of replication tends to provide an effective and simple safety net, on the other hand it also strives to introduce curatorial complications like recognizing the preferred version for specific use, such as choosing from photos stored located at different resolutions and keeping adequate metadata like actual creation data. Best practices of archival need careful consideration in preserving the original context material. As such when we confront with the complexity of long-term keeping of personal belongings in a digital manner we can not just attend to every digital object like stand-along article. (Buckland, M. 2004) Conversely we require to capture the features that establish it whole or as a part. For instance a digital photo is just more than the image content; it can be regarded as the metadata recorded by the camera. The metadata added by the photographer like tags for recognizing the photo subject along with its membership is a particular set of photos taken at a specific event by the photographer. It may be enclosed to an email message and subsequently included in blog posting and/or shared on some website. (Cooper, B.F. 2002) One of the most common reasons of storing large amounts of data in original form instead of saving it in print is how this background can be kept over time. However preserving large amount of data distributed and linked format and its metadata is in fact a daunting complexity. Moreover, background could be lost in case digital belongings are subsequently moved or transferred to new computers or they can be accessed by different kinds of applications. For instance creation of date of file is mostly lost when that file is moved or copied. (Buckland, M. 2004) People have a general interest in safeguarding most of their digital belongings from non-required access, digital piracy and or unauthorized usage. They mostly gravitate towards robust solutions like encryption in addition to minimal safeguarding like passwords. While most of these solutions tend to provide short run protection or in the longer run they could inhibit the capability for accessing and preserving information they are trying to protect. For instance encryption and passwords supports to maintain personal information in a private manner; however they also render it not accessible as passwords are elapsed or some of the encryptions keys are not found. Protection of copyright like DRM can make publishers relaxed with the protection of their intellectual property. (Cooper, B.F. 2002) How People Organize and Access Information The aspect of survey related with organizing of information on long-term basis revealed a variety of methods adopted by the people. The best thing we found in the response provided for this research about storage of information on computer can also be among the biggest challenge. People are mostly free in creating any filing system that works for them. before ending up all files in piling up people strive to organize their information in a manner that they are aware of location for bringing order to their hard drive. By organizing data in long term stores considerable time and energy is saved in order to search for a file in future. (Buckland, M. 2004) In order to organize and access information people mostly use file as it helps them in finding all documents associated with particular subject or a variety of subjects. The list of desirable documents is narrowed by the specifying an author or incase there is a list of authors or by specifying subjects of list of subjects that could be included in the particular documents before choosing. (Buckland, M. 2004) For accessing the data base for the desired documents, mostly command ‘Find’ is used. This specific command can require the qualifiers that the searcher may want while using and trying to narrow down the possible documents list. Available qualifiers for accessing information are: before data, after data, authors and keywords. Whenever a qualifier is particularized the documents should match that qualifier prior to choosing. If there are multiple qualifiers then the information is accessed by matching all such qualifiers prior to choosing. For the purpose of removing and identifying unnecessary files like documents and spreadsheet containing credit card numbers, Social Security number and drivers’ license numbers and information of such kinds if not required any more. Good passwords are set on every account. Many people were found not protecting their files by passwords or had weak passwords that can be remembered or guessed hardly under minute. Some of the respondents were keeping software and operating systems mostly up to data. Both Apple Mac Os and Microsoft Windows could be configured to automatically check and subsequently install updates. (Cooper, B.F. 2002) DVDs have more files in comparison with CDs. Most of the respondents develop a process for the purpose of preparing back up of files on regular basis. Some of the people used to take back up on daily basis while for some people it was not found practical. The backups are kept in a bank box or fireproof box in a close geographical area as such the information is not entirely lost in disaster. (Hart, P. 2003) People were found keeping some particular type of information in their computer files that form large amount of data. There are scanned photographs, printouts and documents like land records and birth certificates. Scanned drafts, in most of the cases of family history by preceding relatives are also kept by the people. Large amounts of data kept by the people also comprise transcriptions of excerpts related of correspondence, not interesting and of the family history. Census records and pages of family history pages are also downloaded to store in the future and access in future. Some of the respondents were found keeping graduation announcements, wedding invitations, funeral folders and other news clips. (Baker, N. 2001) To organize the long term storage people normally group their files by main surnames and also create and maintain subfolders in order to store photographs and a variety of documents. Embedded links are created by the people for linking files and moving files around, scanning them and adding different files as it was found not possible to maintain them up to date. The easy access to long term stores is also made by using Windows Explorer not only to search but setting up of hard drives files of computer just as a cabinet of physical files and organize those information as close as possible to the file cabinet. People not using Windows Explorer as their file navigator were not aware of the user friendly attitude of computers. (Baker, N. 2001) A set of respondents were found using Surname file having sub-folder being set up like names of some of the people accessing information with that particular surname such as Rose M. or Ruth S.- during searching and accessing information or data some of the people create sub folder for the relevant record like Census records, pictures, scanned documents and copies of the record. Folders-How Deep They Are- How Often They Are Accessed Folder is considered as a container in filing cabinet. The purpose of folder is to store paper documents. A computer folder is also a container for storing particularly computer documents. Computer document is anything that a person may like to print on the paper or view on screen. It includes spreadsheets, typed text and pictures. In the world of computer movies or video, songs or music are also considered as documents. Just like other documents, video files and music are stored in folders. The icon for folder is normally is similar to manila file folder in some of the ways. (Cooper, B.F. 2002) Subfolders in My documents are set up in every category for instance sorting documents by type or year and family-related specific documents. Sorting function of computer is also used. The default folder is specified in computes for saving files in. This is mostly done in the Preferences menu. For example in Word for Windows XP the Tool menu is pulled down to Options- then click on File Locations tab and subsequently documents are select and then Modify. (Hafner, K. 2004) Folders or files are sorted for the purpose of suiting needs. Sorting can bre made by data, for instance in order to find file that has been worked on presently, in Windows XP pull down the View menu and then Icons are arranged and Modified is chosen. Mac users were found for sorting folders revealing the depth of folders as they click on window they wish to sort and pulling down the View menus to the list AS and subsequently By Date Modified is selected. Some of the respondents sorted the folders by type or kind to group each of their spreadsheets. Folders should be refined continuously for better working. Folders are renamed and rearranged and trash or archive inactive ones. Duplicating folders are avoided by most of the respondents specifically those having large files or photos. The desktop are reserved by most of the respondents for specific items that require immediate attention. When working is done filing is made in proper folder. Documents are not stored long term on desktop. (Hafner, K. 2004) Organized structure of folder provides support in taking back up of data. For instance financial records are copied by grabbing just a single folder. Folder names are found to be limited under fifteen characters by most of the respondents. The reason provided by the respondents for keeping folder name is making the search easier and show in dialog boxes. (Baker, N. 2001) Methodology Methodology of this paper intends to establish a particular direction to perform research, and attempts to present an exclusive theoretical framework and also the methodology as autonomous in the process of research. The development of framework is intended to follow normally the research process narrated by some specialized researchers as they observed that the present theory could provide to predict specific data could have significance in order to do further investigation. Most of the research questions are the result of issues that are highlighted by the hypothesis. They also reveal experientially resulting constructs from initial experience of people saving information and accessing it in future. These questions support in recognizing the data which is required and is able to serve as a foundation for the thorough analysis required to establish a model. Altogether the research questionnaire resolves different aspects of issue and planned to assist the de-construction of system into its specific elements for establishing the normal nature of multi-cultural system. The order of different questions can support to define the approach of research and structure. For the sake of minimizing costs it was suggested by Dillman (1978) that a questionnaire should have below mentioned characteristics also along with others: Evade subordinating language Avoid embarrassing questions Avoid inconvenience Make Questionnaire easy, simple and short Minimize such kind of requests intended to acquire personal information. Analysis and Findings The research made in this paper reveals that people use files and store files in folders for keeping large amount of data. File enables them to store information and centralize the access making easier to store data in long term. Information is mostly kept in hard drives by people in their home computers. (Hart, P. 2003) They also store informatio0n on removable storage media and on remote services. Best practices found of archival require a cautious and vigilant consideration for the purpose of preserving original context material as such people face difficulties in keeping information long term in a digital manner. Conclusion In the study most of the people were found having a common interest in protecting their information from piracy and unauthorized usage and were involved in organizing information in such a manner so they could access it easily. Solutions are searched by the people that could provide easiness in preserving and accessing information they endeavor to protect. By organizing data in long term stores people intend to save considerable energy and time to search a file. References Baker, N. 2001. Double Fold: Libraries and the Assault on Paper. New York: Random House Buckland, M. 2004. Going Places in the Catalog: Enhancing Scholarly and Educational Resources with Geospatial Information. Paper presented at WebWise 2004: Sharing Digital Resources, Chicago, Illinois Cooper, B.F. 2002. Peer-to-peer data trading to preserve information. ACM Transactions on Information Systems, 20 (2), 133-170. Dillman, D. A. (1978). Mail and Telephone Surveys: The Total Design Method. New York: Wiley-Interscience Hafner, K. 2004. Even Digital Memories Can Fade. New York: New York Times. Hart, P. 2003. Trust in the Preservation of Digital Information. Communications of the ACM, 46 (6), 93-97. Smith, M. 2005. Eternal Bits: How Can We Preserve Digital Files and Save Our Collective Memory? IEEE Spectrum, 22-27. Read More