Keeping Cards: The Importance of Document Retention Policies in Companies

[TheStatutoryApe]

Pretty much. I had some personal stuff going on for a while. I quit drinking on Labour Day, then W left me a week later, so I was a bit messed up. It took almost a week to get over both of them. Then, twice, my internet provider lost my password so I couldn't access the net. (Both times were during device installation to my modem/router, which is why the password was needed.) Everything's fine now. I'm not as communicative as I used to be, but that's probably because no one here has encountered me sober before. Lack of beer stifles my creativity somewhat.

Well I wish I could come and keep you company Danger. We could shoot some pool and get amped on caffeine and nicotine (halfway teetotallers). My cigarettes (cloves) are banned here now. I found one final place that still has some in stock. I will have to either quit or start ordering online and I find forced quitting rather off putting.

I also think I will be getting my own internet connection soon. I have not found anyone to leech off of at my new place and my phone does not work so well for anything other than rudimentary browsing and posting.

Good luck with the sobriety. I would suggest occasional beers if you think you can do so without a relapse (and can afford it health wise). I found personally that my alcoholic behavior was better tempered than cut off. The AA attitude of "the alcohol owns you" always seemed all too scary to me. I don't want to admit defeat to an inanimate object. I understand that it can be harder for some though. You're a tough old bird. I have confidence in you. And don't let momentary weakness make you feel less than tough. It happens to us all. Its just another hurdle.

*manly pat on the back* ;-)

 

[Danger]

I appreciate the thoughts, Stats.
It's kinda weird that clove cigarettes are banned. I can't stand the things myself, but they're definitely better for you than tobacco.
Cold-turkey is the only way for me to deal with alcohol. If I have one drink, I'll have lots of drinks. Luckily, I haven't even felt the desire for one since I quit.
It would be nice to have your own connection. So much more convenient that way, especially at odd hours.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I appreciate the thoughts, Stats.
It's kinda weird that clove cigarettes are banned. I can't stand the things myself, but they're definitely better for you than tobacco.

I don't think that they are really any better. I've even heard that they are worse. Apparently the idea is to cut down on the number of new young smokers because they apparently favour flavoured cigarettes. I certainly did, so I guess I can not really knock the logic in that.

Cold-turkey is the only way for me to deal with alcohol. If I have one drink, I'll have lots of drinks. Luckily, I haven't even felt the desire for one since I quit.

I can appreciate that. I have certainly had my moments. I can not imagine having that sort of moment all the time or even the majority of the time. I remember 'Leo' in The West Wing describing his addiction, and maybe he's just a fictional character but it was hard to not take such a respectable and tough guy seriously.
I'm afraid that I am coming across wrong.
I just want you to know that I don't think any less of you for it Danger. :-)

Good luck again. You know we are always here to talk to and for support if you need it.

 

[Danger]

You know we are always here to talk to and for support if you need it.

I do know that, and it means a lot to me. By the bye, I've made room in my PM box.

 

[Moonbear]

They only scan and archive contracts, not the proposals, the correspondence, the network designs, orders, etc...

Because I was a packrat and never deleted anything, I had evidence which caused two large ISP's that disputed financial responsibilty in a buyout to have to pay. The ISP I had designed a network for had been bought by another larger ISP. The company that was bought refused to pay, saying that the new company had agreed to pay off their contract, the new ISP claimed they had made no such agreement. My company was ready to settle for a fraction of what was owed to us. I was asked by my company to just attend the court hearing, but when I told them I had all of the original correspondance between the owners of the two companies, and the attornies for my company saw what I had, they decided to hold the new ISP 100% responsible and the ISP's attornies had to agree and we got the full amount, it was a multi-million dollar contract. I got a nice thank you letter from my company, but no money.

That's exactly the sort of reason I thought a company would put the effort into keeping all their old documents like that, even if it's just stuff scanned and stored electronically...or just dumped into a warehouse that lawyers can spend their time hunting through if they ever think they need something. Sometimes it's all the other supporting documents that are important even with a contract dispute, just to show that one particular interpretation of it is right or wrong, or that the work was done as specified in the contract. You'd think after that experience, they'd have learned to start archiving more than just contracts.

 

[turbo]

Sometimes it's all the other supporting documents that are important even with a contract dispute, just to show that one particular interpretation of it is right or wrong, or that the work was done as specified in the contract. You'd think after that experience, they'd have learned to start archiving more than just contracts.

Sometimes, intent is WAY too subjective without supporting documentation. Any company that has millions riding on contracts and doesn't document (and archive) everything deserves whatever losses they incur. Storage is cheap, though scanning and conversion are labor-intensive.

 

[Evo]

That's exactly the sort of reason I thought a company would put the effort into keeping all their old documents like that, even if it's just stuff scanned and stored electronically...or just dumped into a warehouse that lawyers can spend their time hunting through if they ever think they need something. Sometimes it's all the other supporting documents that are important even with a contract dispute, just to show that one particular interpretation of it is right or wrong, or that the work was done as specified in the contract. You'd think after that experience, they'd have learned to start archiving more than just contracts.

To this day, they still only keep the contract itself. They just don't get it. It would cost so little for them to allow me to upload the associated research, studies, proposals, explanations, correspondence,etc... I have all of this stuff, why not keep it? I recently won against a client's claim that he did not get what we discussed. I was out two months on disability, so he lied and told someone else that he was mislead. I got back to work and pulled out my file, and there was the correspondence where I told him not to do what he did, but he did it anyway, and IT DIDN'T WORK. While I was gone, he tried to say I was the one that told him to do it. MUWAHAHA. Caught!

 

[Moonbear]

The only reason a company might choose not to keep documents as a matter of company policy is if they have far more that would be evidence they are doing something wrong than that would help prove they are doing right. Can't destroy those after the lawyers ask for them, but can make it a policy to just never save anything and hope they disappear. Makes you really think when a big company won't protect themselves by saving documents.