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Getting to Know You. Well, Me Anyway

By James Watson posted 03-31-2010 00:00

  

My interest in content and records management started at my first job out of college, with NCR Corporation, back in 1986. At the time, software applications and hardware platforms were tightly coupled to ensure transaction integrity (i.e., record keeping), in our case for the banking industry. Later, when I worked at Xerox Corporation, I was introduced to the concept of the electronic document.

In the 17 years since I founded Doculabs, I’ve always been intrigued by the challenge of managing unstructured information. Things have changed quite a bit, but the fundamental challenge remains surprisingly similar: Organizations generate a lot of “stuff” – systems have spewed out information for years – and now individuals have the same capability to produce “stuff.” (Personal productivity?) The question is what to keep, and what to dispose of. Simple problem, right?

Today I’m focused on the intersection of social computing and information governance for compliance and e-discovery, which will be the central theme for my blog posts. It may sound complex. But sometimes you have to define a complex problem in fairly broad terms, as I’ve done by intersecting social computing with fancy words for records management. I found this a useful approach a few years ago when I was pursuing my PhD, because it allowed me to get my head around some abstract concepts that were evolving quickly.

As for the personal stuff, I live in a northern suburb of Chicago and am married with four children, ages 11, 9, 7, and 5 (as of April 1, 2010). What do I do for fun? Well, I’m a little short on hobbies, due to work and family. I do try and get in a few ski trips each year, and I watch hockey on TV whenever possible. Which reminds me: Does anyone know a good website that lists the cable channels offered in each hotel in the U.S.? Trying to figure out if Versus is offered during the Stanley Cup playoffs when booking a hotel!

Feel free to comment on my posts – critical or encouraging. Or to suggest a topic you’d like my thoughts on.



#hockey #governance #compliance #e-discovery #ElectronicRecordsManagement
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