Briefly on SMS-messages and Historians

American Electronic Frontier Foundation submitted quite recently a request, in which they ask for disclosure of information concerning White House policies governing the creation, retention and preservation of records generated through the use of electronic communications systems by the President, Vice President and White House staff. The concern is mostly over the President’s use of his BlackBerry.

Similar request could be sent to Finnish administration, as well. Preservation of e-mail records is well under consideration but issue of wireless communication systems is far more difficult. Historians love to get their hands on unofficial records – that is information, which was created in the preparation phase of the final protocols. So far it has been possible and relatively easy, as the correspondence usually took place in paper form. SMS-messages and other forms of wireless communication tend to be deleted.

Fortunately in the ministry of Foreign Affairs the preservation of SMS-messages is taken seriously, according to head of information services, Mr. Jyrki Paloposki, a historian himself. Mr. Paloposki has expressed his concern over the loss of SMS-messages with historical importance, and the results are hopefully to be seen in the future.

To be honest, the issue is more of a historians’ concern than other information specialists’. Wireless electronic devices are mostly used in quick exchange of thoughts and SMS-messages don’t usually contain any official information, which should be preserved or handled by National Archive’s regulations.

Still, a lot of unequally important information on the history of the state is found in the unofficial correspondence of presidents and other main political figures. This correspondence doesn’t take place in paper form anymore, but in SMS-messages and in other forms of wireless electronic communication. This could turn into a significant problem, although one might argue, that messages with genuine importance are bound to be preserved, which our current Prime minister and former Minister for foreign affairs must – or at least should – realise by now.

Few notes on Obama and data management

Finnish media has coveraged the inauguration and the first weeks of President Obama relatively well. Understandably the main focus has been on foreign politics and economics. Yet an issue which was strongly emphasized on Obama’s campaign and which in fact emerged as one of his first Executive Orders as a president has been a bit neglected.

At his first day in the Oval Office Obama gave an Executive Order which revoked the Bush administation’s order 13233 of November 2001. Order 13233 severly limited access by public to presidential records, which baffled historians, archivists and lawyers alike.

The symbolic value of the first Orders by the new president is significant. Historians and data management professionals have already expressed their delight, as the new president has now given a signal, that the freedom of information and the promotion of civic society are themes White House will treat as a serious matter.

Obama’s PR-convoy also has naturally emphasized president’s will to let his actions to be publicly reviewed as well as his commitment to openness. They obviously want to stress the difference to ex-vice president Cheney, who infamously fought for his right to decide which of his vice presidential documents has to be given to NARA for preservation.

In addition, Obama has to make a decision on the new state archivist as Allen Weinstein resigned from his office in late 2008. The appointment will be  another widely reported action concerning data management.

With these two actions alone, Obama’s administration will give a certain boost to the global respect of civic society, archiving and data management. Questions concerning preservation of documents, free access to historical data and general openness of public administration are becoming more and more important as the amount of global information has sky-rocketed during the last decade.

By better access to information and abilities to create information themselves people will understand the value of information better and better. Hopefully this will help our job of making sure that this valuable information will be well-preserved for the coming generations as well.

Unfortunately electronic gadgets don’t make the process of preservation any easier. We still have to count on our historical knowledge and societal understanding when winnowing out the significant information from the insignificant.