Notes:
At a symposium sponsored by FIRM, Ken Withers posited the Vampire Effect and referenced the Spectre of Spoliation. The Vampire Effect is the difficulty of getting rid of E-records, since "deleting" them does not render them unrecoverable and, if they have ever been made available to others, the problem is compounded by the number of different hard drives upon which they have existed.
The Spectre of Spoliation refers to the deliberate attempt to hide or destroy records, other than through lawfully and procedurally sound means.
Electronic information systems automatically create records. Once created and particularly if shared, they are not easy to get rid of with assurance. However, if the proper tools are used, they are easily managed. What is commonly lacking is the will to do so.
