As more of our lives and accomplishments are recorded by digital photographs and documents, the best way for people to learn about us is through a web site rather than through papers.

Think about the papers you have (letters, photographs, newspaper clippings, your résumé, school transcripts); do you have enough so that someone could understand who you are – do you even know where they are.

For most people, the only way people could learn who you are is from digital files. And all the files on your computer will be gone if people don’t know where the important ones are, or how to view them. And making copies onto a CD, DVD, or USB memory key is not good for the long term, as these can be forgotten and lost – and too soon inaccessible because there won’t be any readers for them. For example, not many people have a working VHS player or floppy diskette drive.

The best place to archive the files that are timeless and important is on a server accessible over the Internet.

Of course, there are already many places you can post information:

• You can post information on sites such as Facebook, but you never know when they will change their policies, require information or verification, start charging fees, or stop providing needed services.
• Hosting companies require regular payment. And they go out of business, or won’t update file formats as standards change. Keeping files available must include converting them to new formats when necessary.