Personal information management (PIM)

Personal information management (PIM) refers to the acquiring, organizing, storing, protecting, and retrieving of personal information. This information can range from email messages, to paper documents, to financial information. PIM is used to facilitate day-to-day tasks in both the home and work environments.

In the past, information was typically managed in physical storage systems, such as written journals, financial ledgers, and filing cabinets. In the modern era, the growth in computer technology has created an increase in both personal information and ways to manage that information. Numerous computer programs, applications, and digital storage options have made PIM easier but have also left the information vulnerable to identity theft and data loss.

Background

The earliest known written records were produced about five thousand years ago by the ancient cultures in Egypt and Mesopotamia. Records were cut into reeds, carved into clay pots, or inscribed on stone monuments. In time, parchment and paper were invented to provide an easier way to write and store information. These methods allowed many societies to collect cultural information in places such as libraries. However, this stored information was only useful to the wealthy members of society who were typically the only ones who could read and write. The average person shared information by word of mouth, passing down knowledge in stories and songs.

As civilization progressed, more people were able to read and write and the amount of information available increased. As a result, storing and managing that information became more challenging. During the nineteenth century, businesses had the most need to manage information. Banks and merchants needed to keep track of transactions, nations wanted to know information about the people who lived within their borders, and communities wanted records of land ownership. By the twentieth century, the amount of personal information continued to grow, creating a greater need to find appropriate systems to manage that information.

For many years, businesses and homes had stored important information in a vertical filing cabinet. First sold in 1893, the filing cabinet was a relatively efficient way to compartmentalize information for storage and retrieval. However, the need for physical space to store the paper files led to the search for a more efficient way to manage information. Computer technology, first developed in the 1940s and 1950s, provided the capability to record, store, and process vast amounts of personal information. By the twenty-first century, computers had developed into an integral part of everyday life, helping to both produce more personal information and provide a means to manage it. Many organizations and individuals continued to rely on paper storage systems, despite the development of digital systems.

Overview

Personal information is any information that is controlled by, sent by, directed at, or identifies a specific individual. Information controlled by a person may include material stored for personal use, such as family photos, a list of recipes, important phone numbers, or bookmarked web pages. Information that identifies an individual is known as personally identifiable information (PII). This includes data such as names, addresses, birth dates, and medical or financial information. Passwords, Social Security numbers, and credit card information is considered to be sensitive PII and is best stored in a private location and shared only by secure means. Guarding sensitive PII is a necessity in the modern era to reduce the possibility of identity theft and fraud.

Much of personal information management involves the organizing and storing of the information. Organizing information is a highly customizable task and may be accomplished in numerous ways. While some businesses still maintain physical storage locations for paper documents, most have transitioned to digital storage. Physical storage locations are more likely to be used in the home where people may have a collection of important papers and personal keepsakes. Items such as birth certificates or auto and home ownership documents may be kept in a physical location such as a safe or a filing cabinet; family photos may be arranged in a photo album.

Even in the home, however, physical storage locations are being replaced by digital methods. Thanks to the proliferation of mobile phones, most photos are taken digitally and stored electronically. They may remain in the device's memory, or be transferred to a digital storage device, such as a USB, or uploaded to cloud storage providers' servers. Bank statements and billing information that were once exclusively sent as paper documents are increasingly being transitioned to electronic documents.

Electronic information management retains some of the links to the physical organization systems. For example, compiling personal information in electronic folders is similar to storing papers in a filing cabinet; email that piles up in a person's inbox has been compared to stacking papers on a business desktop. No one method of PIM fits every individual. Some people prefer a "cluttered" email inbox as it allows them swift access to the information they need; others work better if their information is compartmentalized in organized locations. According to PIM researchers, the method of organization is not as important as the ease with which the information can be accessed.

In the twenty-first century, many companies have created computer software and mobile applications to help people manage their personal information. One of the primary purposes of these personal information managers is to organize personal contacts in an electronic address book. The information can include names and addresses—physical and email—of family, friends, or business associates. Personal information managers can also keep track of scheduled tasks, appointments, or important dates on a calendar and issue reminders at the appropriate time. Some programs help organize instant messaging, voicemail, and fax communication.

With the increase in online content and the popularity of social media, many websites allow users to select the information they receive by managing their RSS feeds. An RSS feed—short for really simple syndication—gives users the option of subscribing to the news and information they want. The RSS feed searches for and compiles the desired information, and delivers it to a person's desktop, email, mobile phone, or social media page.

Bibliography

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"How to Keep Your Personal Information Secure." Federal Trade Commission, Nov. 2024, www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0272-how-keep-your-personal-information-secure. Accessed 13 Jan. 2024.

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