Taking care of one’s digital heritage can sometimes be the work of a lifetime, depending on the archives one wishes to preserve. It is an intangible form of heritage, but no less precious, encompassing all the digital assets a person owns, creates, or manages over the course of their life. To achieve this, one must be willing to invest some time in this methodical task that tells a unique story — one to be preserved and, above all, passed on.
I Remember… But How Much?
I lost my father when I was ten years old. Over time and through the decades, the memories faded, resurfacing only in scattered fragments, and photographs became the only way to see my father again. If I could go back in time, I would bring a digital recorder — or better yet, a video camera — and ask him to tell me a bit about his life. I would keep that voice on a hard drive, carefully archived in two copies, and every five years I would transfer all the archives of my life onto a new device, ensuring the preservation and longevity of my digital heritage. That way, I could revisit it from time to time, bring him back to life in different ways, and pass his story on to my daughters — and perhaps to my grandsons. So that no ten-year-old child would spend their life searching for the sound of their father’s voice.
The Complexities of the Digital World
As soon as we touch the digital realm, we enter a world whose parameters we do not fully understand. What will remain of you when you are no longer here? If you don’t know the answer, chances are you’ll leave traces scattered everywhere. I like to use the image of a man who died in 1982 — a man who left his love letters under the bed, pages of his address book strewn in the street, his tax and personal finance papers flying in the wind, and photos of his private life posted on the billboards of his neighborhood.
That man, back in 1982, surely kept his affairs in order — or at worst, kept everything within the four walls of his home. But today, the digital home has no door, no walls, not even a roof. Everything can vanish if we don’t bring order to it. Everything can be lost if we don’t secure the house.
From the Metal Box to Facebook
When I was young, we had a blue metal box in the basement of our house. Inside, our family photo albums told the story of our recent past and served as powerful symbols of family connection. We were united by our shared memory, illustrated through our imperfect, blurry, yet perfectly meaningful photos.
Today, when we want to revisit our past, the box is no longer made of metal but of digital data — and its size depends on how we store our archives: photos of our child on an old iPhone, vacation videos from 2012 on an uncharged iPad, memories of loved ones on a computer whose password we’ve forgotten. Some people use their Facebook page to archive travel memories, sharing them with a wider circle or creating family groups. But Facebook is not a blue metal box — it is a multibillion-dollar private company to which we have granted access to our personal content. If Facebook decides to close your page for some unknown reason, or if you forget to name someone to manage your account after your death, it can become difficult — even impossible — to contact anyone who could restore access to your past posts.
Where to Begin
Your emails, browsing history, contacts, social media accounts, electronic devices, subscriptions, data-hosting sites, photos, videos — but also your passwords, online accounts, and perhaps cryptocurrency if you’ve gone that far… The list of our digital traces is daunting once we stop to think about it. Many people feel like they’re facing a mountain of data without knowing where to start climbing.
A good first step is to get a password manager, which will not only free your memory (or your notebook) from all those accumulated passwords but also increase security and organization. Some even allow you to share a digital key with a trusted person. Too often, people pass away without leaving the password to their own phone, complicating things for those who come after.
Next, check the settings of your various accounts (Google, Apple, Facebook, etc.). Some allow you to designate trusted contacts or set up access in case of long-term inactivity. Organize your online backup services (Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud, etc.) to see what’s stored there and consider repatriating everything onto your own hard drive.
Finally, evaluate all the content you have (videos, photos, writings, etc.) so you can digitize, preserve, and ultimately reuse it for different purposes. But before deciding how to digitize, ask yourself what you want to digitize. There’s sorting and decision-making to do. This choice is entirely personal — but think of your children and grandchildren, who will look upon your archives with curiosity and a different perspective.
A Few Quick Tips:
- Use reliable storage (an external hard drive, a clearly defined virtual plan, or a home cloud system).
- Stay organized (folders, subfolders, etc.).
- Use dates, folders, and metadata (e.g. Photos/2025/January/Trip).
- Keep your archives safely on a disk (physical or virtual) you use regularly, and store a copy in a secure location.
- Transfer your data to a new medium roughly every five years.
- Learn about the security of your digital assets (online accounts, digital property, cryptocurrency, etc.). This is a legal field in which a professional can offer valuable guidance.
Active in the communications field for over 15 years and president of Productions Keniscope, Patrick Richard also holds a university degree in history. Throughout his career, he has made it his mission to raise awareness about preserving personal archives — so that Quebec’s motto, “Je me souviens” (“I remember”), continues to give a place to those who once inhabited this land.