System Rot: How It Starts
Long records degrade before they stop. The early signs, none of which look like a problem at the time.
Decay and repair
Records degrade before they stop, and the degradation is invisible in the data. Only reading entries catches it.
6 notes
The Records You Stop Trusting
A period you no longer believe is worse than a gap, because it contaminates every analysis that includes it. What to do with data you doubt.
Recovering a Lapsed System
Coming back after weeks or months away. What to do with the gap, and why the usual instinct makes things worse.
Starting Over Without Losing the Past
Sometimes the right move is a new record rather than a repaired one. How to do it so that the old years remain usable.
When the Old Data Stops Being Relevant
Years of record describing a life you no longer live. How to tell which parts still apply and which are history rather than evidence.
Pruning and Retention
What to keep from a decade of record, what to remove, and why the default answer is different from what it is for other personal data.
These notes are about keeping a personal record for years rather than for a fortnight: durability beats accuracy, and a rough record kept for five years answers questions a perfect record of one month cannot. Tool guides are included as practical comparisons, while the underlying method remains independent of any single product. Nothing here is legal, tax or medical advice: requirements differ by jurisdiction and situation.