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The issue here is not what I prefer or you prefer, we have to look at the issue from legal prespective depending on the country rules and regulations to this matter. Some legal systems require orginals to prove a case or issue. However, other leaga systems accept soft or electronic copies.
In general both hard and soft copies are necessary for record preservation but in particular hard copies are very very necessary to be kept in safe record keeping system. I have worked in the record keeping department. It is not only interesting to keep and maintain office record but also source of learning. I have learnt a lot doing record keeping.
Soft copy and hard copy both are good for record preservation. But hard copy is prefered as it cannot be edited. The reason for using soft copy at some places is as keeping backup is very easy and data movabilityt is easy
Depending on Compnies Envoirenent if company is using physical file system then the hard Copy is Evidence for file work if got signed from the authorities. soft copy is useful for future work
Let me first to definite them that Hardcopy mostly are paper, contracts, and forms based on physical, softcopy are files folders based on computerized nonphysical. Both are good, but I prefer soft-copy specially when making backup. Let me outline both of them for advantages and disadvantage methods:
Advantages:
Softcopy is easy to use, easy to edit, easy to organize, good looking , easy to make backup and it can be searchable very easy that depends on searching tools using are windows search, ava find or google desktop search, these software are depending on indexing files and folders for the directory you choose. And also you can make nonedible files as using adobe, make files in image. There are more advantages but this is what I recall now
Hardcopy easy to organize, no need for backup, safe, confidential, easy to find that depends on how it be stored. There are more advantages but this is what I recall now
Disadvantages
Softcopy easy to be exposed if it went to wrong person, safety depends on how secrete the person is and/or using protection software as anyone who has access to files can copy them and take them, need electricity, easily can be damage by misusing or virus, it can be sent to other person by mistake, easily to be overwriting if there is no protection and the information can be lost as sometimes after finish using the file you forgot to save and close it.
Hardcopy easy to lose, hard to find if it’s not organized in proper way, need good memory to remember, be in a safe place as if there is water it can be damage, hard to edit it as if you want to change one letter you have to re-write the whole letter so it can be good looking, hard to recover and sometimes is impossible as damaging and throwing the paper is very hard to recover.
For me I prefer the softcopy because I can recover, edited, make many backups and easy to find when search it or organize it in directories that make it easy to find, and to make it more confidential I save it in USB that no one can see it without the USB.
