Share & distribute LINKS to details & info, NOT COPIES of the details & info!

© 20081204230820 by Michael B. Parker
--MIT CS Grad, US Military IT Officer (in charge of a Combat Hospital's computers), and IT Expert for hire--

The big picture: Give LINKS to the details, NOT COPIES (especially in messages); which (to give info such links) effectively results in: get all operational data out of messages (as email) and onto appropriate Internet servers.  In using computers, a quite notable mistake which the vast majority of people make (which is quite subtle but eventually quite costly to everyone, as email & info overload) is to share & distribute (especially in email) COPIES of stuff, and often without specifying their source, and most ironically when everyone with email today of course also has access to the web & the Internet, so if instead if one just gave the LINK (a URL) to the details & info (which is tiny, just a few characters), the recipient could get the info just as well if not notably better (and in via message just a fraction of the size, even in a tiny SMS message), plus also know where the info came from, and insure that it is fact authentic, and instantly get the latest version of it, plus typically lots more related info and status on it, plus a long, long list of other benefits.  Indeed, the change to "links not copies" eventually leads to the elimination of email entirely!  How?  So that details & info can have a link (URL) to share, instead of putting info in emails & messages one then starts putting it where it really belongs: on servers --ideally Internet severs-- as a wiki & web forum & shared files & web databases, which then also makes it dramatically more organized & secure; but then as more and more goes onto the servers the need to message anything heavily disappears: if one wants to see or give status or instructions, and answer & even frame questions, they just go directly to the server in the relevant area -- so no need to message anyone at all (the only message they might receive is an alert: that area they were watching has been updated, so go check it): so, taken the fullest, to get these links for everything, "links not copies" leads eventually to moving all operational data to appropriate Internet servers and so delightfully eliminating the need for email entirely, or at least eliminating email overload -wow!  So this article is aims to stop this mistake of needless info duplication and copies everywhere, and instead start folks on a great practice (and direction): "links not copies".
   Footnotes: (w)=a link to the article on the topic in http://en.Wikipedia.org

How to do this?  (share & distribute LINKS to the details & info, NOT COPIES)

1. As much as can be practically done, aim to
1. NEVER email/message a file or other attachments
   (except the replied-to or forwarded messages if medium-small (under say 200KB), as that's relatively few bytes (and also get single-instance-stored in at least Exchange & Gmail))
2. NEVER copy-and-paste into a message (unless clearly a signature; or if it somehow can't at all be handled by a link, as a complex template where the commonality can't be factored out)
   
3. Indeed, NEVER put any detail into a message (besides LINKS to the details) UNLESS
1. those particular details/writing will never likely be repeated/reused,
   
2. and it's small (just a few paragraphs),
   
3. and security is no big concern here (realizing most any email could be a forgery, unless with verifiable digital signature which is complex & rare, or unless it was was clearly expected or clearly a reply to something recent)
   
2. Instead,
1. Locate else create a good source for that detail or file  (on an Internet server, with a URL to it which everyone who needs it can get to), then
2. Then share & distribute (as email) the URL to it (a LINK to the details & info, NOT a COPY of the details & info)
3. And when you must copy something (as notably to customize it somewhat, or because it's too short to practically go get), then
   make sure the copied portion is obvious and STILL include a link to the source. 
   For example, quote[Here's template <link> with the values filled in for your case: quote[....]]
   and quote[ “Be the change you want to see in the world.” –Gandhi].
   --In other words, as your English teacher taught you, when you DO copy something, always put it in quotes and cite your source!
   
4. And clean-up "bad writing" you encounter:
1. tell the author `Do "links not copies" as http://CytexIT.wiki.Zoho.com/links-not-copies.html explains'
   
2. and do it & demonstrate it to them by cleaning-up the writing (or at least some of it) as decribed above.

Why do it?   Here are overwhelming reasons (20+) why "links not copies" is the clear thing to do:

1. Designates and teaches a central site & authority for these details & info (a "POC" (point-of-contact) for that info & details, as one might say the military) .  And as such, then:
2. Allows every recipient, usually with just one click, to get not only the info, but also get the latest version of these details, plus typically all sorts of related relevant  info.  --Drastically reduces the problem of answering "Is this the latest and is it still applicable?"
   
3. In contrast to including (copying) the full details in messages, telling instead the link to the details allows every recipient not to have to waste the time & confusion & resources of filing, storing, and properly-securing the details (which generally aren't even theirs to begin with, so how are they to best file it anyway?!), indeed for each of the various versions of these details from update messages.  Details in a message (as in an email buried in some inbox) is:
   * an especially poor filing cabinet (usually just chronological list if incoming stuff),
   * are sometimes limited on storage available (though limits today have been (tragically) increasing due to people's failure to email a link not a copy),
   * and very easily may not be secure (who knows who might be able to get into some user's email; but in contrast, the Internet server can require a login before delivering info).
   
4. Drastically reduces (several times more than any other factor!):
   * the enormous storage requirements for info,
   * plus the confusion & overload from all that info, as the VAST majority of info we possess is really just copies.
   * plus the network traffic (bandwidth) to share info, as now that traffic is used only when & and as much as is actually read (such as only to get the latest version, and when and if it is actually read)
   
5. Allows the details to be easily updated at any time, even after the message has been sent, and often without having to email out an update generally; indeed:
   
6. Can cut down on emails and other messaging dramatically or almost entirely -- "just go to the server to see the status, and to update your status.   Indeed, find out, correct and update any information yourself!"  No more email/messaging overload!  --indeed, taken to the fullest, the ONLY message which need be sent are (generally automatic alerts by the server) to check a particular page or file you are watching or are required to watch (note NO confidential info any more in general emails); and even if you miss these messages, real big: just go to the server whenever to get the latest big picture.
   
7. Includes the source of the details, properly crediting & directing to that source.  Info creators generally want & need credit for their work, plus money (as ad revenue) plus feedback from users using the info, plus often need (especially if they are running some org, most especially a military unit) control over their info (not it floating around potentially everywhere). 
8. And that source typically also links to a lot of further related info which can be very useful.
   
9. Allows the info to be interactive, plus much more advanced & rich than what can be included in a message.  Full multi-media, interactive calculations & queries & video & entertainment, and so much more.
   
10. Allows one to track (and control) exactly who reads the info & when, and how much --can't do that with a copy!
    (footnote: unless the rare & complex & specialized case (pioneered, BTW, by my company Cytex (= "Cypher Text") in 1994; plus by other companies) where the data is specially encrypted so a special (& trusted) reader/player or editor is required to use it and then that also controls and reports back this usage)
    
11. Dramatically enhances security in practice:
    
1. A HUGE security point: a link the source is the ONLY general way to insure that you're getting the real thing (especially if an HTTPS link).  In contrast, how do you know that copy of something is the real thing, most especially in the many cases where you weren't expecting it?  In general (and as many people regularly forget), you can't!   As spam & phishing email does on a daily basis, any copy (and even the whole email, even the "From" field) can be trivially forged & faked (that is if not digitally signed AND where the recipient can verify that signature, something well beyond the complexity of the vast majority of email recipients). (And unless such (complex &) verified digital signatures,) you would NEVER run a general executable program (as .EXE) which was emailed you unexpectedly for this reason, as despite what it said, it could easily instead be a virus or malware; and indeed, for this very reason, just as easily ANY details & copies in email (which you weren't expecting) could in fact be a trick.  Users in a habit of trusting copies & details in email could be fooled. The ONLY general way to insure you're getting a real message  (when messages can so easily forged as they can for most all email) is to just message a link/URL to the details where the recepient can identify that that link is to a trusted site.    
2. If the details are in some user's email, who knows who might be able to get into that's user's email (are you going to try to police every email account?!  A few orgs still try, but with everyone increasingly having their preferred email service, that is increasingly impractical).
3. And who knows how that person, or any one of recipients, may use those details later, most especially after they've left the organization -- (other than via Cytex), with copies, there's no general way to later retract info (nor to change/correct it). 
   
4. And would you want your sensitive info (as rosters) just floating around to hundreds or thousands of user's emails? 
   
1. At the very minimum (besides wasting tons of space), it could (and usually DOES in the case of exposed email lists) get you and hundreds of others on spam lists with just one mis-use. 
   
5. In contrast, if one sends a link and NOT a copy: corrections can be made after the fact, mistakes can be fixed before they're sent out everywhere, and accessing the info can require a second password (in important) so we don't need to depend on the personal email box to be secure, and access can be later instantly revoked say if the user is no longer with the group or organization -- whereas that's virtually impossible to insure and police if one just distributes out copies.  The security assurances alone are enough to justify sending links and not copies.
12. Share a lot more info! On a details web page you can go into a lot more detail (than you can usually in a personal message).  And
    
13. Your messages are now small --possibly even fitting in a SMS text message-- with all  copied text (& files) removed (and replaced with a link).  Indeed,
    
14. in the space you saved in your messages & writing, you can include more links. 
    
15. Plus your messages now can be entirely personal & sweet -- as it's now all custom-writing for the reader  --as anything which is not special to the reader (written or repeated to several, essentially copied stuff or "boilerplate text" (which everyone hates!)) is now replaced with neat little link.
    
16. Indeed, copies can easily violate the copyright of the info. (And did you know, in America, everything one writes is already copyright implicitly??(citation needed)  So don't copy, link! )
    
17. Indeed, copies are the basis of plagiarism - but with no copies, there can be no plagiarism! 
18. Plus share to (& help) infinitely more people: by sharing your creations on an Internet server (instead of in a message), you can get a potentially infinitely larger audience.   And,
19. Plus, unlike in a message, on an Internet server you can get paid for your creations! (via embedded ads, contributions, and even subscriptions). Plus,
    
20. Plus, unlike being buried in separate messages which likely no one (not even you) ever reads again,
    on an Internet server, your (and others) info, know-how, details, and creations can get organized (a lot more organized), especially if using the latest technologies as a Wiki or web database.
    

The mistake-rate here? Enormous!  As MOST people make this mistake when communicating via computers.

Common reasons why this isn't done, and how to correct each:

1. Wasn't warned: I'm just doing what's easiest for the instant (just copy-and-paste or drag-and-drop) and not knowing/thinking/being-warned the long term consequences.  Software designers are notably remiss here  for not making linking reliable & easy (and even though that requires a bit more design & programming!) and copying dicouraged if not hard (say perhaps giving you a taste all the work your poor computer then has to do to work after you asked it, which just a quick drag & drop, to shift about all those bytes you asked to be copied!).
   Well, regardless, start realizing this mistake now (of copying instead of linking) and start spreading the word!
   
   
2. Recipient offline: But I "have" to send a copy - for what if the person is offline?
   Umm, if the person is offline, then HOW did they get your email?  No, s/he's online.
   Moveover, the vast majority of the people access their email thru a web browser, so they MUST be online even to just access the copy.  And indeed in part of this heavy dependence on a web browser and having to be online (even for most people's email), broadband Internet to homes & businesses, plus to cell phones, is ALWAYS online.  While it's true that people have laptops which they carry around and are NOT (yet) always online, putting the details & info in their email (where most people use web email) isn't going to help them any; those folks who have a problem can (and will likely need) to make their own copy anyway.   So, in practice, it seems there are rarely ever any access benefits include the details in the email (rather than to just include a link) --but there are LOADS of drawbacks as explained.
   
   
3. No place for original: I've no place (or no place secure) to host the details & info. 
   Well the problem here isn't cost.  Web hosting is dirt cheap these days (as $10/mo for 500GB).  The problem is knowing the right (& inexpensive) software & services, plus getting them embraced by your organization which may be clueless of this need. Well,
1. As far as your organization, I can't help you much there... well, other than to say direct your org to this page, which actually, may be all they need to get the ball rolling;
2. And for software and services, I can give you some good strong leads.
1. Online office suites(w) (as this one, Zoho(w)) can provide instant online sharing of files & web pages, and even collaborative editing for many file types, at virtually no cost.
2. For general databases and more complex & customized data, CMS(Content Management System)s(w) as notable Drupal(w) (and, weakly, Army Knowledge Online(w) can host all sorts of user-generated data.
3. And for general files, Subversion(w) and other version control filesystems(w) with a web server can do leaps and bounds as far as versioning (and sharing) general files, though these are not (yet) readily available inexpensively for your data over 1GB.
4. And there's a wealth of other options beyond these, but these are some of the best.
   
   
4. Can't find original: I just heard of or was forwarded this info, so I don't know where it's from!
   Search engines as Google are your answer.  Just Google for the filename (possibly in quotes) and/or a few key words for the info, and you will find it.  For instance,
   
1. I was just emailed a COPY of the file "US Constitution.pdf", indeed asking me to distribute this COPY to others (all my subordinates) (and so in fact inspiring me to to finally write this article!).  As surely the US Constitution is ALREADY on 10s (if not 100s) of Internet web servers already, indeed probably this very copy, so why do I have to store this copy in my email?!!  Well, sure enough.  Opening the file revealed it to be from "www.constitutioncenter.org".  So all I did is Google Search[site:constitutioncenter.org "US Constitution.pdf"] and that instantly (1st hit) gave me http://ConstitutionCenter.Org/constitution/constitution.pdf  .  So then I emailed back quote[
• Thank you for reminding us to remember the US Constitution, which is a quite important and indeed, as you know, a US soldier's highest loyalty: to uphold the US Constitution.  And, yes, per your suggestion, I will be sharing this document (and more on the US Constitution) in my email to my squad coming today.
• But I see you give a full copy, and notably NOT the link to the source.  Especially given there are 10s if not 100s of websites which already feature a copy of this document, there is no reason I can see to have a full copy (and one really just for print) eating up everyone's email quota, when all one would have to provide is just his/her favorite links to this document --a fraction of that space.  What's more, where did you get this?  My guess is you aren't familiar with the concept of "links not copies".  If not, and even if you may be, see http://CytexIT.wiki.Zoho.com/links-not-copies.html (which actually I wrote inspired by your email here (thank you!), and by many many more emails from others similarly featuring file attachments (and/or unquoted boilerplate text)). 
• So, following the instructions there on doing "links not copies", I have done Google Search[site:constitutioncenter.org "US Constitution.pdf"] and instantly found (1st hit) what appears to be your source: http://ConstitutionCenter.Org/constitution/constitution.pdf . And so instead will email to my subordinates something even better:
  
• instead of a copy (which is also a lot of bytes to fill up everyone's email quota), this tiny link to access the original (and also telling the place where it's from, plus, implied by URL (the http://ConstitutionCenter.Org) a place for a lot more info it it;
  
• plus, with just one more tiny link, access to an even more advanced copy & analysis of the US Constitution (so interactive it CAN'T be easily included in an email): the Google Search[US Constitution] which leads to whatever the latest news on it is, including notably the Wikipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution .
• Impressive, huh? And in a fraction of the space of the original message.  So please spread the word: "links not copies" as http://CytexIT.wiki.Zoho.com/links-not-copies.html explains. ]
  
  
5. Link addresses (as URLs) might change or need to be change.
   Yes, and that's annoying, and subject of much discussion, as Permalinks(w) (to keep from having to change the links) plus indexes of all references (links) out there (so to quickly find & change them all when you do).   But two points to remember:
1. If your links are to HTML pages (as they commonly are), and to increasingly other file types, then if a time comes to move them, the document can instead be replaced with a proxy redirecting users, either by another click or automatically, the new location.  So, as long as you control the prior domain, it's not so bad.
   
2. You & your org's phone numbers and physical addresses and even email addresses have to change sometimes.  But does that mean we say, at any time, a person or org will do without these, without a way for others to contact?  Of course no!  So show your info the same respect!  If it's worth saying, it's worth giving an address.
   
   
6. Copy else loose or slow: If *I* don't make a copy, I'm worried about it being lost or corrupted, or slow where I need it.
   First off, this is a different matter (mechanical & system administrator), of speed, backup(w), history-keeping, NOT new info.  As such, not YOU (the human) should be making making copies, but copies should be made ONLY by software whose BUSINESS this is to insure and manage backup, availability, and history.  For instance,
   
1. Your web browser's cache (and, within the Internet, web caching servers) to insure your web browsing is fast & network efficient.
2. And backup(w) software & services to insure there's always at least one copy of your needed data elsewhere.
3. Plus versioning software as in a wiki(w) (as MediaWiki(w) used by Wikipedia) and by Subversion(w) and by say many Zoho apps (though still lagging some) --insures proper historical records are automatically kept (though such audit trail isn't yet automatic in all databases).
These three cover the majority of needs here, but while there still are some further needs, the key idea is that SOFTWARE for copy management, not humans, should be the only agents actually making copies (and you will see further developments of this idea in the upcoming FunLogic & CommuniDB systems TBA).

So take the "links not copies" pledge!

1. Commit to never giving a copy of any details, just links to it.
2. Follow the "How" directions.
3. And spread the word!  Do your best to share the LINK to this web page... and so stamp out copies and info woes everywhere!  :-)