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We've broken down preserving your family's memories into easy six steps we call DOTAGE.

The Six Steps of DOTAGE

1

Discovery

First, you need to discover your memories. Do you know where they are? In what format are they? What is worth keeping and preserving and what should be disposed of? What are you planning to leave for your children? Do a baseline assessment of what you have, what your're keeping and where it's located.

2

Organization

Next, it’s time to get them organized. The physical items you have should be stored in any place where you can reference them easily. You’ll want to annotate what they are by taking a picture of them and then putting a caption or filename of the picture that references what it is and where it is stored.

3

Transformation

Next, you need to convert your memories from the old format to a current format. This can be difficult, but it's not impossible. We'll help you figure out what technology you need and how to get it. Or we can recommend services that will do it for you.

4

Audio and Visual

Next, record your family's stories from your relatives. We'll show you what to use and how to use it. And then how to store those recordings. This includes not only stories they want to tell. Ask them questions. Find out about your own childhood as well as your relatives. And get detailed: addresses, full names, amounts, whatever they can remember.

5

Guarding

Next, back up and secure your data. Back up your own personal data and data from your parents, grandparents, or others. Know the difference between local backup and cloud backup? If you had a fire in your home, make sure all your memories go up in smoke? Securing might seem simple, but there are plenty of nefarious folks who want to grab your data. You need to secure it. This is especially important if you travel because when you use the Internet, you might be a target. We know many people whose credit cards were compromised when they traveled. We'll help you prevent that from happening.

6

Enlightenment

Finally, you can share your memories. After you’ve converted your memories, backed them up and secured them, share them! For most, this is the whole point in preserving memories. All your hard work allows your memories of your parents and grandparents to live on with your kids and grandkids. Maybe it’s just sharing things with friends who share the same interest or hobby. In any case, your memories will be in an easily shareable format.