Web Development·12,108 discussions

Meta Data

Tags: Software

Looking for some expert advice. I was emailed a document which shows the meta data having the author and last modified as the same person with a file size of 20.5kb.
I have saved the document with a new title and I am now down as the last modified person with a total editing time of 7mins. The file sizes has not changed.

Is meta data accurate?
Any idea of its legal standing?
Can meta data be turned on and off to make it look like I was the last person in a document?

Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

Topic

Unless there is some document control system.

In reply to Meta Data

The answer is no. Always has been the case for personal computers, Word and such.

1. What is that LEGAL STANDING QUESTION? Just like ANY EVIDENCE such is submitted as soon as possible to create and maintain the chain of custody. You can see the mess created with Hunter Biden’s laptop as they lost control of the chain of custody. If you need a refresher, read https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/chain_of_custody

2. Meta Data can hold whatever we want. So it’s as accurate as I want it to be. But does it mean anything? No.

3. Yes, meta data can be disabled, wiped, edited and faked. Any decent lawyer can disassemble claims it proved something.

Reply To: Meta Data

In reply to Unless there is some document control system.

Thanks.
I’m being accused of changing a document which I have not done and they are using meta data to say I am the last person who has edited the document (when the only thing I have done is save the document under a new file name in a shared drive ).

There is no evidence of tracked changes the word count on two documents remains as 20,5kb so I have no idea what has happened.

And that’s all it takes for meta data to change and point at you.

In reply to Reply To: Meta Data

I’m guessing this is a Word or Excel document.

You wrote you did save the doc under a new name so that would change meta data.

As some would say, a nothing burger and a fine example why meta data is almost always useless.

-> If the company wanted to track changes they would have a DMS (document management system) and turn or all the tracking there plus Word’s track changes option.

My bet is they haven’t done any of this.

Re: meta data

In reply to Meta Data

Opening the document and use ‘Save as’ to make a copy with another name can be considered a change to the new copy. Apparently, that is how Microsoft or LibreOffice, or the maker of the unknown program you used, do it.

Just renaming the document wouldn’t have changed anything in it, neither content nor metadata.

It’s your choice to do one of the two. It seems you made the wrong choice.

[Author]

Replies