WEEDING THE DAM GARDEN: Valuable Lessons from Ground Elder for Managing Digital Assets

Although it might sound like a bit of a jump, managing a garden, particularly one afflicted with invasive weeds like Ground elder (Aegopodium podagraria), offers unexpected yet profound insights into maintaining a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system.

Just as a gardener must continuously battle against such pervasive weeds, DAM system administrators must keep their digital repositories weed-free to prevent them from becoming unmanageable.

This article parallels the diligent and sometimes back-breaking work of weeding a garden and the steps in effectively managing digital files referenced in a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system.

UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF GROUND ELDER

Ground elder is a resilient plant species known for dominating garden spaces. It spreads quickly through its root system, making it challenging to eradicate once established. Conventional weedkillers aren’t effective against it (and aren’t good for other plants or wildlife).

Often referred to as Bishop’s weed (a synonym derived from the shape of the plant’s leaves), the plant has a long history in the British Isles, from being introduced by the Romans and used in cooking to its transition to an invasive and unwanted weed.

An elderly relative once told me that the most effective way to get rid of Ground elder was to “move house,” but as I’ve found over the past few years, the key to controlling and eradicating ground elder lies in understanding its growth patterns, being quick to recognise it, and being especially thorough in removing the plant’s rhizomes.

LESSONS FOR DAM

When a DAM stops working effectively, it becomes a ‘problem. ‘ The typical reaction is to blame the system, or the system vendor (depending on their ability to support you) and to start thinking about moving to a different solution. However, choosing a new home for your digital assets doesn’t guarantee that the problems will disappear.

Like ground elder, digital clutter, including duplicates, can quickly spread through a DAM system, making it hard to locate and use the correct version of a file. Understanding how data proliferates within your systems and identifying the root causes of disorganization and problems with search are crucial first steps in maintaining an orderly digital asset library.

Like ground elder, digital clutter, including duplicates, can quickly spread through a DAM system, making it hard to locate and use the correct version of a file. Understanding how data proliferates within your systems and identifying the root causes of disorganization are crucial first steps in maintaining an orderly digital asset library.

VIGILANCE 

Catching Ground elder early and regularly uprooting new sprouts (and their brittle rhizome root systems) can prevent the species from taking over gardens. This requires routine monitoring and immediate action as soon as the Ground elder reappears. The process always continues but does improve over time. As spotting Ground elder becomes habitual, so the sense of progress grows. It becomes curiously satisfying.

Similarly, early detection of duplicates, redundant, outdated, or irrelevant files within a DAM system can prevent them from overwhelming the system. Regular audits and clean-ups are essential, ensuring that the DAM remains efficient and that all stored assets are relevant and up-to-date.