Here is a graph of lost bits of information based on storage type. You will notice that stuff recorded on bits of paper is over three times as likely to get lost as if it was stored in electronic format.

Interestingly this is because we are far more inclined to organise information on our computer than we are in our physical files. This is somewhat ironic because modern search technology makes it far less important to organise your electronic documents. What is more it is predicted to get even easier as our search technology advances. William Jones of the University of Washington is working on a prototype technology called a "universal labeler" that will allow us to tag all sorts of electronic information for easy retrieval later.

It is part of an ongoing National Science Foundation-funded project called "Keeping Found Things Found" whose goal is to understand how to help people to manage their information better regardless of its form or location and you can read more about it at the University of Washington web site here.