I ask because people have said that with electronic logs alone you may have more difficulty getting some certifications and proving you've dove what your log shows.
Having already responded a few times to the other part of the OP's original post, I thought I'd throw in an idea on proving your logbook. Keeping this very simple as there are a lot of variables to consider, I have always thought that with todays technology, the following could be done, benefitting today's divers.
To really keep it simple, let's pretend there is only one dive organization, PADI in this case:
After dives are completed, pertinent information (that may be important for divers looking to work toward higher certifications in the future) is recorded, such as site, depth, time, type/conditions of dive, and DM's cert. number, and would be sent to the PADI worldwide database by the PADI certified dive op and linked the the certification number of the diver. This would be an official record. You would be able to see all of your dives/certifications (your dive log) but not alter them. Keeping you're own other type of dive log to be able to record stamps, signatures, notes, etc... would be up to you.
A dive op can already access a diver's certifications and some dive ops record dive information on their own systems now and keep it for years (Ocean Frontiers in Grand Cayman for example.) There would be more responsibility for the DM/dive op but Ocean Frontiers would only be missing a step of sending the info to PADI (and PADI would have to create a program to accept the info.)
*Playing tennis in the USTA (United States Tennis Association) there is a database that either a tournament director or a captain of a team can input scores into of matches played (team captain input is verified by an opposing captain with a way to work out any descepencies.) From team matches played, a player rating is determined. Anyone can go into the system and see my rating and the results of every tennis match I ever played under USTA. There are many other examples of databases (BMV, banks, store purchases, etc) where huge amounts of information of past activity can be stored.
Some things that would have to be worked out:
*Since there is more than one diving organization, something would have to be worked out to include non-PADI dives (in my example)
*A way to record dives for those ops that are not tech current (maybe snail mail)
How do dive ops send records now for a diver who completed a certification with them??
*Solo dives????
*A way to include, as official or unofficial, dives for those that would like to add their first 3000 dives!
I know.....crazy idea!