I've suggested it before but my backup method is just accepting it as God's will if I suffer a data loss and moving on from there.

Other than the selection of images that have been uploaded to Flickr for sharing I have no backup for any of the decade's worth of photos I have.

I have 3TB of storage at home. I had 2 duplicates of my photos directories, and a daily backup stored on a RAID 5 array (3 drives grouped such that if any one drive dies, all data is still in tact).

After the CPU fan broke off its bracket, the computer did several emergency shutdowns due to overheating. I got the fan repaired only to discover that somewhere along the line a system file must have been corrupted and the OS would crash within 5 minutes of booting. Eventually I had to reinstall the OS. In doing so, I deleted the partitions with the 2 redundant copies of the directory - secure knowing that I had the backup protected on the RAID 5 array.

Except that at some point during the reinstall process, the system, for reasons that make absolutely zero sense to me, decided my RAID 5 array no longer existed. Just 3 disks sitting there with no way to access the data.

Fortunately, even though I "formatted" the partitions with the data on them, it was a quick format (meaning it just deleted the small amount of information that tells the computer where on the disk all the files are, rather than deleting any data) and I never actually wrote anything to the disk after that, so the data was still there, I just needed some software that could scan the disk and recover it. But yeah, that was enough for me to no longer trust ANY entirely local backup strategy. Only a perfect sh*tstorm of fail could have wiped my data out...and it damn near happened. I'm far too attached to my photos to let that happen again.

Flcikr carries the same problem as CD/DVD, it requires actually remembering to upload stuff. Online backup services happen automatically, no extra work required. Just what I need. And at $50/yr, worth it to me.

I found it safest to backup pictures by drawing them in either crayon or marker pen and for the music, I just write out the songs on blank sheet music paper.

Videos take a little longer to back up: I have to write screen-plays for each one and cast them. Very tedious.

RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!


This is another cool piece of kit that comes with my job.

GUILTY! Thank you, that is all.

Thanks for the reminder GD. I've been meaning to back my stuff up. Now it's done :)

Yay, jasmine tea has been added to the flavors available at work! Not the best jasmine tea I've had, but far better than the flavorless and oddly paint-like green tea we had been provided.

Nefarious Porpoises is my new band name. I'm looking for a replacement accordian/balalaika player. Must look good in lederhosen.

Damn another great gig lost to the fact that I don't play an instrument, otherwise I so close on this one.