Forum / You have backups, right?

  • Frankie Saxx
    Jul 10, 07:27pm

    Chris Okum's post about his lost novel made me wonder.

    My laptop automatically backs up to our server every evening. The server has full mirrors of the home directory & periodically backs up offsite. (I'm not sure about the frequency since I don't handle that one.)

    I've only really needed the backup once, when my old Thinkpad wouldn't wake up one morning. Then, it was priceless.

    (It's not just writing, it's other important files like the database for my password manager & my keyring, all my personal photos, etc.)

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    Barry Basden
    Jul 10, 09:49pm

    I use dropbox pro, 100GB. Syncs across my 3 laptops. Stuff's in the cloud and also on all 3 local devices.

    YMMV. Others may have better options. I'm too short of time to look for any...

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    Elizabeth Kate Switaj
    Jul 11, 12:53am

    I am obsessive about backups. I use time machine to run hourly full-system backups to an external hard drive and back all my data up at least once a day to Dropbox. My most important files I also save occasionally to USB sticks kept in different locations.

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    Lynn Beighley
    Jul 11, 01:30am

    I have a drive that automatically backs up all machines on my network every night. Yeah, I'm that person.

    I often mail things to myself as well.

    And this one time I printed this thing. I know, right?

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    Gone
    Jul 11, 02:47am

    I use dropbox, but ever' now and then, I like to back up all my writing on several USB sticks I keep in various locations around the US. I lost an entire novel (typewritten ms) back in the 70's, so I my paranoia is justified.

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    Sally Houtman
    Jul 11, 06:32am

    All of my backing up is done by Sumerian scribes. I keep them in various locations as well.

  • Frankie Saxx
    Jul 11, 08:27am

    (I am enjoying hearing how other people do this. Also: sally, what's the setup cost on a system like that?)

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    Sally Houtman
    Jul 11, 09:04am

    Start-up cost is minimal. But, man, have you seen the price of clay tablets these days?

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    Sam Rasnake
    Jul 11, 11:45am

    Dropbox

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    Joani Reese
    Jul 13, 12:54pm

    They may be pricey, but you can't beat those clay tablets for longevity. If you also invest in a desert cave in which to store them? Priceless.

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    Matthew Robinson
    Jul 13, 01:43pm

    I email every draft of every piece I write to myself at the end of every writing session.

    Like some kind of animal.

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    mxi wodd
    Jul 13, 06:36pm

    "pre-nup"?

    I WILL NEXT TIME.

  • Frankie Saxx
    Jul 13, 08:35pm

    @Matt

    Could be worse. You could be trying to figure out how to attach clay tablets to messenger pigeons. (Or no backup at all!)

    I bet if you told us what kind of computer you've got, me & Lynn could help you automate that.

    @mtd

    Same kind of learning experience.

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    mxi wodd
    Jul 13, 09:19pm

    I have the free version of dropbox.

    Is that sufficient for backup?

    How do you do it?

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    mxi wodd
    Jul 13, 09:29pm

    Oh, I see...

    Just "right-click" it in your document file, click on "Send To" and choose Dropbox.

    Guess I'll do that until it says I've used all available space.

    (besides that: two CPUs, one thumb-drive and dear old Fnoot)

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    Gone
    Jul 13, 09:48pm

    The trouble with storing your writing in caves is those Bedouin shepherds who are forever looking for something to sell to pay for their Netflix. I can imagine the scribe, chuckling as he salted away the Dead Sea Scrolls, turning to his rebbe and saying, "They're never gonna find those."
    "I dunno, Shlomo. What about those Bedouin shepherds over there?"
    "Trust me. Those guys wouldn't know a scroll from a lamb chop."

  • Frankie Saxx
    Jul 13, 10:12pm

    Is Fnoot your Sumerian scribe?

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    mxi wodd
    Jul 13, 10:29pm

    That would be Enmebaragisi.

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    Jane Flett
    Jul 16, 12:22pm

    I feel like a fool who will be struck down by terrible retribution as soon as I say this, but...not really. No.

    Well, I email things to myself to print out sometimes. I post a lot of first drafts online. I print things out to edit them. But I have no organised method.

    I did recently get ForeverSave Lite, which at least saves the most recent version of things on my computer and makes me save documents as something rather than working all day on an Untitled then accidentally letting the computer die and losing it all.

    I should really sort this out...

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    Lynn Beighley
    Jul 16, 03:02pm

    You probably have a CD/DVD drive that can write, right? Write a CD/DVD with your writing. Right now. Alright?

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