A shoebox vs. an online backup
2010-07-26 10:58:55
Shortcut URL: http://t.conquent.com/KB00
I keep seeing ads for online backup systems. Now, don't get me wrong, I think automatic, online backups are a perfect use of the Internet -- we've been using mirroring and synchronizing tools on our servers for years.
But I saw an ad for mozy today where this woman is holding a shoebox of photos and says, "I once stored my memories in shoeboxes. Now I know my photos will be safe for generations to come."
Really? Generations to come? I have a stack of 5 1/4" floppies with memories I'll never relive. I have CDs that are scratched and beyond readabilty. I once had a bunch of photos and documents in attachments in an old Hotmail account, but that account got deleted, along with my data. I'm not sure I know my Myspace login. And Facebook keeps changing what they do with their privacy rules -- who knows if the photos I have posted there will stay there through a class-action suit.
But I visited my dad a while back and he had photo albums going back to before I was born and it was easy enough to pick up a book and start looking without finding the right technology or password. Sure, he's converted a lot of these to digital and sent everyone in the family CDs of these photos, but the slides and photos in his closet are still the best source for memories.
mozy may be a great service, but to assume that ANY online service is going to be there for "generations" is absurd. Sure, store your photos there, but keep them in a shoebox too...
This article also appears on
Web Development
|
RSS for this blog
