Comments on: [process] Backing up your fiction like a pro

By: The New and Improved “How to Back Up Like a Pro” « Wits Intact

The New and Improved “How to Back Up Like a Pro” « Wits Intact — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 05:31:21 +0000

[...] couple of years ago, I rebutted a post by Jay Lake that described his utterly Byzantine methodology for backing up his work. His directions were on par with that hoary old saw you hear from lots of newbie writers about [...]

By: [links] Link salad wishes it was a fisherman, tumbling on the seas | jlake.com

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:08:27 +0000

[...] Comments Tim Keating on [process] Backing up your fiction like a pro at 5:39 am, February 12, [...]

By: Tim Keating

Tim Keating — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:20:31 +0000

I’ve had all I can stands, and I can’t stands no more.

Scalzi posted about his backup strategy, which is equally bizarre and convoluted, some time ago, and at that time I said nothing. This time, I can’t let it go. Rather than spam up the comments on this thread, I have written a blog post debunking this backup strategy: http://www.mrtact.com/blog/2009/02/how-to-really-back-up-like-pro.html. Lest you think I am some shill redirecting you to an ad site, let me say that all the software I talk about in that post is free, and I have nothing to do with it beyond a wish to steer other writers away from these antiquated, time-consuming and frankly, dangerous practices.

By: [links] Link salad remembers his hat tilted forward | jlake.com

[links] Link salad remembers his hat tilted forward | jlake.com — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:29:10 +0000

[...] [process] Backing up your fiction like a pro »02-09-2009 [...]

By: Jay

Jay — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:43:22 +0000

That does it. You’re going into tomorrow’s Link Salad, buddy.

By: Jaws

Jaws — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:01:13 +0000

This is generally good advice — although I would not trust a third-party vendor with unpublished drafts, that’s really a personal decision — but it neglects something that’s pretty important:

data neutrality (third bullet point)

Had I not had the foresight to save all of the data files supporting my master’s thesis in CSV too, instead of just the now-defunct database format from which they were drawn, I wouldn’t be able to even access the raw data.

By: Jay

Jay — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:33:55 +0000

Hey, John. That’s a good idea. Essentially a slightly smoother version of what I do now with Gmail, and it offers some possibilities for collaborative work. Thanks!

By: John R. Douglas

John R. Douglas — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:29:59 +0000

Hey, Jay:

Have you invested the time on things like Dropbox or Wuala or the time and money in things like Carbonite (or many other alternatives) for automated online backup/syncing of selected files or all of your computer files. I’ve not had occasion to need them (Yet!) but I have all three of these systems operating on my main computer at home. Seamless, essentially invisible online duplication of files. Not always absolutely up-to-the-minute but usually pretty close.

Best,

John Douglas