The image above is from a great blog called Indexed and reminded me of how often I complain about people not backing up, and that I was probably due for another rant.  Backing up is something people don’t do.  I get it.  It takes time.  It boils down to how replaceable is the data.  If your computer replaced with a brand new one, what data would have to be transfered? Any?  Could you just start fresh or are you going to need something from that old machine?

Backing up is simple.  Make a copy, put it on another disk.  Any kind of disk: usb flash drive, CD, DVD, external HD.  The key is MAKE A COPY!!!  Moving a file to a separate disk is not making a copy, it’s moving a file.  If that drive is lost, the file is lost.  I hear all too often, “I put the file on my external hard drive, so it’s ok.”  No it’s not.  External hard drives are just as susceptible to failure as internal hard drives. 

I’m a huge fan of Apple’s new Time Machine system in Leopard (OS 10.5).  The system can be used with any external or internal hard drive (different than the boot drive), and can be used with network volumes, such as AirDisk in the new Extreme Basestations,  Time Capsule (Apple’s new wireless router with built in network disk), networked volumes on other computers, and other network drive systems like Drobo.

Every hour the system backs itself up with no user involvement after setup. Time Machine saves the hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month, and weekly backups for everything older than a month.  The system is smart and easy to use.  We have implemented it for all of our server, desktop machines and laptops in the office.  When there is no need to think about it, backups actually happen.  When backups happen people have no need to worry or break down when their hard drives crash. 

In our office, a file does not exist unless it is in two places.

Via Indexed

I do most of my Internetting from the office (or other peoples offices, for business reasons), but of course there will always be a need for the Intertubes at home.  Up until recently I was paying right at $100 a month for basic cable (no box, channels 3-72 + the creepy jewelry channel in the 90s) and internet 5Mbps down 512Kbps up (a speed they no longer even offer).  Well with the new VIP deal (Video, Internet, Phone), each service is only $30 a month.  After a phone call and some wheeling and dealing for the same $100 a month I have Digital cable with a DVR box (where the extra $10 comes in) with Starz and Encore, phone service and internet.  Now the reason I say phone service is because I am not going to use the phone.  I got the phone because it forces the cable company to up my internet speed to 10Mbps down and 1Mbps up, doubling the speed I used to have.  It just got setup and I’m very please with the results.