BACKING UP YOUR DATA

Let’s assume for the moment that you’re writing on a laptop or desktop computer. Or a tablet, or maybe even a phone? Let’s just say you’re typing your words into an electronic device of some sort.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU LOST YOUR WORK?

Yes, I capitalised it, because it’s IMPORTANT. 

I know, I know, we’re all used to doing things on the spur of the moment. Quick photo here, quick note there. We assume that, when we open our device, all of our data is still there from when we last looked at it.

But our hold on this data can be tenuous. It’s just a bunch of 1’s and 0’s, after all. Teeny tiny bits of electrical charge.

Now, I’m going to be coming back to this subject again, later in the month, because it’s so important. I’m going to be running through some simple, quick and cheap ideas for how you can make sure that all of your hard work is secure and safe. 

You might be asking: “But Gerald, it is really as important as you say?”

It’s a good question. After all, you’ve probably never lost a bit or a nibble or a byte or a word of data in your life.

BUT IT COULD HAPPEN.

It’s happened to me, and I’ve been close to people when it’s happened to them. The outcome of this can be devastating.

If you don’t consider backing up data as important as I do, maybe it’s a good idea if I go through some ways in which you could lose your data.

1) Hardware failure. Old-fashioned hard disks can fail, but even SSDs (Solid State Drives) can glitch or fail. It’s rare, I know, it it does happen.

2) Accident. Laptops and other mobile devices are… mobile. They can fall out of pockets and backpacks. They can be dropped. One of the things about digital devices – they either work, or they don’t. So anything dislodged or shaken inside the casing can cause trouble.

3) Problems at home. Every time we leave our home, it is potentially susceptible to burglary, fire, or flood damage. An unguarded and unattended home has risks.

4) Problems out and about. Theft from cars is common, especially if bags and cases are visible from outside. Devices can be left on a seat on a train, or slip out of pockets and fall under a seat.

I don’t mean to scare you, because there are some very simple, quick and cheap things we can do to ensure all of our data remains safe and accessible. But the time we invest in our creative efforts is huge, and is often worth far more than the devices themselves.

Check back later in the month for the simple measures I TAKE to keep my data safe.