Belt, braces, superglue and a padlock

[strange_complex]

Given that I have complete and up-to-date copies of my book on:

• My hard-drive
• A CD
• My Yahoo email account
• The Warwick University server

... it would be overkill to put it on the shiny new data-stick my Dad gave me and email it to my work and Excite email accounts as well. Right? Right???

In other news, the materials for the course I'm going to be doing with redkitty23 next term on The Operas of Handel arrived today. I'm very excited! It tells us what operas we'll be covering each week, and there's a recommended reading list as well.

This means that I can now see that, thanks to superhuman CD-copying efforts over the past couple of months, I have indeed successfully acquired copies of most of the major works we'll be studying. In fact, over a 10-week course, there's only 3 weeks for which I don't have at least some of the appropriate listening material. So that's good - I can listen to the relevant operas in preparation, and read the right bits of the books, and turn up with a big, swotty 'I did my homework' grin on my face. :)

And homework is right, because we also have to do worksheets each week, to 'consolidate' what we've learned in class. We can even do an essay if we want! (Although I'm not sure I'll actually go that far - I may have finished my book by then, but I have a paper queuing up to be written, too.)

But yay! I am going to be a student again! How amusing.

Comments

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

it would be overkill to put it on the shiny new data-stick my Dad gave me and email it to my work and Excite email accounts as well. Right? Right???

but... what if yahoo goes pffft, your PC blows up, your CD is defective and Warwick Uni suddenly disappears into the depths of the space-time continuum (or, perhaps worse, turns into a small bowl of petunias)

Back it up, back it up again, then back it up a third time. Print off a copy and hide it in a bank vault...

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Well, that's the thing, you see - Warwick University did get over-run by mutant zombies (http://purple-pen.livejournal.com/137410.html) the other week...

I might succumb to the temptation of emailing it to myself on another couple of accounts, though. That has the great advantage of meaning that it's physically in more than one place, so that, say, if my house burnt down and both PC and CD were reduced to charred, melty lumps, my book would still be safe.

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

see? *definitely* worth it.

When my friend Anna was working on her PhD, she turned up at my house clutching a bunch of floppy disks, 'just in case'

Burn copies of the disc and give it to all your friends!

I've got a backup of my digital photos on CDs, on a spare HD in the PC at home, and on the PC here. I'm wondering how to get the ones off here (given they have all the Leeds photos etc, which didn't make it home) and where to put them next...

[davesangel.livejournal.com]

Personally, I don't think it would be overkill - I always get very paranoid about making sure I have enough copies of my essays/chapter, just in case something majorly wrong happens.

Perhaps make a private Live Journal update, as well as emailing it to your various email addresses, just to be completely sure that there is at least one source from which you can access the work if needs be?

[kkjxx.livejournal.com]

I have the latest draft of my novel on three servers, each on a different continent... but then you already know how paranoid I get...

I say put it on your memory stick, mail it to yourself and do whatever you need to feel secure that you can't lose it!

Oh... and on a musical note (PUN!) enjoy the course... it sounds great... but the essay does seem a bit much!

[edling.livejournal.com]

If you're feeling paranoid enough to keep a physical offsite backup, throw me a copy of the CD and I'll shove it somewhere safe round my place, but it sounds like you've got most bases covered now...

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the offer, but I think I'm good. Despite the recent mutant zombie incident, I do generally trust the Warwick server. My book was still on it when they got the power back up again. Besides, what if a plane crashes in Mill Street and takes out both our houses???

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think in the end I'll just have to do every possible thing I could to back it up. Otherwise, I'll be sitting here panicking about scenarios in which the only method I didn't use is the one to survive a hideous nuclear holocaust (after which I doubt anyone would be that interested in reading about Roman suburbs anyway...)

Have been out book and CD-shopping for the course today with the friend I'm doing it with. Should be lots of fun.