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Tech Magazine Loses June Issue, No Backup

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the happens-to-everyone dept.

Gareth writes "Business 2.0, a magazine published by Time, has been warning their readers against the hazards of not taking backups of computer files. So much so that in an article published by them in 2003, they 'likened backups to flossing — everyone knows it's important, but few devote enough thought or energy to it.' Last week, Business 2.0 got caught forgetting to floss as the magazine's editorial system crashed, wiping out all the work that had been done for its June issue. The backup server failed to back up."

5 of 245 comments (clear)

  1. After the swearing stopped. by AltGrendel · · Score: 5, Funny
    The first words from management were "You're kidding me, right?"

    Then the swearing started again.

    --
    The simple truth is that interstellar distances will not fit into the human imagination

    - Douglas Adams

  2. With this much free advertising by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    who needs a magazine?

  3. Nelson Muntz by erroneous · · Score: 5, Funny

    Some stories should just come with Nelson Muntz sound files embedded.

    Ha-ha!

    --
    erroneous: look me up in a dictionary
  4. Re:err... by radtea · · Score: 5, Funny

    sorry, their MAIN problem is not in any way a dysfunctional backup system. ever heard of verifying backuped data?

    I'm sure they've heard of it, in a conversation that went something like this:

    IT Guy: We need a system for verifying our backups.

    Suit: How come? Don't the backups work?

    IT Guy: We need to be sure that if there is a failure, the backups will be ok.

    Suit: But they're just copies, aren't they? I copy files all the time and it never goes wrong.

    IT Guy: This is a little more complicated than that.

    Suit: How hard can it be?

    IT Guy: Well, I was thinking we might need to hire a part-timer just to take care of backups and verification.

    Suit: But we've never had a failure! Sounds like empire building to me. I know that's what I'd be doing in your position. Nice try. We'll keep the backup system the way it is, thanks.

    IT Guy: But..!

    Suit: Moving on to the next item on the agenda... ok, Executive Bonuses!

    --
    Blasphemy is a human right. Blasphemophobia kills.
  5. Paging Jerry Seinfeld by shrubya · · Score: 5, Funny

    Jerry: I don't understand. Do you have my data?
    IT: We have your backup, we just can't restore it.
    Jerry: But the backup keeps the data here, that's why you have the backup!
    IT: I think I know why we have backups.
    Jerry: I don't think you do. You see, you know how to MAKE the backup, you just don't know how to RESTORE the backup. And that's really the most important part of the backup: the restoring. Anybody can just make them.