A couple of hard disks, stored in different locations (cities, not drawers), that you update+check once a month or a quarter.
Burn DVDS of the really important stuff (pictures, documents) around once a month, and mail them to your parents/family.
What NOT to do:
- RAID is NOT a backup solution, it is a high-availability solution. Of all the problems bakcups need to adress (theft, destruction, viruses...), it solves very few.
- don't keep your backups online and/or in the same spot: viruses, power surges, fires, theft... will destroy them
- don't have only ONE backup: Murphy's law, if your live data disapears, the backup will turn bad also
- don't forget to check that your backups are still good
- don't delude yourself into thinking that any physical media in use today will still be easily readable more than 5 years from now. (except for the consumer type media: CDs, DVDs)
Last I saw a performance and power consumption test, SSDs did no better than mechanical HDs. Seek performance was much better, read performance not so much, and write performance was much worse, resulting in equivalent real-life desktop performance, at a much higher price.
A smart OS might be able to optimally split files between a SSD and a HD depending on usage patterns. I'm still waiting for a smart OS though, and somewhat object to an OS that has to span 2 partitions.
As for setting up your OS on a separate partition... about time you did it. It does not even require distinct physical HDs. I personally have been doing it since Win98 days, if not before.
You can't blame systemic failure on individuals. If the system stays the same, sooner or later other like-minded individuals will abuse it again.
You can punish individuals who abused the system, but you also need to rejig the system, lest it be abused again.
So you should revamp the system, and, maybe also punish whoever designed it the first time around, if not for criminal conducted, at least for incompetence.
It's a bit of a payback, I think: politicians gave themselves (probably illegal) powers to snoop on anyone... It kinda seems fair that anyone can snoop on politicians ?
There was a case a few years ago, where the most widely used accounting/cash register software for hairdressers in France actually had a standard option to hide some cash from the tax authorities.
it also takes real/strength... talent and strength to, for example - pummel people to death - con people into giving you their money - make fake bills, paintings -...
broad categories: - spy jokes - how to securely transfer files - transfer is not the issue, safety at the other site is - cover your ass
- safety at your site is probably an issue too, if plain email was the suggested method of transfer
Depending on the company, I would or would not, as a tech guy, broaden the question to points 3+ . Nobody likes a troublemaker/whistleblower. Mention at the coffee machine to the one giving the orders that data security issues during the transfer are by far not the only ones. If you have to, cover your ass in an email, not talking about your reservations but about doing the transfer as requested, and keep any emails on that subject.
Follow up a couple of weeks later with info on data security, and try to get the ball rolling from there, if you can get people motivated about the subject.
It's not about having backed the wrong horse. It's about having a tool that meets your needs, and will for the short+medium term.
Since your setup sounds modest, I'd say - stick with well-represented, run-of the mill solutions (open or proprietary 'standards'), especially if they are widely used in your industry - don't change anything unless your concurrent system starts to perform unsatisfactorily (features, reliability, speed..), or if you KNOW it will soon be insufficient/too expensive - keep in mind that at one point you WILL need to change/overhaul your system, and/or your Web guy will leave: keep everything well structured and well documented. This does have a cost. It's well worth it.
It's funny how people will rant about how OOXML and Office format lock-in is evil, and then go buy stuff on iTunes. iTunes is worse: - No even just partially compatible alternative at all. Your Farplay songs MUST be played with Apple stuff. Doc files CAN be opened with other software. - It's even arguably illegal to open FairPlay files with another sotware/hardware. Imagine if MS did that with their formats ! -> apart from the lock-in, Fairplay is risky long-term: who knows how long apple will release good/cheap or not-so-good/not-so-cheap hardware-software for you guys to acces you FairPlay files ?
my little niece once wrote "$1,000,000,000,000 trillion" in an email and sent it to the wrong person. Should I inform slashdot ? They might be able to come up with a grossly exaggerated headline about it.
Actually, I'm not quite sure what constitutes doping, as opposed to just eating/drinking, and I'm really curious what the criteria are to label something a drug.
Some natural foods are actually drugs (mushrooms, alcool...) Sometimes it depends on the dosage (one glass on wine vs one bottle). Sometimes it seems to depend on social standards (alcool/nicotine vs marijuana ?)
Each of the apps could have a nice 'assistant', like le microsoft thingy everyone loved so much, but with an extra twist: each module's assistant would have the personnality of one of the series' characters. Pamela gets the drawing tool, that's a no-brainer ^^
- I must use iTunes to use the iPhone
+ iTunes is proprietary
+ iTunes chokes on my 250 gigs ripped CD collection (all legit), even the mp3'd subset
of it I have
+ iTunes doesn't support the open format I ripped them into (flac)
- I can't quickly transfer tunes/vids to it from any PC via drag and drop
- I can't install any 3rd party app I want on it (ebook reader, games, reference...)
Slashdot Mirror
For 500 gigs.
A couple of hard disks, stored in different locations (cities, not drawers), that you update+check once a month or a quarter.
Burn DVDS of the really important stuff (pictures, documents) around once a month, and mail them to your parents/family.
What NOT to do:
- RAID is NOT a backup solution, it is a high-availability solution. Of all the problems bakcups need to adress (theft, destruction, viruses...), it solves very few.
- don't keep your backups online and/or in the same spot: viruses, power surges, fires, theft... will destroy them
- don't have only ONE backup: Murphy's law, if your live data disapears, the backup will turn bad also
- don't forget to check that your backups are still good
- don't delude yourself into thinking that any physical media in use today will still be easily readable more than 5 years from now. (except for the consumer type media: CDs, DVDs)
Last I saw a performance and power consumption test, SSDs did no better than mechanical HDs. Seek performance was much better, read performance not so much, and write performance was much worse, resulting in equivalent real-life desktop performance, at a much higher price.
A smart OS might be able to optimally split files between a SSD and a HD depending on usage patterns. I'm still waiting for a smart OS though, and somewhat object to an OS that has to span 2 partitions.
As for setting up your OS on a separate partition... about time you did it. It does not even require distinct physical HDs. I personally have been doing it since Win98 days, if not before.
Money ? Capacity ? Performance ? Durability ?
You can't blame systemic failure on individuals. If the system stays the same, sooner or later other like-minded individuals will abuse it again.
You can punish individuals who abused the system, but you also need to rejig the system, lest it be abused again.
So you should revamp the system, and, maybe also punish whoever designed it the first time around, if not for criminal conducted, at least for incompetence.
I can see from my window my 80 year old neighbour taking a shower everyday. I'm an expert in geriatrics !
It depends... Socialism is about redistributing from the rich to the poor, not the reverse. That would be more like... roberbaronism ?
There IS a difference between "embrace and extend" and "extend right away": sneakiness.
Google lacks something both MS and Apple are going to enjoy for a long time: user lock-in via proprietary formats, DRM and/or user training.
Google has much less leverage to become evil by abusing lock-ins... hence less evilness.
It's a bit of a payback, I think: politicians gave themselves (probably illegal) powers to snoop on anyone... It kinda seems fair that anyone can snoop on politicians ?
There was a case a few years ago, where the most widely used accounting/cash register software for hairdressers in France actually had a standard option to hide some cash from the tax authorities.
Couldn't find any links, sorry.
Same as people only buy Ferraris or other sports cars ? /sarcasm
it also takes real/strength... talent and strength to, for example ...
- pummel people to death
- con people into giving you their money
- make fake bills, paintings
-
should we reward that, too ?
I totally agree on both counts...
Why on earth did they change the keybord shortcuts though ? to piss off their old users ?
question. That's why I love /.
broad categories:
- spy jokes
- how to securely transfer files
- transfer is not the issue, safety at the other site is
- cover your ass
- safety at your site is probably an issue too, if plain email was the suggested method of transfer
Depending on the company, I would or would not, as a tech guy, broaden the question to points 3+ . Nobody likes a troublemaker/whistleblower. Mention at the coffee machine to the one giving the orders that data security issues during the transfer are by far not the only ones. If you have to, cover your ass in an email, not talking about your reservations but about doing the transfer as requested, and keep any emails on that subject.
Follow up a couple of weeks later with info on data security, and try to get the ball rolling from there, if you can get people motivated about the subject.
people who give up their freedom don't deserve it anyway (approx. quote)
It's not about having backed the wrong horse. It's about having a tool that meets your needs, and will for the short+medium term.
Since your setup sounds modest, I'd say
- stick with well-represented, run-of the mill solutions (open or proprietary 'standards'), especially if they are widely used in your industry
- don't change anything unless your concurrent system starts to perform unsatisfactorily (features, reliability, speed..), or if you KNOW it will soon be insufficient/too expensive
- keep in mind that at one point you WILL need to change/overhaul your system, and/or your Web guy will leave: keep everything well structured and well documented. This does have a cost. It's well worth it.
D- not use it for their Apps. Or... is the browser really an integral part of the OS ? MS was right then ?
It's funny how people will rant about how OOXML and Office format lock-in is evil, and then go buy stuff on iTunes. iTunes is worse:
- No even just partially compatible alternative at all. Your Farplay songs MUST be played with Apple stuff. Doc files CAN be opened with other software.
- It's even arguably illegal to open FairPlay files with another sotware/hardware. Imagine if MS did that with their formats !
-> apart from the lock-in, Fairplay is risky long-term: who knows how long apple will release good/cheap or not-so-good/not-so-cheap hardware-software for you guys to acces you FairPlay files ?
once upon a time, CNN would have proudly stood by freedom of speach. Thanks for the memories.
for your photos/videos
anything else is geekyness.
my little niece once wrote "$1,000,000,000,000 trillion" in an email and sent it to the wrong person. Should I inform slashdot ? They might be able to come up with a grossly exaggerated headline about it.
Actually, I'm not quite sure what constitutes doping, as opposed to just eating/drinking, and I'm really curious what the criteria are to label something a drug.
Some natural foods are actually drugs (mushrooms, alcool...)
Sometimes it depends on the dosage (one glass on wine vs one bottle).
Sometimes it seems to depend on social standards (alcool/nicotine vs marijuana ?)
Mmmmmm Not all films do http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/02/18/115627.php
THE Office ?
Each of the apps could have a nice 'assistant', like le microsoft thingy everyone loved so much, but with an extra twist: each module's assistant would have the personnality of one of the series' characters. Pamela gets the drawing tool, that's a no-brainer ^^
Do you REALLY think Dubya runs things ???
- I must use iTunes to use the iPhone
+ iTunes is proprietary
+ iTunes chokes on my 250 gigs ripped CD collection (all legit), even the mp3'd subset
of it I have
+ iTunes doesn't support the open format I ripped them into (flac)
- I can't quickly transfer tunes/vids to it from any PC via drag and drop
- I can't install any 3rd party app I want on it (ebook reader, games, reference...)