Difference between revisions of "Backup Solutions for your Novel"
NewMexicoKid (talk | contribs) (Created page with "== About this page == This page will document the prevalent backup solution options for writers.") |
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== About this page == | == About this page == | ||
| − | This page | + | This page attempts to document the prevalent backup solution options for writers. |
| + | |||
| + | == Backup Solutions == | ||
| + | * flash drives - GOOD: small/portable; no network required. '''CAUTION: flash drives will eventually fail -- do not rely on this for your only backup''' BAD: Not automatic. | ||
| + | * external hard drive - GOOD: more reliable than flash drives. CON: not quite as portable as flash drives. '''CAUTION: hard drives will eventually fail -- make sure this isn't your only backup''' BAD: not automatic. | ||
| + | * E-mail to yourself - GOOD: simple (everyone has access to e-mail). NOTE: You can do this with gmail as gmail gives you a lot of space. BAD/NOTE: no version control in this method. Also not automatic. | ||
| + | * [http://www.dropbox.com|dropbox] - WHAT: this is cloud storage with enough available for free that you can just use the free account; there are programs you run on your computer that keep a local directory automatically sync'd with your remote drop box account. GOOD: automatic! Can sync with multiple local computers. NOTE: network access needed to access the backup or sync to it. | ||
| + | ** Note: if you get your dropbox account from an existing dropbox user, both you and they get an extra 500 Mb of storage. | ||
| + | ** Dropbox will create duplicates if you alter a file on two different computers without syncing them first so one file doesn't override the changes on the other. | ||
| + | * [https://subversion.apache.org/|subversion] or [http://git-scm.com/|git] - WHAT: version control software. NOTE: requires a remote server host and network access. GOOD: version control software is very reliable and saves every change you make. BAD: not automatic by default, but can be scripted to be. | ||
| + | * [http://drive.google.com|google drive] - WHAT: cloud storage with office apps (though you could just use this as cloud storage). GOOD: automatic versioning. You can write your novel in google docs directly. Can export to various office suite formats like OpenOffice/LibreOffice or Word or RTF. | ||
| + | ** NOTE: there might be a usability limit of 40K words for google docs files | ||
| + | * [http://spideroak.com|spideroak] - another cloud storage provider. | ||
| + | * save your file into alternating filenames and onto separate physical disks - GOOD: some reliability/redundancy gained. BAD: not automatic by default. | ||
| + | * paper - GOOD: you can hold it and read it! BAD: contributes to tree usage; expensive/takes time to create | ||
Revision as of 10:41, 12 November 2014
About this page
This page attempts to document the prevalent backup solution options for writers.
Backup Solutions
- flash drives - GOOD: small/portable; no network required. CAUTION: flash drives will eventually fail -- do not rely on this for your only backup BAD: Not automatic.
- external hard drive - GOOD: more reliable than flash drives. CON: not quite as portable as flash drives. CAUTION: hard drives will eventually fail -- make sure this isn't your only backup BAD: not automatic.
- E-mail to yourself - GOOD: simple (everyone has access to e-mail). NOTE: You can do this with gmail as gmail gives you a lot of space. BAD/NOTE: no version control in this method. Also not automatic.
- [1] - WHAT: this is cloud storage with enough available for free that you can just use the free account; there are programs you run on your computer that keep a local directory automatically sync'd with your remote drop box account. GOOD: automatic! Can sync with multiple local computers. NOTE: network access needed to access the backup or sync to it.
- Note: if you get your dropbox account from an existing dropbox user, both you and they get an extra 500 Mb of storage.
- Dropbox will create duplicates if you alter a file on two different computers without syncing them first so one file doesn't override the changes on the other.
- [2] or [3] - WHAT: version control software. NOTE: requires a remote server host and network access. GOOD: version control software is very reliable and saves every change you make. BAD: not automatic by default, but can be scripted to be.
- drive - WHAT: cloud storage with office apps (though you could just use this as cloud storage). GOOD: automatic versioning. You can write your novel in google docs directly. Can export to various office suite formats like OpenOffice/LibreOffice or Word or RTF.
- NOTE: there might be a usability limit of 40K words for google docs files
- [4] - another cloud storage provider.
- save your file into alternating filenames and onto separate physical disks - GOOD: some reliability/redundancy gained. BAD: not automatic by default.
- paper - GOOD: you can hold it and read it! BAD: contributes to tree usage; expensive/takes time to create
