Panic Defined
Definition of panic: discovering that you somehow inadvertently saved an incomplete version of Chapter 8 on both your flash drive and your home computer.
Symptoms include running around the house cursing up a storm that would make CrankyProf blush, frantically booting up the computer upstairs that used to be in your office, followed by more cursing upon discovering that the machine in question only holds backups through Chapter 7.
Treatment: jumping into car and flying out to office, discovering that Chapter 8 is indeed backed up on paper (an ancient substance used for writing) as well as at least one machine there. Symptoms are further relieved by copying the complete version of the chapter onto flash drive AND emailing it to self, as well as printing out Chapter 9, the latest completed chapter. Equanimity restored by triple-backing up the bulk of completed Chapter 10. (Note: number of chapters in completed work = 10)
posted by #1 Dinosaur @ 1:52 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
As with most people coming up on the big 5-0 and forgetting where the car keys are, the glasses, the pets... we need all the help we can get. Why not treat yourself to an external hard drive? Staples has one on sale right now for under $90 (item #711573) - well worth the sanity. Just keep your info on this drive and keep it with you. It's small enough to carry in your pocket, but the drive is big enough hold several books, photos, etc. At least you would have everything in one place and won't have to worry about missing chapters.
There is the story of a brother who was writing his master's thesis using several PCs at one time and having to constantly remember where the last update was. This posed a dilemma that this handy-dandy little backup lifesaver would have eliminated.
Just my 2 cents for a rainy Sunday.
That's how I use my flash drive. (Usually) the most recent backups; always with me; 2 gig is *plenty* for my needs. Thanks for the thought, but it wouldn't have helped.
Then in that case, you could probably use a lo-jack for flash drives. They also say fish, mainly sushi is good for the memory. Keep that in mind and remind me about it in January - I'll be needing sushi by then.
Do you have hidden space on your blog where you can back up to the internet (therefore, using someone else's server and hard drive)?
Or, optionally, could you archive the material in a new blog that's invitation-only, then not invite anyone (or only the people you want to view the chapters)?
Just another thought, one that would give you instant access to your work from any location.
A company I once worked for lost an entire travel directory the night before it was supposed to go on press, then discovered the back-up file was corrupted...
Lies, slander and calumny!
I don't blush!
TSG: You're on.
Marcia: all good ideas. Thanks.
CLP: I've seen your skin tone. You may not be a blusher but you're surely a flusher, especially with a little help from the sun.
Crikey, Dino, as a fellow writer, you made me break out into a cold sweat. "Where the fuck is my new chapter?" are words that freeze blood and seize the bowels.
You're lucky you found yours. I recently blew an entire day's worth of writing. I'm still picking pieces of brain matter out of the computer monitor and glue-gunning it back into my cranial cavity.
After all that, however, no way could I out-swear Cranky. She's the queen of insult, and I bow before greatness.
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