Angela Crocker

Write. Teach. Organize.

Pick a Cloud – What’s your storage solution?

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The Digital Cleanse Day 10:

Pick a Cloud

Orange clouds at sunset on the beach atTofinoCloud storage is an amazing invention! I love that I can access any of my files, any time from anywhere.  All I need is an Internet connection and a web browser (or a mobile app). I especially love that I can reliably work on the current version of my document no matter the hardware. Synchronized files are a joy. I also love that hardware failure no longer means a catastrophe. Yes, it’s very sad when you shatter your phone but at least your data can be resurrected.

That said, I don’t recommend my original ad hoc approach.  With accounts on Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud and OneDrive, I fractured my cloud storage across several platforms. Partly, I have a mixed bagged because of the workflow preferences of the people and projects I’ve worked on. Maybe you can relate?

After a few years, it gets tricky to remember where to find the files you need. Nothing kills productivity like the frustration of searching for files across multiple platforms.  Its been a painful experience. I’m still reorganizing my files onto one cloud.

So, learn from my mistake and pick a cloud. Here are some of the available services:

  • Dropbox *
    • 2 GB – free
    • 1TB  – CDN$11.99 / month
    • Unlimited – CDN $17 / user / month
  • iCloud *
    • 5 GB – free
    • 50 GB – CDN $1.29 / month
    • 200 GB – CDN $3.99 / month
    • 1 TB – CDN $12.99 / month
  • Google Drive *
    • 15GB – free
    • 100 GB – US$1.99 / month
    • 1 TB – US$9.99 / month
    • 10 TB – US $99.99 / month
  • One Drive *
    • 5 GB – free
    • 50 GB – US$1.99 / month

* Rate packages noted were current in March 2016. Subject to change without notice.

I strongly recommend choosing a single cloud. Of course, if your client, ACME, works via Dropbox then you join them on Dropbox.  If you keep accounts on more than one cloud storage service, use that storage as a back-up location. For example, I keep a back-up of our family photos, one of my most treasured possessions, on two clouds, just in case.

More on the 30 day #digitalcleanse tomorrow. Hope to see you then!

(If you missed yesterday’s installment, take a couple extra minutes to explore Curate Your Photos. For links to the complete Digital Cleanse series, click here.)

Consolidate Your Data

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Digital Cleanse Day 7:

Consolidate Your Data

Digital efficiency means you’ve got to consolidate your data. Gather like with like so that all your photographs are in one place as are your project files, financial records and personal history.

When it comes to data storage, you’ve got three main options.

  1. Your computer’s hard drive is a classic place to consolidate your data. If its all on your computer, then you can find it. However, I suggest this is the least reliable place to store your data. What if your hard drive fails?
  2. You may have access to a file server to consolidate your data. Correctly configured services include mirrored copies of all files so the odds of a a catastrophic failure are greatly reduced.
  3. My personal favourite is cloud storage – Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud and other services allow you to store and access your files from anywhere.  With an app or a browser interface, you can refer to whatever data you’re looking for.  While the cloud is great, remember that many of these services are based in the United States so your data is subject to potential scrutiny by the authorities.

As you consolidate your data, consider your file structure. I suggest some broad categories to organize your data. Don’t get too specific. For example, a folder for photographs is essential whereas a folder for children’s photos with Santa Clause might be too specific. Keywords, categories and tags can aid your search for the data you need.

And don’t forget to back-up your data. Redundancy is your friend when disaster strikes! Don’t let a hardware failure ruin all your efforts to consolidate your data.

More on the 30 day #digitalcleanse tomorrow. Hope to see you then!

(If you missed yesterday’s instalment, take a couple extra minutes to explore Think Like a Librarian. For links to the complete Digital Cleanse series, click here.)