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Comment by tynorf

14 hours ago

> PSA to make sure devices with non-removable storage are backed up!

Really this should be devices full stop. Also, "backed up" should include no fewer than two backups on different media and in different physical locations e.g. Time Machine to an external SSD _plus_ continuous cloud backup.

The more you people keep harping on this ultra robust backup strategy, the fewer everyday average people are actually even going to attempt a backup.

  • 1/ You're on HN, the audience isn't "everyday average people"

    2/ This is like complaining that climate activists were harping too much 30 years ago, and that's why nobody listened

    • 1. And yet we have someone on HN reminding everyone to even have a backup in the first place so let's not assume everyone on HN can't also make "average people mistakes".

      2. You mean the climate activists who used to risk their lives back in the 80s on open oceans instead of gluing themselves to streets? Yeah, the times have changed.

    • > 2/ This is like complaining that climate activists were harping too much 30 years ago, and that's why nobody listened

      this is a serious issue though.

      if you harp too much about something, it becomes background noise. people get desensitized.

      if you harp about too many things, it fatigues people as well (ever heard of "alert fatigue"?).

      so yeah, harping too much, too loudly about too many things is a serious and the society should really start looking into this

      (edit: i am aware of the irony of harping about harping)

      1 reply →

  • I agree, if it has too much friction it's more likely you will postpone it. Any option, either just a cloud backup tool or a spare HDD or SSD with CCC or TimeMachine is better than nothing. And you have to plan for the most likely case, e.g. spilling beer on the laptop vs the house burning down.