On-line data storage

[j.e.simmons]

Is anyone using on-line data storage for backing up digital files? Something like Carbonite, JungleDisk or Mozy? Do you use encryption before uploading?

I'm interested in what your experiences may have been.
juan

[GaryT]

I don't have first hand experience, but many of my clients use on-line storage of high res photography. I do a lot of food packaging and my clients have found on-line storage a convenient way of sharing the images with whoever may need them. I haven't gotten into the details with them as to exactly how it works, but they've all been satisfied with the concept.

[Ted Harris]

It's ok as long as the company doesn't go OOB or get bought and somebody else wipe the files.

I used to store many of my older negs and transparencies in a great totally climate controlled facility at a lab in DC. One day about 12-15 years ago they went bankrupt, within days the receivers dumped everything in the trash before most of us who had film stored there even knew the company had gone OOB. I lost a large portion of the original film behind 30 some years of work. Never gonna trust anyone else to keep my film, or digital files.

Yes it's an atypical horror story but something to think about.

[j.e.simmons]

I'm thinking it would be wise to use the on-line outfits as a backup only. Some place off site to store digital images in case of fire or storm at home. It would also seem that if I encrypted my images and zipped them, I could store at least some of them on the server space I'm already paying for that hosts my website.

By the lack of responses, I'm guessing not too many folks have thought it necessary to do this.
juan

[Dave Parker]

I keep DVD's of my images, in my safety deposit box at my bank, in addition to a removable hard drive here at home. I also keep my negatives/slides in my gun safes...which are fire resistant....I have at times kept a lot of images on my servers, but have not found this to be reliable as I have had servers go down destroying virtually everything on them.

Dave

[mdd99]

I used to store many of my older negs and transparencies in a great totally climate controlled facility at a lab in DC. One day about 12-15 years ago they went bankrupt, within days the receivers dumped everything in the trash before most of us who had film stored there even knew the company had gone OOB. I lost a large portion of the original film behind 30 some years of work. Never gonna trust anyone else to keep my film, or digital files.

Did you sue the receivers? It wasn't their property to dispose of.

[Ralph Barker]

Online data storage was thought to be a great business opportunity by the data-storage vendors back in the late '90s - before the Internet bubble burst, and many of those companies went bankrupt. While the concept might still make sense for some businesses that already maintain high-bandwidth networks, I have trouble seeing viability for small business or individual clients.

Personally, I'd never trust such a company as the primary backup for my stuff - even considering the minimal value of what I have in my archives.