Am I downright crazy??????

Stargazer

Stargazer

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As my 8-year-old son was watching me organize my aviation files on the computer, obviously puzzled that I spent so much time in that nearly-daily routine, I confidently told him that I must have "tens of thousands of aviation files" and needed to regularly sort them out.

At his equally confident shrug and comment that "surely" I was exaggerating things a bit, I decided to do a Properties check on my computer's aviation directory... and here is the shocking truth:
  • 302 gigabytes
  • 334,247 files
  • 25,000 folders
On reading the above, I was left aghast, perplexed, and a little horrified to say the truth. Over half my hard disk consists of over 300,000 aviation files, all of which I have patiently saved over the past six years, often renamed, and organized into 25,000 folders I created for them...
Is my condition serious? Can there be equally demented buffs out there, or am I a monster of sorts?
The next realisation was even more shocking: I do NOT have a backup for most of these files in case my computer crashed down. Okay, okay, so now I know the answer to my own question: I AM downright crazy!
(but of course I'd appreciate nonetheless to hear about other forum members' madness as well, if only to make me feel a little better!)
 
This is reasonably typical behaviour for a male. Aviation files, sports statistics, etc. Collecting a huge data bank and having it accessible somehow are all traits evolved over millennia to make for better hunters. Catching wild animals with handmade tools is actually pretty hard and knowing all of their habits, pathways, breeding seasons etc makes it much easier.
 
Not that unusual behaviour, no. I've scanned loads of old aviation magazines so I can search them :)


In an earlier era you might have enjoyed stamp or coin collecting :)
 
It's a lot of files, but not all that many.

I've got a 100+ GB archive, ( not just plane pics ).

Think about it. Even if you just save 100 pictures a day when surfing, it sure builds up after just one year.

I ** DO ** ask you to think about backups.

There are external hard drives that connect using a USB cable, where your 300 GB is not a problem at all. I've got a 500 GB one, and it's as easy to use as just moving files around on the computer. The external backup drive is just another drive letters for you to put files / folders on. These drives are now rather less than 100 pounds here in the UK. I've seen 1 TB ( 1000 GB ), and I think 1.5 TB ( 1500 GB ) in the shops here too.


Regards,
Gerard
 
I must be crazy too because I have a 2TB internal hard drive and about half of it has aviation related files. I do need to organize them and back them up though. -SP
 
Please, back-up your files. I'd hate to read a post that started - "Disaster! - the dog ate my PC and all my files are now in a Labrador" (or something like that...)

Don't skimp on size or quality with the external drive. There's no need - storage is so cheap nowadays.
 
6 880 files - 262 folders - 8,07 Go of space documents. ;)

Now I feel pretty amateurish.
 
Stargazer we can pronounce you crazy after you get around 5 Terabyte's of data on your computer for now you are fine ::)
dont worry my internet traffic in a week is like all your files 4-5 times :-X
 
My aerospace image archive is 1/10 size of yours Stargazer but my 4 years old daughter is puzzled exactly like your son..... ;)
 
Gerard said:
I ** DO ** ask you to think about backups.
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree. Having suffered data loss through computer death before, I am now paranoid about back-ups. I work on the assumption that my computer will expire the next time I try to switch it on and I strongly recommend that everyone does the same (this approach is helped by the fact that my ancient device has been running very erratically recently).

Every time I work on a document or download a file, I save it to a USB stick before switching off. I then transfer it to my cheap little netbook which I keep for travelling away and for a general backup. Every now and then (and immediately for, say, a photo file from a visit somewhere) I duplicate the backups on a CD or DVD.

The cost and time involved in backing-up thoroughly is minimal, the pain involved in losing everything - don't even think about it!
 
I just rounded everything up related to aviation from off my cluttered Desktop and put it in a file named Aerospace. I checked its properties and it says 19.5GB, 225 Folders, 7,009 files. I now need to dig into Documents where all the rest of my aviation files are - and there is bunches of them in there. I also have about 10 dated and saved Desktops from years ago - I know there's oddles and oddles of aviation files in them too. Thanks Stephan for putting a boot in my ass to do something I've needed to do for years! -SP
 
132,2Gb of Documents, images and Videos.
And I use and enjoy every bit of it. Even have the primitive drive to sort, accommodate and classify stuff. Which makes me, IMHO, a collector; not a hoarder. That last one would be downright crazy.
 
Tony Williams said:
People who collect things are all crazy. Except, of course, for the select few who collect the same things that I do! B)
Click to expand...

Sorry, Tony. Forgot to mention that!
 
I don't have (almost) any aviation files saved on my computer. I don't bother to save anything, as I always have crappy computers, and something goes wrong. So better to avoid sad situations altogether. One of the many reasons I love books so much, they are much less volatile. As for the 'almost' disclaimer: I have a Saab Draken pic as my desktop background, a poor scan of a Bell ABC concept, and an USAF UAV report pdf. That's it. Lots of books though. :)
 
Crazy, because you have collected about 300 GB of files ?, No, why ? I'm just worried about: Have I backed-up
enough ? And, worse: Are those back-ups kept at proper places (keeping them next to the computer isn't very
clever) ? And are there already file types, that will be hard to read, if I'll need them ? I really would like to switch
my backups to a streamer, but prices for them are quite prohibitive. Back-ups on CD/DVD ? There are still horror
stories about such media becoming useless in about 3 to 5 years... Back-up in a cloud ? No Computer magazine
without a story in regular intervals about data lost from foreign servers.
And overall I'm planning to digitize a large amount of my printed media!
Times were easier, when we only had books and mags .... :-\
 
Dear Jemibe if the servers are well protected and maintain for protection i mean hardware firewall ( this things cost a lot of money )
2-3 reserved backup they can witstand hacker's attacks DDoS and hardware malfunction up to 10 - 15 years without upgrades for instance the servers i work on have capacity to witstand 2000mbps DDoS attacks but they are gaming servers that are meant to be stable at 10000 connections and other fun stuff
 
I read about a guy around here who died and it was found he had collected over 80.000 porn magazines, all organized by type and issue. Now [i[that's what I'd call crazy.
 
First of all...Thanks to you all for this great thread!
Abraham Gubler said:
This is reasonably typical behaviour for a male. Aviation files, sports statistics, etc. Collecting a huge data bank and having it accessible somehow are all traits evolved over millennia to make for better hunters. Catching wild animals with handmade tools is actually pretty hard and knowing all of their habits, pathways, breeding seasons etc makes it much easier.
Click to expand...

Knowing that I'm actually performing something "reasonably typical" of my gender, and something that pertains to the ultimate evolution of my species makes me feel a little better, thanks! ;D

PaulMM (Overscan) said:
In an earlier era you might have enjoyed stamp or coin collecting
Click to expand...

And I actually did! ;)

Steve Pace said:
I must be crazy too because I have a 2TB internal hard drive and about half of it has aviation related files. I do need to organize them and back them up though. -SP
Click to expand...

Yippee! Someone who's crazier than me! ;D


Gerard said:
I ** DO ** ask you to think about backups.
Click to expand...

shedofdread said:
Please, back-up your files. I'd hate to read a post that started - "Disaster! - the dog ate my PC and all my files are now in a Labrador" (or something like that...)
Click to expand...

I don't have a dog, but I definitely WILL back up my files soonest! The realization of just how much aviation stuff I had (not to mention the stuff that ISN'T aviation!) made it abundantly clear that backing up is not only a sensible thing to do, but it's the only sensible thing to do at this stage! ::)

Archibald said:
6 880 files - 262 folders - 8,07 Go of space documents. ;)
Now I feel pretty amateurish.
Click to expand...

Don't! I save a lot of stuff for fear it might no longer be available in the future. And I've always been a collector of everything. The amount of data you have seems pretty normal to me... ;)

piko1 said:
Stargazer we can pronounce you crazy after you get around 5 Terabyte's of data on your computer for now you are fine ::)
dont worry my internet traffic in a week is like all your files 4-5 times :-X
Click to expand...

I probably wouldn't even reach 2 Tb if I could fit onto one disk all the data (aviation and the rest) I've saved onto hard disks, DVD-ROMs, CD-ROMs and so forth... Mind you, at the rate things are going, a 1 Tb hard disk will soon become a common thing. Each time we get a new HD we all go "Wow, I'm not about to get it full any time soon, but the more space we have, the more stuff we seem to be saving...

archipeppe said:
My aerospace image archive is 1/10 size of yours Stargazer but my 4 years old daughter is puzzled exactly like your son..... ;)
Click to expand...

Perhaps they are the sane ones? ;D

Steve Pace said:
Thanks Stephan for putting a boot in my ass to do something I've needed to do for years! -SP
Click to expand...

Glad I could help! Whenever you feel like another kick in the butt just give me a buzz and I'll gladly oblige!!! ;D

Rafael said:
132,2Gb of Documents, images and Videos.
And I use and enjoy every bit of it. Even have the primitive drive to sort, accommodate and classify stuff. Which makes me, IMHO, a collector; not a hoarder. That last one would be downright crazy.
Click to expand...

Collectors alright. Curious and passionate about things. Remember the old song? "You call it madness, but I call it love...." :)

Tony Williams said:
People who collect things are all crazy. Except, of course, for the select few who collect the same things that I do! B)
Click to expand...

Seldom were truer words ever spoken! Yes, collectors of a feather (or a wing flap in this case) flock together! ;D

saintkatanalegacy said:
too much whiffing perhaps? ;)
Click to expand...

Ha ha, I don't whif near as much as I once did... Loss of inspiration I guess. The impression I'm going in circles doing the same kind of stuff over again... But stay tuned in case inspiration might come back... ;)

Firebee said:
One of the many reasons I love books so much, they are much less volatile.
Click to expand...

They are, and I certainly couldn't replace real books by their digital versions. Yet the ability to search for, classify and organize information on a computer connected to the internet is a precious asset. Besides, a computer is great to index the contents of your books, don't you think?

Jemiba said:
Times were easier, when we only had books and mags .... :-\
Click to expand...

They were, in a way. But in the 15 years or so I've had the internet I learned more about all the subjects I love than I would have learned in a lifetime of active real-life searching in public libraries and collections. Wouldn't you agree?

Nils_D said:
I read about a guy around here who died and it was found he had collected over 80.000 porn magazines, all organized by type and issue. Now [i[that's what I'd call crazy.
Click to expand...

Now if a guy died and it was found he had collected over 80,000 aviation magazines, all organized by type and issue, would you call him crazy? I guess you wouldn't. I, too, think he was, but of course he would have thought exactly the same about us! ;)
 
Just starting a collection you are I see...
And yes, backups...in 2007 Seagate Barracuda floated away from this world with 300 Gb of data I was collecting since 1997. Cloud storage and exchanging info with credible friends help much even if party van comes to confiscate your desktop.
 
Stargazer2006 said:
piko1 said:
Stargazer we can pronounce you crazy after you get around 5 Terabyte's of data on your computer for now you are fine ::)
dont worry my internet traffic in a week is like all your files 4-5 times :-X
Click to expand...

I probably wouldn't even reach 2 Tb if I could fit onto one disk all the data (aviation and the rest) I've saved onto hard disks, DVD-ROMs, CD-ROMs and so forth... Mind you, at the rate things are going, a 1 Tb hard disk will soon become a common thing. Each time we get a new HD we all go "Wow, I'm not about to get it full any time soon, but the more space we have, the more stuff we seem to be saving...
Click to expand...

that's the thing but if you ask me how much space i have around all of my devices it will hit over 16TB and i always have no more than 10GB free space on all of them did i say that i dont know what's TV cause i dont watch TV from more than 15 years... this dose not mean that i didn't watch every movie you can think of and the interesting TV series and Documentary's ... and when we speak about interwebz i was in Berlin last weak i wanted to show something from FB to my friend puled out my N9 searched for Wi-Fi and lol there was none... and i asked my friend if i was in Europe or in North Korea cuz here in Sofia you walk on the street search for Wi-Fi and you have at least 10 free hot spots on every corner

Flateric are you Russian ?
 
the party van thing can happen only in US and Russia they tried this thing here back in 2006 but with bad consequences to the gov. and since no one gives a **** about your PC or what you know even if you know some of the NATO's fun stuff ::)
 
Jemiba said:
I'm just worried about: Have I backed-up enough ? And, worse: Are those back-ups kept at proper places (keeping them next to the computer isn't very clever) ?
Click to expand...

Actually keeping CDs next to the computer is not so bad. After all, the main cause of data loss (99+%?) will be mechanical failure or viruses. Most of the other 1% will be due to theft - but who bothers to steal used data disks? It's only if you're house burns down that you are likely to lose the disks as well as the PC and, if that happens, you'll have more serious things to worry about... :'(
 
The most cost effective backup method is running Crashplan.

It supports various backup methods including backing up to other computers in your home, backing up to cloud, and, most interestingly, backup to a friend.

http://support.crashplan.com/doku.php/getting_started/back_up_to_a_friend#how_it_works_-_backing_up_to_a_friend_already_using_crashplan

So the cheapest backup method is to agree with a good friend to backup each other's data. Works best if the friend is in another city/country/continent and you both have unlimited data plans.
 
Don't! I save a lot of stuff for fear it might no longer be available in the future.
Click to expand...

The space blogs have tons of interesting stuff but are very unstable (because they heavily depend from the blogger own life). Best examples: David Portree different atempts and Marcus Lindroos old website.
I came to a point where I cut and paste the best entries into Open Office Pdfs. Oops, that more pdfs to store... ;)

Most of the other 1% will be due to theft - but who bothers to steal used data disks?
Click to expand...

This is reassuring. I have all my date stored on a 280 Go portable disk I always carry with me on week ends. Before I busted a trio of USB drives - they had not enough memory and proved too fragile.
 
Portable disks are not a good solution. I had a terabyte drive that I used as backup break down on me.
 
Nils_D said:
Portable disks are not a good solution. I had a terabyte drive that I used as backup break down on me.
Click to expand...

Its unlikely that the portable drive will die exactly on the day you need it because your main drive died. Its not impossible though, especially if e.g. the drive was plugged in at the time and a voltage spike took out the computer and the portable drive in one.
 
Or you could be like me and have 5 yrs of collected military video clips up and vanish one day. I go to copy a clip to that folder one day (and this is a folder I used daily) and it's gone. I look in other folders, my trash can, nothing. I bust out the data recovery software and there's no evidence whatsoever the folder or any of it's files ever existed. I was a sad panda let me tell you. I switched over to a 2 Tb WD Book RAIDed to 1Tb and it eventually died (but I was able to tear it apart and get the working hard drive). Then I bought another one and when it started acting funky I eventually bit the bullet and now have a Drobo NAS with 15Tb.
 
i would say that the best way to protect your data is SSD and low rpm disk's the fast once are on 7200rpm the slower are 5600rpm you can find them in the laptops and the other is Linux OS
 
Or put the files in "the cloud".
At the moment, I only have some things that are impossible to replace in Dropbox. A couple of Gigabytes is free. For more, you have to pay a monthly or yearly fee.
 
to store my data
i use a sever HDD 500GB WD50 02ABYS with 7200rpm in external casing
i look to change to a SSD 500 GB Samsung 840 serie or Raid/NAS with 4 drive
has some one experience with this ?
 
perttime said:
Or put the files in "the cloud".
Click to expand...

It's already some months ago, that I read a test report in a computer magazine about online storage.
And there was more than just one case, where backup couldn't be restored ! Ok, as test objects HD
system images were used, very big and very sensible to errors, I think. Errors, that just would destroy a
single stored picture probably could turn the whole system backup into worthless data garbage.
But you'll never know the backup strategy of your provider. I'm using two HD in my computer and two
external HD for storage, stored at different places.
 
You guys are definitely crazy and i am very grateful for that :) ;D B)
 
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ProperlyParanoid
 
You should back up everything to Amazon cloud storage. It is pennies per gigabyte and 5 nines of uptime, that is 99.999% uptime.
http://aws.amazon.com/s3/

Use cloudberry to access the Amazon cloud. Its cheap and you can encrypt the hell out of you data so only you can touch it.
http://www.cloudberrylab.com/
 

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