TIL my backup plan relying on cloud storage is basically a joke after one power outage.

I compared my old USB drives to my Google Drive after a storm knocked out internet for 3 days, and the drives I had in my nightstand were way more reliable. Anyone else realize they've been overestimating cloud stuff for actual emergencies?

3 comments

3 Comments

king.eric19d ago

That whole storm situation really drives home how people put too much faith in stuff that looks convenient but falls apart when you actually need it. Cloud storage is great for everyday access and sharing files, but it's built on the assumption that everything is working perfectly. The power outage exposes a bigger pattern in modern life where we rely on systems that are only stable when conditions are normal. USB drives and local backups are boring and old school, but they don't care if the grid goes down or your internet goes out. It's the same with smart home devices or even digital wallets, they're amazing until the thing that powers them stops working.

murray.cora19d ago

So what happens when your phone dies and you can't get to that cloud either?

ward.jamie18d ago

Buddy of mine lost ALL his vacation photos that way. He was hiking up in the mountains, took a bunch of pics of this cool waterfall, then his phone just bricked. He figured they were all safe in the cloud and didnt bother keeping a copy on the phone. Problem was he had no service up there and by the time he got back to town the cloud sync had some kinda error and only uploaded half of them. The rest just vanished. So yeah what @murray.cora said is exactly the situation, he thought he had everything backed up but the cord got cut at the wrong moment.