Secondary Copies
When you start researching, you will find that a lot of records are missing. Often times, records are missing because you there was only one copy that got destroyed. In past times, it was a lot more difficult to create copies because they had to be done by hand. In today’s world, there is really no excuse about not having a secondary copy.
Fire Proof Safes
It’s a good idea to keep everything in a fireproof safe. If a fire happens, you could lose everything. It makes it important to keep one copy of everything you might need in a fire proof safe.
Computers
Computers are a great second copy, but should not be used as an only copy. Hard drives crash and computers get ruined. What seemed like a perfect backup can be destroyed. That is why you need backup copies on the computer and on paper.
Servers
To save space, you can store your pictures on Flickr and other popular web sites. This protects you because the servers automatically have a back up program in place. Imagine what would happen if they lost all of their data. So, servers are probably a safer place for storage than a home computer.
In addition, through a server, you can share the files with your friends and family. As family members download information, this will produce another copy and family members will like how easy the information is to retrieve.
Flash Drives and Fire Proof Hard Drives and CD Roms
Flash drives are so cheap nowadays you could easily make several copies on different flash drives. You could also do the same with CD Roms.
A new thing, nowadays, is the fire proof hard drive. You can actually get an external hard drive that is made to withstand the element of fire.
|
