No setup is absolutely 100% reliable, but I have yet to lose email with
AOL (which does offer free IMAP access), Google or Yahoo. I have
however had email and other files disappear from supposedly securely
backed up providers. I do have to wonder just those folks with multiple
gigs of photo or movie files will do in the near future for backup.
> I do store things online, to share, and for easy retrieval. But to make that
my ONLY location--that's asking for big trouble...
Actually if you download your mail from Gmail automatically via IMAP,
you can have a locally available copy of all your mail.
I don't like IMAP except for my iPod Touch. It's a pain to clean up more than
location for
email. Every account I've ever had crashed at one time or another, including
GMail, so if
I do my backups it's my fault when it crashes. At least I'll have a few other
copies
safely tucked away. Email is the least of the data problems.
Just how important are all those personal files anyway that it really matters
if they
disappear? One concern, is privacy. Anything you delete from an online server is
still on their backup servers. Some of it can be subpoenaed to be used against
you. I
guess I'd rather keep private things private and not broadcast it all to the
world or
have it available for someone else after I deleted it.
The only way to share sensitive data without it being seen or stolen is with
encrypted
P2P or sneakernet. Interesting Science Friday interview on NPR this week,
http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200907312, "Who Owns Your Digital
Data?"
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