Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

I suspect you are right :)

ikaush Loc: Medford, MA

JPG files are already tightly compressed, so zip cannot do much better

Snarls Loc: Connecticut

Yes, it is an image sharing device. There is no automatic backup process. Uploading is not a pain (if you keep up with it as you go) as the process is faster than a background running program. But, for this reason, I also use Carbonite for the files (copies of the final jpgs after processing) I do keep permanently on my system.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

For me, I would want a backup system, a set it and forget it one that took care of uploading files that have been added/edited as I go...

Currently I backup everything to my Time Machine external disk, then I also back up images and specific files to another external disk that stays in a fireproof/waterproof box.

The key is multiple backups and automatic backup procedures for me....

I need to add an off site online backup myself, but it will need to be one that is automatic and does not throttle uploads.

Anandnra Loc: Tennessee

Redundancy!

I back mine up on 2 sets of DVD's, an external HD.

romanticf16 Loc: Commerce Twp, MI

Until the next change in technology, at which time you copy everything to a new device. And the external HD drive needs to be used several times a year to keep the magnetic data fresh on the disks. Now, all your back ups are in one place, your home. What do you do in case of burglary, fire, tornado, etc? You need to have at least one back up stored at another safe location, if you want a genuine archive.

davidheald1942 Loc: Mars (the planet)

No one is gonna care, That's who.
r.

Jana-TAS Loc: Washington

If you are wanting to organize your photos and have not started at all yet I will start by saying this: when you first put new photos on your computer put them in a folder that says "Untitled & Unedited". Then after they are titled and to be edited 'cause most likely you might have time to quickly title them but not have time to sit down and do the editing make another folder that says Edited- to be titled that you can move them to. Then after you are done Editing them you can move pictures to "Specific" titled folders. Since we have pets, have had other pets in the past too I have folders titled for each pet, ones titled differently if the pets are together, one folder for ea. pet if just individually. Also if you are into bird photography and taking photos of a lot of birds then making folders for each species of birds. So then once you have pictures edited then you can just put the photo in a folder for that specific species. If a bird is a male or female titling the bird M-Flicker or F-Flicker the "M" meaning male and "F" meaning female for whatever species, if able to tell if the bird is male or female. So if it was a Pileated I would put a M-Pileated or F-Pileated. For holidays say like a Christmas time just creating a Christmas folder and then putting a folder titled of that year in it. Same for other holidays if you are the one who does the photo taking of family or of ones at Birthday parties. If you make yourself do the titling then you won't let yourself get way behind and forget when the times were that the dates actually were. If just of nature it's prob. not going to really matter to you, but for holidays it might, esp. if you have younger kids in them to where a little later down the road you'd want to show them.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

Think about all the old photo's out there...Print them out and box them up. Old tech seems to be incompatable after about 10 years now and probably faster in the future so any computer solution is limited

Who is going to go through thousands of shots just to find a good one...(to their taste)? let it go...just keep the brilliant / Important to you ones.

Will you have unique pics that historians will use? then put them into year albums and donate to a museum now - they save all sorts of junk 'just in case'.

or email appropriate pics to family and friends and let them save them

elliott937 Loc: St. Louis

Okay, I've remained quiet but I can't any longer.

I don't believe for a minute that HD is the way to go. Why? I've had four hard drives go craps, two were internal, two external. Now in all fairness, that was over the last seven years. But I've lost some priceless "final work".

Here's what has not gone craps: CDs and DVDs. I archive every single photo shoot, burn it to a CD (if only a few RAWs) and DVD (for many shots). My library goes back to 2004. And yes, I've returned back to many of the CDs, including those burned 10 years ago and they load just fine.

Before you say "yea, but wait until the 11th. year", I didn't have to wait 11 years, or even four years before having four hard drives fail.

Since this discussion was started by someone just starting out, I want them to be aware that CD Gold and DVD Gold so far, for me, has proven an unending future. I'll be glad to post back when they turn 25 years old.

MarkD Loc: NYC

I'm with Elliott on this. I've two internal hard drives crash in two years. Fortunately all my photos are backed up on three DVD's and no photos were lost.

I write the date the DVD was burned, and I'll replace them every 5-10 years. They're not expensive and they are reliable.

Jana-TAS Loc: Washington

Seeing Mark D.'s photo with his responses here, so seeing that he does bird photography- Great shot Mark! This is a good example for saying he would want to first do a folder that is Untitled-Unedited then after he has edited his pictures in that folder then move them to a folder that says Edited to be titled. Then put each bird photo in a folder for a specific species unless say he went on a birding trip somewhere. Then he might do just a folder say like I myself would possibly title a folder for a trip up to the Skagit River or down to the Nisqually-Delta area. Then in those folders you will have all different birds but it will be just of a trip you have taken to a certain place. If you have more than one pet, you will want to title a folder with each of their names. If your pets sleep together title one with both of them together __ & __. Then when you get pics of them individually you can put them just in their ones titled by their name. If they are together then in the one titled with both of their names.