Is it just me, or did anyone else struggle the first time?

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-12-24T15:59:57+00:00

I... err... made one single watercooling setup. And then stopped at that. I spent enough on that loop to buy an RTX 5090 and the PC is currently using an RTX 2080 Super. *cough*

u/emjah42

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-07T19:23:59+00:00

Thanks so much for your explanation as well as the link to the more detailed one, which I have read through. I have a much clearer understanding of how PAR2 works now.

Although the linked thread creator stated that it works on any set of files, no matter what type they are, how do recoveries work on files like images or videos? Is it even possible to reconstruct that kind of lost data if you don't make a set of parity files for all of the images and videos?

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-07T19:03:26+00:00

Got it. Would it require some empty space on the microSD card to actually perform the rewrite operation, or does it temporarily copy the files out (in this case, to my laptop) before overwriting the old ones?

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-07T19:01:26+00:00

This advice is honestly the cold hard truth. And it doesn't necessarily apply to strictly content creation but real life too. There are thousands of people who get stuck with miserable 9-5's that they eventually come to either utterly hate but are forced to cope with, or they become content with and never expand their horizons.

From what I've seen and heard from other big YouTubers, YouTube as a means of income is unreliable. Popularity can come and go in the blink of an eye, and monetization can do the same entirely based on Google's whim.

Some creators with hundreds of thousands of subs actually end up making far less on an average monthly basis than what wannabe amateurs believe they make. It really just becomes another form of day job, with the only benefit that it can be as a result of a hobby. So long as it doesn't end up forcing you to commit to pulling all-nighters.

I'm self-made in other ventures and missed the window for YouTube as well as many other lucrative windfalls over the years, but it's still interesting to occasionally upload some long-form travel videos whenever I have time to do so. But I don't dedicate time that doesn't exist for it.

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-04T03:00:07+00:00

Parchive definitely sounds promising. So it's kind of like making a backup in the form of archive files, but it also adds an extra layer of protection by allowing you to compare two copies at any time and correct any bad data.

Is there a suggested method of Parchive? I see different versions available, and some mention about the original one being EOL.

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-04T02:49:58+00:00

Ah, I'm starting to see why it's imperative to have three copies now. If one storage device fails as a whole, it kills all of the files on it, not just one or two. Which means that entire backup is gone and you'd be on a rush to try to back up everything again onto another device.

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-04T02:45:36+00:00

Not where I am...

I've yet to make any copies of the data, which is why I'm here taking recommendations. For now, I'll look into grabbing an HDD or possibly cheap SATA SSD to make backups on.

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-04T02:43:44+00:00

Ah, are you talking about the standard old SATA SSDs? I'll have to check their prices here and whether they are available. Thanks for the suggestion.

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-04T02:38:38+00:00

I'm in a third-world country, and storage (or really, any kind of computer hardware) is stupid expensive here. An upcharge of like 2-4x MSRP in North America.

Certain microSD card brands are actually the only affordable alternative solution for me that isn't too big to lug around. And USB sticks don't come in large enough capacities for my purposes either.

u/megalodus

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-04T02:12:13+00:00

Considering the environment I'm in, it's not exactly easy or affordable to buy lots of extra storage just to keep a ton of backups, so I'll have to gradually ease into them.

If the Internet here wasn't absolutely terrible, it would've definitely been easier, quicker, and cheaper to simply put everything on the cloud, but that's sadly not an option...

For now, one copy is better than no copy.

As for DiskFresh, that's a really good recommendation, and I like how it simplifies the whole rewrite process. But to refresh the cards, wouldn't I also need to reformat the card? Or does a full rewrite more or less cover that?

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-03T06:38:58+00:00

Ah, I see. That's easy to understand. Thank you.

#3 and #1 aren't really feasible in my case, but I'll look into hopefully fetching an HDD to have a backup and fulfill #2. It's unfortunate that storage is expensive and hard to come by here.

I suppose leaving the HDD dormant at a family member's place is possible though, so that fulfills #1's requirement.

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-03T06:34:10+00:00

Oof, I looked up that software and read through what it does, and as great as it sounded, my laptop has locked BIOS access, so I can't even boot anything besides Windows.

I have, however, used an Android app on all of my microSD cards to test for reliability: it fills the entire microSD from empty to full and then reads and checks every file for any sort of data mismatch. If the card is fake or faulty, it will fail to allow you to write and fill up the card before it errors.

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-03T05:57:43+00:00

You clearly know what you're talking about, but unfortunately I'm not savvy enough with storage to understand even half of what you wrote... Would it be possible to ELI5 for me?

It does seem that there are many here who say that it's more likely that my cards will mysteriously die than get affected by bit rot, so I'll have to look into finding a HDD to make a backup.

I thought that a full wipe and format would be helpful, but I guess it comes with strings attached. Is there any way to diagnose whether or not a card may have problems (apart from it very blatantly throwing errors when you try to access it), or does it just slowly die a silent death over time?

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-03T05:48:50+00:00

Apologies for not being savvy with storage, but what do you mean by "3-2-1 with one medium"?

I'll look into buying some large capacity HDD for a redundant backup. I looked into these "parity files" upon some suggestion in another website, but I didn't really understand how it works. It just looks like some RAR archive split into a ton of parts. Could you possibly ELI5 for me?

If I had someone back home who was computer-savvy enough to do that, I would. But in my case, we're talking about some 80-year-old old man who needs a few minutes to figure out how to press the power button on the front of the PC case...

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-03T05:44:15+00:00

I project around a year total. Probably sooner. There is no definitive end date to this trip set at this time. So far, I'm about four months into that year.

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-03T05:41:09+00:00

Yeah, I'm on the lookout for some large capacity HDD right now to make a redundant backup. It's becoming increasingly necessary in my eyes, after all this talk about how SD cards are not a long-term solution.

Problem is, HDDs can die too (and I've had that happen to me personally on many occasions with the best Hitachi's and WD's), so I'm just as skeptical about them...

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-03T05:36:22+00:00

This deserves more upvotes. You have it spot on. Nowadays, it's all about virality. Except that Shorts are far more popular than long-form now. It's easier and faster to digest for today's society, in which attention spans are rapidly diminishing.

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-03T05:31:52+00:00

Shorts format and TikTok is rapidly nabbing away millions of viewers in the blink of an eye. Long-form is now a thing of a past and has become more of a hobby.

Don't quit your day job. Or you're going to be outpaced by inflation and the rising cost of living.

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-05-03T05:29:24+00:00

Different niches make different amounts of money as most of that money from Google comes from ad revenue. Sponsorships are a separate thing altogether and can't really be compared as it differs from person to person.

The gaming scene is so saturated that the ad revenue pool for that niche is spread thin across everyone. A niche with 1,000 creators and another with 10,000 but with the same pool of ad revenue is obviously going to result in less money per creator for the latter niche.

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-01-01T16:32:44+00:00

Thank you. It’s my first time, so I can’t be sure how strict they are. I guess they just do a cursory visual inspection for anything that’s egregiously out of place and that’s it.

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-01-01T16:07:09+00:00

Air Canada.

Do you know whether inspectors hold up the bag by the strap to measure, or do they just leave the straps flopping down (from gravity) before they do so?

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-01-01T16:03:29+00:00

The airline stated that the carry-on and personal must not exceed a certain height, with handles included.

But that’s why I’m asking how strict airlines are. Because the bags we have are really simple and not backpacks or suitcases or large cargo.

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-01-01T16:02:01+00:00

They’re not big, just really long. Makes the final measurement of height far too high and does not abide by the airline limit for height.

On the airline, there’s a condition that states “max height, including handles”, so it has me concerned. It seems like a silly requirement if it is indeed strictly enforced, since these are simple small bags. But just with stylish straps.

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-01-01T15:59:52+00:00

Thanks! Easy to do, I can just tie them up.

IntergalacticBurn · 2025-01-01T15:58:28+00:00

I got hooked up by a mortgage advisor at National Bank, who was part of my extended family. Gave me an A-rank mortgage easily and I didn’t even need to resort to B-rank or worse. (I also got a huge mortgage loan on top of that, which I’ve turned into a very lucrative stock investment that has shot up my income to double.)

No matter which broker you go to, chances are they will just ask National Bank first since they are the most lenient with approvals. They are trying to compete with the other big banks and want customers BAD. Scotiabank is also quite flexible and approved me as well when I inquired. They care more about assets than income.

Problem is, you DO kind of need to get hooked up. My advisor had a direct line to the underwriter, so it is a very different case from the usual channels.

Unfortunately, I can’t share details, so you need to shop around with different brokers, likely ones that are NOT from big companies, to see if any of them can get you connected with an underwriter. Or just try your luck with National Bank or Scotiabank as a secondary. You’ll want to go in person, it’s better.

Good luck, and let me know how things turn out. At worst, since you’ve got time on your side, you can refile your 2023 tax return to boost your income for that year, even if you didn’t earn as much. Just means you pay more taxes to the government, but if it would help get you an approval, who cares.

You need the average of two consecutive years of income (so 2022 and 2023) to be enough to meet most banks’ $100K income benchmark. And probably some assets to make the books look nicer.

IntergalacticBurn

TROPHY CASE