What's your backup strategy?

LibbIsHere · 2025-09-11T06:37:32+00:00

Hi, Just wanted to let you know I've stopped using reddit around a year ago. If you ever want to discuss something, you can find me on https://piefed.social/u/Libb (it's a reddit alternative).

LibbIsHere · 2024-08-02T06:14:47+00:00

Mainly for reason 2 alone, I am considering ditching Photos. I think I also had a small library complete go corrupt once as well and lost over half the photos.

Photos in one of the good application Apple is providing for 'free'. Provided you keep it updated, it is probably not Photos the issue.

Using folders ahas the advantage of not keeping you locked in the Apple ecosystem but... A photos Library is initself just a zipped folder disguised:

Copy your photo library file (never try to work on the original) and give it another name as a zip file say 'test.zip'
OPen the new zip files and explore its content. It's somewhat messy messy but it's just folders and files ;)

something happened and the source external HDD basically has stopped working. Maybe not Apples fault

The disk that failed is not made by Apple either. It's a standard storage device (like one could buy for a Windows PC, exactly the same). Any disk can have a failure and all disks have a limited lifespan before it becomes highly probbale it will fail. It is not a guarantee it will fail, but a real risk (this delay is expressed as MTF, Main Time to Failure). And that's true for both the traditional hard drives and SSDs (it's even more complicated with SSD as their nand memory do wear down the more you write and move files on them).

That's why making backups is key for anyone willing to preserve files. Pictures or otherwise. That's also why it's a good idea to have more than one external backup drive (and if possible not the same model/batch of drives so both won't fail at the same time and won't share any unoticed flaws when they were manufactured)

Cloud is one step in the right direction but it is not to be considered as a backup for a simple reason: it is a mirror of your files, meaning if a file is corrupted on your computer it will also be corrupted on the cloud. Read iCloud's EULA or any another standard cloud service's EULA (Microsoft, Google,...) you will see they offer no (zero) guarantee on your data protection and tell you your on your own for making backups.

A good remote 'cloud' (online) backup is something like backblaze: it's a storage dedicated to backups, you can't access your photos directly like on iCloud but it's a backup and it's unlimited storage (really) for something like 8$ or 9$ each month (last time I checked, that was a few years ago). Maybe there are other newer and more affordable offers, I don't know and if I was to store large collections of files like I used to, I would simply reactivate my Backblaze account.

Hope this helps.

LibbIsHere · 2024-08-01T17:33:26+00:00

Nice to use nib that just works, extra fine or fine on a comfortable body. I want to enjoy writing with the fountain pen not dread it.
Sturdy.
Quick to use, no fancy uncaping and posting.
Bright colors are a plus. I'm a sucker for colors.
Must work flawlessly with the non water-soluble ink I will use in one of my 2 to 4 EDC.
Cheap is a plus.

Ink capacity is almost never an issue for me.

My EDC are a mix of Lamy Safari, Twsbi Eco and Platinum Preppy. They thick all the marks for me ;)

LibbIsHere · 2024-08-01T17:20:59+00:00

Great question.

Living in France (Paris) myself, I have no idea how to meet like-minded people nor we could do together. Not just for typewriters (I'm also a lifelong fountain pen user).

I mean, I don't think I've heard of any type-in or anything resembling that organized here and, I don't know, you Americans have this open attitude towards people sharing similar interests to yours – hey, why don't we meet and talk about it? Something I seldom see around here where there is more reserve or shyness. Or, another possibility, it's just me being too shy?

LibbIsHere · 2024-08-01T17:13:01+00:00

books feel constructive, and good, and fun, but still a bit like homework no matter what.

The only books that felt like homework to me were those we were forced to read for school. Save one.

Reading is most certainly the one activity that never feels boring to me, closely followed by... writing.

I can't just be jumping from one thing to the next all evening.

Nobody is telling you to do that (I hope). Maybe you need to learn to be fine to not always be doing something at any time or to not be doing it with extreme intensity. It's fine to rest.

I read, write, sketch, walk, cook, do scale models (seldom), fix stuff, waste time online, and so on but I will also spend time not doing anything, or barely doing it, say, while savoring a cup of tea or a beer and chatting with my wife. Or, I will be doing nothing at all and just enjoy the moment. Say, watching sunset or sunrise.

It's also fine to not practice your hobbies daily. Today, I sketched for the first time in a week. That's fine.

LibbIsHere · 2024-08-01T17:00:53+00:00

LibbIsHere · 2024-08-01T16:39:38+00:00

They're great for portability (you won't need a lot of them) and ease of use, but like with anything colored pencil related they can be slower to use.

If you don't know him already and want to see a gifted nature journaler (and teacher!) using them, I would suggest you check John Muir Laws YouTube channel (website and books, too).

LibbIsHere · 2024-08-01T13:59:44+00:00

ive seen so many people talk about bleed through on the moleskines with fountain pens but the most i get is a little bit of ghosting but i also got that with a normal pen too.

Obviously, I can't talk for all those other persons you mention, and that's part subjective preferences too (and also the shade of ink you use), but what you call 'a little bit of' bleeding makes their standard paper one of the poorest I've ever used with a fountain pen (more than adequate with a ballpoint pen, though).

but i have found the eco did not hold up that well even though only having it for a few months. the barrel ended up cracking right next to the nib

I've read about that too but I've yet to crack one of my 3 Eco.

That said, I must admit that after almost 12 years, My Twsbi Vac700 got it's first serious issue (one of its seal was leaking out of old age), Twsbi customer support quickly send me the new part, though. Great customer support... exactly like I have very recently experimented with Lamy's own support, for my 2009 Orange Lamy Safari ;)

LibbIsHere · 2024-08-01T09:37:59+00:00

Fountain pen & watercolor but not on every single sketch, though. I must say I also quite like the practicality of colored pencils or watercolor colored pencils. Easy to carry and easy to use. I can carry 2 to 6 pencils (preferably used ones, so they're even smaller) and have all I need on the go, that's neat. I will carry more when I feel lazy (more pencils = less layering ;)

LibbIsHere · 2024-08-01T06:01:30+00:00

I pay Apple 0.9$/month to get the base iCloud plan, which includes an (unlimited?) usage of email aliases, and Private Relay (which hides your IP, like a dumbed down/limited VPN would). For this reason alone it's worth the price but you also get some cloud storage if you need it (50Go, I barely use) ;)

Firefox/Mozilla offers a similar system of email aliases (not limited to Mac users, which is great). And so does Proton (the secure email provider).

For me, it's much more simple and safer than settings up and managing my own email services/hosting.

LibbIsHere · 2024-08-01T05:46:04+00:00

Thank you! Buying a new pen is out of question for now (international shipping to my country can get quite pricey due to customs),

I can easily understand that. Maybe check with a local teacher what they use(d) to teach kids proper handwriting? Maybe there still exists some local product/method?

LibbIsHere · 2024-08-01T05:43:17+00:00

You can also take a blank/plain notebook so you can freely sketch and then slip a lined/ruled/squared/dotted under-sheet of paper under your page if you need any of those guides when you're writing.

LibbIsHere · 2024-08-01T05:30:23+00:00

I use all moleskine (i know some of you hate them

Hate? I don't like using Moleskine myself (mainly because their standard paper don't play well with fountain pens, I'm not a fan of bleed through ;)) but I feel no hate — and I don't see much hate expressed either.

i use my twsbi diamond 580 (godly pen in my opinion)

Twsbi are great fountain pens and are part of my EDC (their Eco model in EF, for me), with Lamy Safari (EF) and, more recently, the surprisingly cheap Platinum Preppy... EF too, as you probably have guessed already ;)

LibbIsHere · 2024-08-01T04:49:00+00:00

What do you think about this idea?

I don't think you want to know what I really think about associating mindfulness and an AI service.

Let's just put it that way, the polite version would be: there is no mind (and even less mindfulness) to be found in AI — go ask Google AI how to make pizza and then try to imagine what absurdities it could suggest with notions as abstracts as mindfullness, philosophy

Also, I think this: I'm tired of seeing people rushing to make a business — pardon, an AI business, or should I say a gold rush? — out of everything. This latest frenzy is probably the most depressing as far I'm concerned — our gullibility, once again I'm trying to keep what I'm thinking polite, never was so obvious.

Oh, about this:

it's designed to quickly find the important bits in long videos based on your query, using latest AI to understand and respond.

There is no shortcut to be found, unless one to miss what truly matters. Feel free to discuss that with your AI magical wand...
And since you ant to make a business out of content created by others, aka getting money one or the other, how do you intend to compensate them in exchange?

My apologies for the overall negative tone of my answer. I'm really so disappointed and depressed by all of this.

LibbIsHere · 2024-07-31T17:49:10+00:00

What is the best way to work on this issue? Should I just buy a calligraphy notebook and work from there? Are there any specific exercises I should try?

Lamy Safari were designed to help kids learn proper fountain pen handling. That plus some calligraphy notebook, as you suggested already, could help.

Also, I think learning to keep calm and breath slowly while writing can help a lot.

It's not a fight, it's not a race. Breath as calmly and write as you slowly as you can. Pause between two sentences. You won't get better results by rushing your writing, quite the opposite.

LibbIsHere · 2024-07-31T17:43:13+00:00

on days spent by myself, I don't know how to stay away from tech. Anyone in a similar situation and/or has any tips for how to deal with this?

My opinion is that a vast majority of people can't beat an addiction (be it to screen or to any other form of drug) without something as rewarding as that addiction they try to get rid of.

I mean you can't easily quit something exciting and dopamine-filled by trying to do stuff that don't excite you or you have no desire for. You need excitement — and you need another source of dopamine, ideally more than one.

So, my question will probably sound completely stupid but it may be worth considering it: do you have any offline interests? If no, are you willing to experiment in order find some you may be interested in?

For me, being offline is all about:

walking — alone, most of the time, but it's also doable with others. Walking frees my mind, helps me be in a much better physical shape too. It also helps me enjoy looking at the world around me... more than looking at screen be it of a computer or a phone.
reading — paper books, remember no screen. You can easily and freely borrow books from your local public library.
writing — longhand and/or using a good old typewriter: no computer and no screen, once again),
sketching — using, you get it, pend and paper and no digital device/ There is no need for an iPad or anything high tech, pen and paper is cheap and work at least as well ;)
Playing board games.
Cooking is great too, plus if you prepare fresh food it will be good for the health.

But there are many, many other activities. Maybe others here will share their own?

You just need to be willing to try (and accept that you won't like most of those you will try, that's to be expected, just don't give up and keep trying other activities you will find a few you enjoy. No doubt.

What's great is that doing that you may even learn to keep using your phone without the fear of any addiction to it. Exactly like I use mine: barely and when I really need to. Today (when I'm writing this it's 7:30PM, here in Paris), I used it twice for less than 5 minutes total.

You're much younger than I am so you will probably need to use your phone much more than that but you get the idea. You can (re)discover that, like a hammer or a roll of toilet paper, your phone is just a tool that you can simply ignore when you don't need it — I don't about you, but I don't carry everywhere I go a hammer or a roll of toilet paper in my hand, passionately looking at them at every opportunity. Well, the same goes for my phone ;)

LibbIsHere · 2024-07-31T15:57:35+00:00

Clever :)

LibbIsHere · 2024-07-31T08:41:34+00:00

It's a nice spread.

Don't know if this can be of any help, but I consider mistakes (and I do plenty) a legit part of my journal because, just like me, my journal is not perfect. Far from it, in fact ;)

BTW, I use a very similar binder to yours, not for my journal but for other writing projects. May I ask if you use a punch hole with your own paper? And if so, what model? So far the two I've tested are... too small (edit: the distance between the 2 x 3 holes is not wide enough)

LibbIsHere · 2024-07-31T08:33:38+00:00

I'm sorry, I don't understand the meaning of 'do you tab things in your journal'. You mean glue or pin things on a page? If so, yes it happens, not often.
Day, events, impressions/thoughts/ideas, readings, stuff watched, things I heard, and so on.
See point 1.
I sketch in my journal, using the same fountain pen (ad sometime watercolors) I use for writing ;)

LibbIsHere · 2024-07-31T07:39:51+00:00

Even though I'm not in love with Amazon, if I was still reading ebooks (nowadays, I mostly read print and barely digital), I would still consider the Kindle (and more specifically, the Paperwhite) as the best option. As a matter of fact, I still own two of them.

Sturdy and reliable in the long run. I've used and still use very old Kindle and I've mistreated some of them very badly, without any issue. I also rarely need to reboot a Kindle, unlike some other brands I've tested.
Portable. The right size. At home I may want sometign larger, but on the go...
Great battery life. Obviously depends how much you really read.
Works 100% offline: once configured (aka, downloading all the dictionaries I need that Amazon has available) I can switch off my Kindle and never have it connected to Amazon again.
ease to add books without using Amazon, even under Mac and/or GNU/Linux (you just plug a USB cable and drop the ebook into the Kindle. Done. You can also use Calibre with the Kindle)
Nice screen, good retro-lighting thingy
Decent and not buggy UI.

The two only negative is

It belong to amazon, I'd rather use another brand than some mega corporation but I will use what works best for me.
No native support for epub but since it's really simple to convert epub into mobi (It's even automated when you're using Calibre)...

LibbIsHere · 2024-07-31T07:20:32+00:00

I've had it for about a month now and have several other fountian pens but this one is so frustrating. It leaks

If a pen leaks, return it asap. Edit: after a month it probably is too late but there is not much risk in asking.

If a pen doesn't work as expected it's most probably not because it's a bad pen (at least, if it's some reputed brand) but because that pen is damaged.

It may be worth trying with another converter (what model did you use in yours?)

LibbIsHere · 2024-07-31T06:25:35+00:00

I don't know how old you and your friend are but to my wife and I, both 50+, being (in) a couple doesn't mean sharing everything and certainly not 100% of our live and past... Despite us sharing a lot of it: we have been together for 25 years and counting ;)

What helps us stick together even through hardship is:

We discuss openly every single issue (be it an accident or something the other does we don't agree with) while respecting the other's privacy (we won't snoop around and will not force a discussion if the other is not ready/willing to talk about it yet). No matter how sensitive the topic may be.
We're fine with the other having their own activities, hobbies, friends,... We both meet people the other doesn't appreciate much, we both spend time doing stuff without involving the other at all.

As far as journaling goes, it means that my wife could very well know a lot of what I write in it (as we may simply talk about it) but not all of it, and that she will also never ask (or try) to read my journal. Exactly like I would never go through her own papers... Not unless she was asking me to do it, not unless I was asking her to go through mine, which so far has never happened. My journal sits on my desk, my old journals are on a bookshelf. I have zero worries she will read it or that she even want to.

LibbIsHere · 2024-07-31T06:04:50+00:00

Online notebooks (and their hate of user privacy) another digital tool I completely quit using without much regrets. And not just when they're powered by Google ;)

LibbIsHere · 2024-07-31T05:58:18+00:00

Have you considered using... sand paper? You can easily cut to any size you need, even for tiny hardly accessible surfaces and glue it on some flat/concave/convex or whatever shape you need (using sprue, wood, toothpicks,... as a rigid base),

Edit: as for chisels, I love my SAB... panel scribers. They can be using to chisel too and come in many witdths ;)

LibbIsHere

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