For those fortunate to know life before the internet it can sometimes seem daunting knowing that there is a whole new way of doing so many things. There are still many who; don't have mobile phones, don't have a computer and don't use the internet and I'm sure they get along just fine. However there are also many more people who attest to ownership of these devices but hardly use them because "it's often very confusing". TalkingTech/TechTalk/YR-Online is your stepping stone to better use and understanding of the internet and world of technology.
A few weeks ago, while gazing upon the slowly disappearing love heart on my morning latte, I reminded myself of the once plentiful but now depleted storage space left on my computer and how much hair I would lose if anything happened to my data. A wry smile curled my lips when I also remembered that I didn't have much hair left to lose thus more reason to sort things out.
There are several things to consider when you need more storage space on your PC or any other device but for me the most important thing is access. If I can't find something easily when I need it then it's pointless having it. For some people speed of access or the ability to share information with others may be the priority. Let us know what you consider most important while tackling your information storage dilemmas.
I opted for online storage aka The Cloud because it provides, for free or for a fee, a great alternative for people who want to be able to store lots of different types of information and access it anywhere. The benefits are numerous and the downsides are few.
The ability to access, play and use any of my documents, music, pictures and videos from literally anywhere on the planet and on any of my devices was what clinched it for me. I have stuff stashed away on CDs, USB drives and the odd floppy disk that I have never got round to putting together despite having lots of external hard drives in the past. I was able to start putting everything in one place and increase the volume of storage space as and when I needed it. This meant my initial financial outlay was small and I could organise things quite easily.
I didn't need to worry about backing it up or updating any software as its all done by the cloud. I could also share specific files, folders and pictures just by sending a link in an email as opposed to downloading and sending enormous attachments.
Other benefits include super cool collaboration where a group of people can all work on the same document at the same time and see each others contributions in real time. I found this very useful when family members in Australia, Canada and the UK worked together on our family tree. We all had different devices and different software but the cloud brought us all together on one single document. Combined with Skype and a pint it became quite an event.
Along with it being environmentally friendly and flexible, storing my information online made me feel quite satisfied with my choice despite the obvious disadvantage of not being able to access it without some sort of access to the internet. But how often does that happen?
By the way, none of my old CDs, USBs or floppies were disposed of, hurt, mistreated or made to feel inadequate in the production of this article! Ciao and send your thoughts, experiences and comments to us at;
Email: techtalk@yorkshirereporter.co.uk
Yorkshire Reporter Online
