I encountered a problem with my cloud storage that I’d like to warn you about as it could happen to you. While trying to finish my latest tome, one of my beta readers pointed out an inconsistency in the story. I referenced a scene where one of the guys was previously pegged, yet my “proofer” pointed out that the chapter didn’t exist in the story.
I could have sworn that I wrote that chapter as I knew what happened yet going back through the document, I came up blank. WTF? I said, the scene was completely gone? Luckily, my beta-reader is a lot more organized than I am and was able to pull the chapter out of a previous file that I had sent her.
Thankfully, I was able to reinsert the chapter into the story somewhat like Foxy inserted her strap-on into Greg’s ass. Quick thinking by my beta-reader insured that Greg could be able to take another “insertion” by a tag-team of girls. For the uninitiated, “pegging” is when a man is butt-fucked by a woman with a dildo.
But how did this fulfilling scene get lost? Has my computer suddenly gotten its collective brains screwed out? After all, I was writing this on an iFruit computer.
While writing, I often switch between a laptop and a desktop computer depending on where I’m at. Dragging all of the cables, tower, and monitor into the bathroom was raising suspicions among my coworkers especially with the extension cord into the stall. Plus, the fact I kept dropping the mouse into the toilet didn’t help.
My MacBook Air laptop balances on my knees quite easily and allows me to pound out my smut everywhere I go. But how to easily transfer files between my laptop and desktop required some additional software.
I use DropBox cloud based storage as a storage point between computers. Storing the document in DropBox allows the Internet based software to seamlessly transfer the files back and forth between computers.
DropBox stores a copy of your files in the cloud as well as any computer it’s installed on including PC’s, Mac’s, Android, and I assume iPhone’s. When you edit a file, it’s on your local computer and DropBox uploads any changes to its cloud copy.
Whenever another computer is connected to the Internet, DropBox automatically synchronizes the files to insure that the latest copy is transmitted to all other computers.
The most obvious issue occurs when the same file is opened with two different computers. DropBox doesn’t lock files so the user must insure that there is only one copy of an individual file open at any one time.
In most cases, DropBox will detect this and will store “conflicted” copies of the file. Then you have to open the copies and merge the changes to end up with a single file which contains all of the changed and new data.
Preventing this problem is quickly learned and you always remember to close the file before switching computers.
This typically works seamlessly except when it doesn’t. I’ve come to realize there are a few flies in the ointment. First, make sure that you wait long enough for DropBox to upload the changed files before shutting down the computer. This will ensure that the cloud has the latest version.
If you’re going to be using a laptop and are not sure if WiFi is going to be available, fire up the laptop at home and allow DropBox to sync all the files before walking out the door. This way your laptop contains the latest copies of the files.
What I’ve recently figured out is that DropBox automatically limits the upload speed and generally speaking, this option should be cleared. It can take an inordinate amount of time to upload files and my laptops will often go to sleep before the process is finished, which leaves the state of the changed files in limbo.
By unchecking the upload limit, my WiFi uploads occur almost instantly and insure the cloud has the latest copy. While a little bit of an aggravation, being able to edit your smut on the go allows you to be productive when traveling or killing time at Starbucks.
If you are like me and enjoy working on the go, using a cloud storage such as DropBox makes life a lot easier, especially if you follow the rules.
Larry, the other issue that erotica writers need to be aware of is that many cloud storage companies have introduced new rules forbidding obscene content on their platforms. Google and Dropbox will delete content that they deem inappropriate. This includes text. I’ve had documents deleted by Google and I’ve had emails sent via Apple iCloud that have been just dropped with no notifications, just because the word document within the email contained words that Apple didn’t like. Writer beware! Your work may just disappear if it’s too smutty. Don’t rely on cloud storage. Backup your files to local hard drives.
Alun,
Good point and certainly something to keep in mind. Personally, I’ve never had DropBox delete any of my smut but I don’t generally write on the edges of acceptable. Most of my problems have always been of my making or stupidity.
As far as backups, I fully agree and use a NAS drive with Raid 0 on my network. Then I use FastCopy to back up my DropBox and other important files regularly to the NAS drive. One of the nice things about DropBox is that a full copy of your files is stored on every DropBox connected machines with the exception of Android machines. This way you have multiple copies of the files at all times.
I’ve already told you this private, but I would NEVER store my precious writing in the cloud. It’s not just the danger of violating their terms of service. The real problem is that if you are using a free service, they have zero responsibility if anything goes wrong, and even if you’re paying (are you?), they don’t guarantee much. For instance, I doubt they have any liability of your files are lost, or leaked to somebody else.
The TOS often give the services the right to change or discontinue the service at any time, or to kick you off without giving you the chance to get your information. I have a friend who was using Drive for his classes. He sent an email to a large number of students, and Google flagged him as a spammer. Then they wouldn’t give him access to his course materials, and wouldn’t allow him to use his email any longer, either.
I don’t trust big corporations.
Lisabet,
Succinct as always but I don’t have many alternatives beyond carrying everything around on a jump drive, which in itself becomes a pain in the ass. It’s sort of like the monkey fucking the skunk when he said, “I’ve enjoyed about all this I can stand.”
There is rarely a perfect answer to any question and I try to minimize risk and maximize reward. It’s like the time I discovered that one of my bored housewive’s husband was a highway patrol officer. At that point, the risk far outweighed the benefits, no matter how good she was in bed!
1 ) Data loss is always a concern but DropBox will save a copy on every device it is installed on along with the cloud. So I’m actually safer than storing it on one computer. It will be stored on two laptops and a desktop. Plus the fact that it is also backed up to a NAS drive running Raid 0 which stores the files on two independent drives. True I’ve had a couple of hiccups and thanks to you saved myself from having to rewrite a chapter from our latest two stories.
2 ) Expect for my desktop, my files are stored on SSD drives and solid state is pretty indestructible as long as you monitor the total writes to the drive.
3 ) Intellectual theft is probably the big fear but there is not much you can do to protect something you publish. Certainly, everything is copyrighted but that doesn’t prevent someone from rewriting your work with slight alterations. But I assume that if I’m going to publish something electronically, I have to accept the fact that reverse engineering makes it easy to duplicate a story. I just have to hope that no one else has the same perverted mind that I have and can’t type and jerk off as fast as I can.
4 ) TOS issues I can’t stop either. Just as Amazon will out of the blue rank something as Adult, all you can do is hope for the best.
I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said Lisabet but have tried to minimize my exposure to bad things that happen like the time when your girlfriend was giving you a blowjob and her parents came home. Then in your haste, you zipped up your dick and had to pretend that everything was fine. Girls don’t have to worry about that but geeze it hurts!