One of the episodes of Sex And The City that sticks so clearly in my mind is the Season 4 episode titled “My Motherboard, Myself”. Carrie Bradshaw ends up with a ‘sad Mac’ and loses all past written work that was being stored on her computer.
When this happens both her boyfriend and best friend, as well as the technician she takes her computer to, ask her when the last time she backed up was… to which Carrie replies, ‘Umm, I don’t do that’.
“No one talks about backing up. You’ve never used that expression with me before, ever, but apparently, everybody’s secretly running home at night and backing up their work.”
I have empathised with Carrie on a number of unfortunate occasions. Terrible relationship decisions in the past, poor budgeting skills, the ability to over-think absolutely everything and then, last night, I understood exactly how maddening it is to be asked, “do you back up?”.
In this day and age where people are run by technology, thou must vow to never, not back up.
So, what does backing up involve? I’m well aware some of you are currently scoffing at me, knowing all too well that the process involves making copies of the stored information on your computer/phone/emails etc. Doesn’t everyone? Well I didn’t! And it cost me the entire contents of my iPhone which needed to be restored after a system update gone wrong. When I was still trying to comprehend what had gone wrong, CB turned to me and said ‘when was the last time you backed up?’. Cue the first of many crazy, Carrie-style outbursts of frustration/anger at my sweetheart boyfriend who was only trying to help, spending hours on his computer trying to find a way to return my iPhone to its former glory. Sorry CB!!
Didn’t I just promise yesterday to be more graciously accepting of help when it’s offered to me?
Anyway, similarly to Carrie, I had some irreplaceable items (photos and videos) on my phone that would have been lost if it weren’t for the fact that I’d sent them to people who can now send them back to me. One of these videos had captured my Nan laughing and talking throughout it, a sound I won’t be lucky enough to hear again. I would have been heart-broken to have lost this forever.
While I’m no poster girl for technological progression and preparedness, if you’re like me and don’t back up then maybe the thought of losing your precious memories will prompt you to start. Google it, ask a friend or call an IT professional for help in developing a solid system for doing so.
Now when someone asks me, ‘when was the last time you backed up?’, I can smugly reply, ‘just the other day’.
frannie loves marie. 