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How a bug in Dropbox permanently deleted my 8000 photos

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Re: How a bug in Dropbox permanently deleted my 8000 photos

#21

Post by icebraining »

gabemart wrote: post #13

I think this bug should be considered completely separately from how unwise it is to use a cloud service as the sole storage of important files. Regardless of the circumstances, losing user files against the wishes of the user is the absolute worst thing a cloud backup provider can do . Even for files that are deleted intentionally and unambiguously by the user, I'm astonished that Dropbox actually deletes the files…

I would expect them to keep the files for some multiple of the publicly-stated restore deadline where the multiple >= 2, if for no other reason than as a goodwill generator.

On the other hand, keeping copies of the user's data after you say you've deleted it doesn't sound too ethical to me. I don't expect immediate purging, but I also don't expect potentially sensitive files to linger for months after they were supposed to be deleted.

I think a better system would be to warn about big deletion events (e.g. send an email) to allow the user to revert it within the 30-day period.

Re: How a bug in Dropbox permanently deleted my 8000 photos

#23

Post by colanderman »

gabemart wrote: post #13

I think this bug should be considered completely separately from how unwise it is to use a cloud service as the sole storage of important files. Regardless of the circumstances, losing user files against the wishes of the user is the absolute worst thing a cloud backup provider can do . Even for files that are deleted intentionally and unambiguously by the user, I'm astonished that Dropbox actually deletes the files…

The 30 day deletion deadline has passed, but I have managed to restore the most recent version of your dissertation.

Then you have the opposite problem; privacy-centered users complaining "Dropbox keeps your data even when they say it's permanently deleted! Here's proof!!"

Re: How a bug in Dropbox permanently deleted my 8000 photos

#24

Post by arethuza »

profsnuggles wrote: post #11

It really sucks that we all have to keep learning this lesson over and over. Everyone I've ever spoken to that has a good backup strategy in place has it because they have lost irreplaceable files. Have real backups. Syncing is not a backup strategy, raid is not a backup strategy, etc. 3-2-1 At least three copies in 2 different (storage) formats and at least one copy offsite. It sounds like overkill but you have to d…

"raid is not a backup strategy"

Though I have seen it used (to my horror) as a software release strategy.... :-)

Re: How a bug in Dropbox permanently deleted my 8000 photos

#25

Post by bruceboughton »

egypturnash wrote: post #19

Sync is not backup. Sync is not backup. Sync is not backup. My strategy: a big external drive used for Time Machine, and a subscription to Backblaze. Both of these are all about retaining multiple versions, recovering from accidental deletion, and continuously backing up in the background. Dropbox is about syncing stuff between computers.

I too am a Backblaze customer but beware: backups of deleted files are deleted after 30 days.

Re: How a bug in Dropbox permanently deleted my 8000 photos

#26

Post by profsnuggles »

catshirt wrote: post #15
profsnuggles wrote: post #11

It really sucks that we all have to keep learning this lesson over and over. Everyone I've ever spoken to that has a good backup strategy in place has it because they have lost irreplaceable files. Have real backups. Syncing is not a backup strategy, raid is not a backup strategy, etc. 3-2-1 At least three copies in 2 different (storage) formats and at least one copy offsite. It sounds like overkill but you have to d…

i think people are still struggling because creating real backups still seems like kind of a pain in the ass compared to cloud syncing. what's currently the most convenient and simple way to store multiple local backups?

It IS a pain and I don't know that there is a way to fix that. As I said though you have to decide what your data is worth to you.

I personally use http://duplicity.nongnu.org/ and a semi-complicated system of cron and bash script to backup my files to my local server, some flash drives and s3.

Re: How a bug in Dropbox permanently deleted my 8000 photos

#27

Post by true_religion »

CaptainZapp wrote: post #4

I use Dropbox for sharing pictures, but would never even dream to use a cloud based service for backup purposes. Granted, Jan's case is a bit more complex and I'm really sorry for his loss. Stories like that should really be a lesson to everybody never to completely trust a cloud based service as your main backup. On a side note: I agree that archiving of digital files is a hard problem. The smartest librarians of th…

Why not? I find it pretty great in terms of backups (though that's not my purpose for doing it.)

I have copies of my files on my work machine, my laptop, my wife's laptop, my gaming machine, and ofcourse dropbox's servers itself.

I could lose any one of those without losing the bunch thanks to dropbox synching things.

Sure it doesn't help in the case of deletion but its great for the more common case of "my machine suddenly won't boot".

Re: How a bug in Dropbox permanently deleted my 8000 photos

#28

Post by sudorank »

zedadex wrote: post #9
petercooper wrote: post #6

If you are using Dropbox as a sole backup of your files, think again. Simplify to If you only have a sole backup, think again. Points 4 and 5 should be you always have more than one backup of important material and at least one backup should be on physical media that you own.

>> If you are using Dropbox as a sole backup of your files, think again. > Simplify to If you only have a sole backup, think again. Yep. 3-2-1: "At least three copies, in two different formats, with one of those copies off-site."

I like keeping backups on a hard disk in the office. For a guy who grew up in the 90's there's something comforting about being able to physically look at one of your backup methods!
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