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Dropbox keeps threatening to delete my files

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Re: Dropbox keeps threatening to delete my files

#41

Post by Dalewyn »

renewiltord wrote: post #33
JonChesterfield wrote: post #5

Dropbox synced with an empty folder, i.e. deleted everything. I didn't notice for over 30 days which was the cutoff for their historical files. Thus my easy off-site copy which I was previously very attached to effectively deleted everything. I did not go back.

This is a classic lesson that everyone learns called Sync Is Not Backup. Everyone learns it eventually and then writes a blog post on it. It used to be a classic HN meme: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4704086 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27157427 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33008837 And every storage company tells a tale of backup vs sync: https://www.backblaze.com/blog/cloud-backup-vs-cloud-s…

>This is a classic lesson that everyone learns called Sync Is Not Backup.

It's essentially the same story as RAID Is Not A Backup.

Like with sync you have redundancy, but Lord Redundancy never said he was also also Count Time.

Re: Dropbox keeps threatening to delete my files

#42

Post by robmsmt »

JonChesterfield wrote: post #5

Dropbox synced with an empty folder, i.e. deleted everything. I didn't notice for over 30 days which was the cutoff for their historical files. Thus my easy off-site copy which I was previously very attached to effectively deleted everything. I did not go back.

I also had exactly the same experience. I ended up losing lots of documents.

Re: Dropbox keeps threatening to delete my files

#47

Post by stevage »

Larrikin wrote: post #37
laluser wrote: post #13

What do you expect to happen? Continue to host your data for free? This is such an odd thing to write about.

Companies that offer things for free, I fully expect for them to keep them free forever. If the pay solution is worth it I'll pay. When they start changing the contract, I find an alternative and use the service as much as I can. My Dropbox is fully backed up but has been full for years and it doesn't matter to me any more.

My rule of thuwb is no tech company's consumer level promise is good for more than 2 years.

That is, if they promise X, I believe they will keep it for 2 years. Anything after that is a bonus.

Re: Dropbox keeps threatening to delete my files

#48

Post by aborsy »

The post is strange (even if not serious). Like, what do you expect?

If the provider deletes data in this situation, people complain. If the provider hosts data for free, there are people who still complain (even accuse the provider with dark patterns). Perhaps that’s why the focus is becoming enterprise customers.

Re: Dropbox keeps threatening to delete my files

#49

Post by hypeatei »

stevage wrote: post #45

I do have to point out that cloud hosted storage creates CO2 emissions, so if you aren't actually using it, that's not ideal.

I mean, breathing does too so watch your workouts. Being more serious, I don't think micromanaging your own cloud storage would help that much. The cloud provider is going to have that storage deployed and available regardless.
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