Be paranoid, be really paranoid

Well, I’m not talking about guarding the research project data with dear life (although you would to certain extent) so that it remains a top secret from but a few, in case there’s leak and someone decided to run away with your results and publish it. Hardly likely going to happen I think, although I could be wrong on this count.

I trust people to be a bit more honest.

It’s the machines that I don’t trust as much. So I made multiple backup copies of my work in our server machine. Of the server to external hard drives. Of the server to the servers in the bioinformatics support department. Of the server to multiple DVDs. Of the server to my own computer AND laptop.

And anything related to writing, I also save a copy in my email system. Along with the entire relevant folder in 3 different servers in different locations.

A lot of redundancies I know. But I feel better this way until the writing is completely wrapped up for particular project. I will then remove those from the other machines just so I don’t take up unnecessary space and wasting resources.

I rather have multiple copies at this stage than not have anything in case something happen, say server breakdown with failed backups, or (touch wood) fire in the building. Two labs down the corridor had been involved in a fire before, and that was a bit too close for comfort.