So I have been pretty vigilant about backing up my dissertation. Save it to the laptop, save it to the jumpdrive, transfer it to the desktop, and back the whole thing up on an external harddrive that I keep in a fireproof box in my closet.
Not that I am paranoid or anything.
I have also uploaded chapters periodically to googledocs, which screws with the formatting but saves the precious precious content (ha). I figure it might be necessary in case of desktop computer meltdown followed by stolen laptop followed by loss of jumpdrive followed by tornado that lifts up fireproof box and deposits it in Oz.
Due to a random series of comments on Facebook, I discovered dropbox.com. It is a free way to link to files from any computer online, but unlike googledocs it keeps everything in Word and can move from Mac to PC or PC to Mac and back. It is a beautiful thing.
So I can save my dissertation in my dropbox on my desktop and when I open the dissertation in my dropbox folder on my laptop, it is automatically saved and updated just like the file on my desktop computer. If I am on campus and on a computer in the lab OR all of my computers and drives have been destroyed by a series of freaks of nature and I have to get a new computer, I can go to their website and link to my files from there with my e-mail and password. Amazing.
I am not sure if I am the last person in the world to discover this or what, but I am definitely stoked about it. And not just for a worst-case scenario with the dissertation--I love the idea of easily accessing pictures on my laptop and my desktop without having to e-mail or upload all of them.
BTW, I am not a paid sponsor for dropbox.com and no one is giving me anything free (except the service already available for free to everyone at dropbox.com). Just wanted to share the love...
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