Off site backing up

After a long break from blogging I am back with fresh energy.  I needed to take some time away because life got so busy that something just had to go or my sanity would.  So sadly my blog did. 

Anyway here I am back again with my thoughts about backing up my precious bits and pieces.  I run 1 EHD but now, with time to think clearly, I know it is time to proactively do something more.  I have, since January, been considering on line storage options.  Very nervously I must say but the thoughts have been floating around in my head and the occasional an on line search.  I was nervous because I was not sure how reliable these companies would be and even if they would exist when I really needed them.

So then the I lost some photos due to a small EHD failure and now I know I need to do something quickly.  Luckily I still have those photos backed up on CD....yes I know they were my original back ups which I did when I got my first digital camera over 9 years ago.  I used a Nero programme and I have yet to work out how to unpack then but they are still there.

So what I have decided is

1. Firstly I should back up everything in onto an EHD.  The one I have has a whole lot of digital scrapbooking stuff but my photos and things sit on my computer.  (I say this very embarrassingly).  So tomorrow I am off to get a new EHD to back up the photos and other documents that I need stored.
2. On line storage.  I have narrowed the list of possibles down to 3 companies.  Mozy, Backblaze and CrashPlan.  The things that I have been considering as important for my families storage needs are; scheduled backup updates,  access to the items stored, and ease of use.
3. I have some CDs still but choose not to continue down this line as they CD do fail. 

 (source is here ...an article about using Gmail for storage)