Comments on: Living With a Computer http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2007/07/12/living-with-a-computer/ Everyone has a right to my opinions Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:15:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Richard Bogle http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2007/07/12/living-with-a-computer/comment-page-1/#comment-89928 Richard Bogle Fri, 13 Jul 2007 08:26:43 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2007/07/12/living-with-a-computer/#comment-89928 You could keep all of those drafts without the need to deliberately save copies or use up lots of permanent storage. For writing software we use source control repositories that we periodically update with the latest version of the (hopefully working) code. The repository just stores the deltas between the copies which minimises the storage space used. It means the system can show you the state of play at any time in the project's lifecycle. This is really easy to apply to any document. I use it for all my company documents, for instance, books, invoices and the likes. I use <a>Subversion</a>. You could keep all of those drafts without the need to deliberately save copies or use up lots of permanent storage.

For writing software we use source control repositories that we periodically update with the latest version of the (hopefully working) code. The repository just stores the deltas between the copies which minimises the storage space used. It means the system can show you the state of play at any time in the project’s lifecycle.

This is really easy to apply to any document. I use it for all my company documents, for instance, books, invoices and the likes. I use Subversion.

]]> By: MK http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2007/07/12/living-with-a-computer/comment-page-1/#comment-89874 MK Thu, 12 Jul 2007 23:52:57 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2007/07/12/living-with-a-computer/#comment-89874 There will be no need to sift through much more stuff, because though data storage is cheap, history will still appoint very few worthy of such close analysis. More relevant for most folk, perhaps, are not the "ghost copies" of items on our hard drives, but the data trails we leave on the servers around the world. These ghosts of our identities are out there, available for stealing, and that's what most of us have to offer that might be worth something, at least to a crook. This was a really nice post, Rob. I'll be thinking about this for a while. There will be no need to sift through much more stuff, because though data storage is cheap, history will still appoint very few worthy of such close analysis.

More relevant for most folk, perhaps, are not the “ghost copies” of items on our hard drives, but the data trails we leave on the servers around the world. These ghosts of our identities are out there, available for stealing, and that’s what most of us have to offer that might be worth something, at least to a crook.

This was a really nice post, Rob. I’ll be thinking about this for a while.

]]> By: Devil's Kitchen http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2007/07/12/living-with-a-computer/comment-page-1/#comment-89833 Devil's Kitchen Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:25:28 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2007/07/12/living-with-a-computer/#comment-89833 I do made intermediary copies of my artwork, especially the print stuff. Which is why I now have four hard drives... DK I do made intermediary copies of my artwork, especially the print stuff. Which is why I now have four hard drives…

DK

]]> By: Cleanthes http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2007/07/12/living-with-a-computer/comment-page-1/#comment-89831 Cleanthes Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:12:47 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2007/07/12/living-with-a-computer/#comment-89831 But we now live in a time when a 300GB external drive costs peanuts - probably more capacity than the US dept of Defence, IRS et al had at their disposal collectively in 1982. Indeed, the problem is now worse: philologists will have trawl through ALL the sh*te that you and I produce. quite frankly that's not really fair on the poor dears is it... ;-P But we now live in a time when a 300GB external drive costs peanuts – probably more capacity than the US dept of Defence, IRS et al had at their disposal collectively in 1982.

Indeed, the problem is now worse: philologists will have trawl through ALL the sh*te that you and I produce. quite frankly that’s not really fair on the poor dears is it…

;-P

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