Recent Lesson Learned

Now, this blog post doesn't specifically follow along with my usual blog topic, but I decided that it was time to break the silence on this blog, and there couldn't be a worthier topic. As a freelance writer, there is nothing more important to me than my word files. My livelihood is dependent upon my computer, and I never put much thought into protecting it. Of course, much of the work that I do cannot be used again, but there is always a use for the knowledge that I have built up in my time as a freelancer. I can pull up my files and reacquaint myself with similar topics I've tackled before working on a new piece or use my old files in a way that gets me a new client. What happens when those files are gone?

A little while ago, my laptop started acting really strange. It got to the point where I wasn't able to turn it on or do anything with it. Turns out that my hard drive was fried, and luckily, it happened while my laptop was still under warranty through HP. I got my laptop back after a few weeks, but it was a blank slate. Everything that I had saved to it was gone. My music, my pictures and most importantly, my Word files. It was a pretty low blow. It was not a complete loss as many of my old files were still on my old laptop that I never moved over to my new one, and I had been using a service called Dropbox to transfer the odd files now and then between the two. Dropbox is now my go-to service for saving any important file. I love that I can go on my iPad, my phone or any of my laptops and access my Dropbox account. Any computer can allow me to log into my account to find my files, and I couldn't be happier with it. Dropbox is not only a way to protect the contents of your computer, but it also acts as a safe way to share files. Creating a shared folder is as easy as inviting the other person to join through their email. Dropbox is a service that I highly recommend.

One of the things that I like best about Dropbox is that it has a free option, even better is that your free account's available space can be increased through easy tasks. You can increase your space by referring other users, following Dropbox through social media and more. There are subscription accounts that allow the user to increase the amount of space they have available to store their items, but for my purpose the free account works. I may upgrade in the future.

I always believed that my computers were infallible and that I wouldn't be one of those people who had to deal with the loss of so much work. I found out the hard way that backing up your files is the right way to go. As a freelancer, the work that is created through Word, PowerPoint, and other programs is vital to your portfolio. Losing a file that you refer to often is just as hard a loss as losing a file that your client is waiting on you to deliver. Feel free to accept my invitation and join Dropbox using this link: https://db.tt/3ruEKkG. I will get free space for being your referral to this great service, but you will also start out with 500 MB. There are of course online cheats about how to increase your space, but I believe with an awesome service like this one, you really don't have to cheat to show others the value of this service.