Privacy in the cloud: putting effort where it counts
Anyone who has spent time on privacy in the cloud has a failure story: a strong start, a collapse in the middle, then silence. This is not another…
A shared drive at home: adapting to different settings
Most people want a shared drive at home to make things better. The workable version of that goal is steadier: a floor you can hit on a bad day.…
Archiving versus deleting: judge, act, review
Advice on archiving versus deleting tends to split in two: impossibly complex, or sold as one click. Reality sits between. It needs some patience and…
Handover documentation: the four usual traps
If you have already tried handover documentation and dropped it, the fault is usually in the setup: a starting point set too high, an environment…
A yearly tidy-up rhythm: from judgement to finish
Put a yearly tidy-up rhythm back into a real week, with overtime, travel and days you cannot be bothered. Any plan that only survives good months…
Naming conventions that scale: judge, act, review
If you have already tried naming conventions that scale and dropped it, the fault is usually in the setup: a starting point set too high, an…
How deep folders should go: one full walkthrough
Most people want how deep folders should go to make things better. The workable version of that goal is steadier: a floor you can hit on a bad day.…
Dating files consistently: putting effort where it counts
If you have already tried dating files consistently and dropped it, the fault is usually in the setup: a starting point set too high, an environment…
When to add version numbers: judge, act, review
If you have already tried when to add version numbers and dropped it, the fault is usually in the setup: a starting point set too high, an…
Three places for critical files: the four usual traps
Most people want three places for critical files to make things better. The workable version of that goal is steadier: a floor you can hit on a bad…
Choosing an external drive: from judgement to finish
There is plenty written about choosing an external drive and little you can act on. This piece stays concrete: every action can be done on the…
Encrypting cloud storage: the complete picture
If you have already tried encrypting cloud storage and dropped it, the fault is usually in the setup: a starting point set too high, an environment…
How incremental backup works: one full walkthrough
If you only read one paragraph, read this: how incremental backup works depends on how the situation is set up, not on how you feel at the time.…
Structuring a photo archive: putting effort where it counts
Most people do not fail at structuring a photo archive from misunderstanding it. They fail because understanding is not doing. What follows is the…
Storing video sensibly: how to do it concretely
Separate two things in storing video sensibly: the outcome you want and the action you can sustain. When the gap is too wide, shrink the action…
Scanning documents to archive: adapting to different settings
Anyone who has spent time on scanning documents to archive has a failure story: a strong start, a collapse in the middle, then silence. This is not…
Digitising contracts: the four usual traps
Most people do not fail at digitising contracts from misunderstanding it. They fail because understanding is not doing. What follows is the doing…
Verifying that backups work: the workable version
Let us set the limits of verifying that backups work first: it reliably improves backups that survive a power cut, and it does not deliver overnight.…
Running a restore drill: judge, act, review
Most people do not fail at running a restore drill from misunderstanding it. They fail because understanding is not doing. What follows is the doing…
Sync is not backup: the complete picture
There is plenty written about sync is not backup and little you can act on. This piece stays concrete: every action can be done on the study desk,…