‘Beeeeeeeep’ this was one of the increasing numbers of signs my computer is giving me that it is slowly fading away into a non-working piece of hardware. Another warning sign is its refusal to start when I want it to.
In the fast-paced digital age, our lives are entwined with technology. We rely on our computers for work, personal projects, and precious memories. However, these machines are not invincible. They can crash, break, or get stolen, and when they do, we often face a daunting realisation, “my life is on this thing”! Followed by the question: "What about my data?"
The risk of not having a cloud-based backup system
Where am I going with all this in relation to organising? Thirty years ago, computers were a luxury, but today, they're a necessity. When our computers stop working, it is not so much that we are incredibly attached to the machine, since thousands of machines like it will do the same. What is different for ‘our computer;‘ is that it has ‘our’ data on it. The heart of the attachment to our computer is ’t the hardware; it's the data it holds.
In the years prior to online data storage, I once heard a story of someone’s laptop being stolen from the back seat of a car -with all the baby pictures of her children on it. Losing that type of data would be devastating.
Why do we need online data storage?
Fortunately, in today's world, we have the blessing of cloud technology. When my computer started to show signs of illness, I quickly upgraded my online storage and made sure everything was backed up. When you back up data, you usually pick one of these services: Microsoft, Google, or Dropbox. They all have pros and cons, but they work, and your data is stored in multiple locations across the globe, so you're unlikely to ever lose it. (Unless we have an end-of-the-world event, but we will have bigger problems than losing our data.
Dropbox
In the early days, when I got a new computer, I worked locally, and it would connect to Dropbox online where possible to make sure there was a copy on Dropbox. With software like Dropbox, you hardly know your files are not saved on your local hard disk; instead, they are backed up in the cloud. If you set it up well, syncing your files will be automatic, saving you the headache of remembering to back up manually.
You won’t have the exact functionality of a Word document; instead, you get shareability of your work. With Google, it is easy to share documents and receive comments, feedback, and corrections in real time online.
Microsoft / SharePoint
Many organisations work with the M365 suite; this is preferred because of the full integration with all things Microsoft and their high level of security. M365 is amazing, but if you are new to cloud storage, don't start with it. If your organisation uses M365, get the training you need and think carefully about where you want your personal files.
Finding your own way in the world of cloud services
I’ll preface this that I started using Dropbox before it became seamlessly integrated with the cloud. I am both an organising and computer nerd.
In 2023, I learned the M365 suite because my organisation was using it. Learning this software was emotional, but once I understood it, I could provide training for my organisation, and now I love working with it. However, for my personal files, I stick to Dropbox; it is easy, my folders are set up the way I think, and the lack of functionality and integration is an asset for the work I do personally on my computer.
Make sure you still declutter your digital files
We learned a lot about online storage solutions on this page. All examples have reasonable capacity, but rubbish in, rubbish out, and I strongly encourage you to declutter your computer files. It's a good practice to declutter once or twice a year, especially when work isn't at its peak and you are producing many files.
You might believe everything you create on your computer today is essential, but over time, some files lose their relevance or better documents have taken their place.
Give or take those handful of masterpieces you have created for either work or study, or items that the legislation requires you to keep on file, e.g., tax, the sale of a home / car, etc.
Your files are organised right?
You are reading this blog clearly; you're meticulously organised with your files, photos, and documents, which truly matter.
Meticulously organised?
If you are not please check out my book “How to organise your home and paperwork”
If you're reading this and haven't backed up your computer files recently, act now.
Frequently Asked Questions
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It depends on your needs. Google drive is strong for real-time sharing and collaboration, especially with documents. Dropbox works well if you want simple, automatic syncing with minimal setup and don't need Google's document editing features.
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Computers crash, break, or get stolen — cloud backup means your data survives even if the hardware doesn't. Filesstored in the cloud are duplicated across multiple locations, making permanent data loss extremely unlikely.
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Once or twice a year works well for most people, ideally during a quieter period at work. Not every file you create stays relevant — regularly reviewing and removing outdated documents keeps your cloud storage manageable and easier to search.
Note: part of this article was originally an Illawarra mercury article from 2013 updated and refreshed in 2023
