World Backup Day is March 31st; Are Your Genealogy Files Safe?

We all know that April 1st is April Fool’s Day, but you probably didn’t know that the day before, March 31st, is World Backup Day. Now, perhaps you are wondering, what on earth is that, and why does it matter? We have all come to rely on technology for so much in our lives, and we often assume it’s going to just work all the time. Sadly, that is not the case. Anything electronic is subject to sudden glitches, and that could mean a damaged file, a file that doesn’t save properly, a file that suddenly disappears, or, even worse, an entire hard drive that malfunctions. What would happen to all your genealogy research if your computer malfunctioned?

Making the Most of Quarantine Time: Organizing Your Digital Files

(Thanks to long-time StLGS member, Ann Fleming, for suggesting the topic for this week's post.)

After four months of trying to stay isolated, a good many of us are done with cleaning closets and drawers. Now that it is too hot in most places for working in the garden, how about getting some of your digital life organized? Is your computer a mess? Do you have files all over the place in no particular order? What about your auxiliary devices: external hard drives, your entire collection of flash/thumb drives? CDs or DVDs or boxes of old floppy disks? If you are nodding your head "YES!" to these questions, here are some suggestions for organizing your digital files.