Digital Storage Anxiety

Alex Sujong Laughlin worries about running out of digital storage space on multiple platforms.

Digital Fragility

Margot Note warns that digital files can become unreadable due to bit rot over time.

“People do not realize how fragile digital media is”

Archiving Practices

Margot Note suggests refreshing and migrating digital files to prevent data loss.

“Digital files actually require active maintenance”

3-2-1 Rule

The 3-2-1 rule recommends three copies of files, two media types, and one separate location.

“Make three copies of something, store it in at least two types of media, and keep one copy at a physically separate location”

Storage Setup

Alex uses 58 GB Google Drive, 6 GB Defector Drive, 3.19 TB Dropbox, and 535.45 GB iCloud.

Hard Drive Migration

Alex reformatted an 8TB hard drive from 2010 to use for archiving after 2020.

File Organization

Alex created folders for each year starting in 2016 and a pre-2016 folder for older files.

Oldest Files

Alex found a 2011 writing sample for an internship he eventually got.

File Migration

Alex migrated files from Google Drive to an external hard drive over three days.

Hard Drive Glitch

The oldest hard drive made a clicking sound and disconnected frequently during migration.

Archiving Advice

Margot Note recommends archiving as a practice, not a one-time event.

“I think just, like, setting a timer and saying, 'I'm gonna work on this for 20 minutes'”

Personal Archive

Alex plans to keep an archive of work and family photos for future access.

Digital Legacy

Alex wants to preserve digital life for future generations and personal satisfaction.

Archive Benefits

Alex found patterns in his curiosity and work through the archive process.

Future Steps

Alex will continue migrating files and setting up a regular archiving schedule.

Digital Death

Alex believes digital life will end when he dies, so he's creating an archive now.