Story

Several times I lost everything, or close too. Lots of stuff is gone. So, now I store what I can everywhere.Personal files including scanned documents are copied into a truecrypt volume (with all paranoid options used) and uploaded to a free cloud storage. Dropbox is a good start for those looking for a direction. Only upload well protected encrypted files. If they want your data then they can damn well work for it.Other files are uploaded or copied to lots of different places around the web. Useful bits and pieces are put onto wikis and qa sites so I can find them again. Code and useful objects are attached in various online places. Most in duplicate locations so if I need anything I can get it all back.I buy an external hard drive every year, create encrypted files, copy everything across, then send it to a relative with a note asking them nicely to stick it in a secure dry safe place in their house. The drive is inside a plastic box with its power supply and cables. The box is sealed with duct tape then wrapped with three layers or 200um plastic plastic folded multiple times around the box. The outside is coated with a plastic sealer I picked up from the local hardware store for a final seal.Any files I have of 'community value' I make sure several people I know have copies of. Storage is cheap. For a couple of those I have purchased hard drives for them on the condition that quarter of the drive content is never deleted.I always have at least two computers in the house which are either portable or use an external drive with a working encrypted copy of my key files.Why? I will tell you. I have been robbed multiple times. A friend walked away with a laptop of mine with my files still on it. Several drives went missing from a closet. Many hard drive failures. Another friend borrowed a drive formatted it then returned it formatted. Devices have gone missing from places I have worked (stupid me for leaving anything electronic on my desk). House was once directly hit by lightening with most devices surviving but dying within a few months. Paranoid? Me? No. Paranoia is where you THINK they are out to get you.