Why You Should Not Use Online File Storage

As the usefulness of the internet is driven to its limit by the day, every computer users try to find which of innovation will benefit them the most. Practicality is always something to consider - online storage, for one, is a point of conflict.

There are hundreds of free or premium file storage web services you will find, with different offers, with their own advertising propaganda. Some even pays you to make them your online storage service.

If your files are for the download community then by all means go ahead, and use these sites to your advantage.

But if those files are personal files or backup, "especially if they are containing a portfolio" for your work, using online storage is not a practical answer. Here is why.

Half of the online storage sites will keep your files private, maybe at a price. Half will distribute your files to a free community, sometimes with your permission, sometimes without. Sometimes even, you are deceived that they distribute without your consent regardless of promise and fake terms of service. So it makes the option compromising enough to upload your personal files and backups.

Another drawback is the upload time, and their upload limit. Often times this will comply with your connection speed, and file size; making uploads take hours or days. And among other things, your computer will be left open for a long time within an insecure connection.

Note: Connection security is a wider topic to mention here, so I chose not. But simply put: leaving your computer online when currently not in use isn't always a good idea.

The one advantage of using Online Storage is portability. You will be able to access your file wherever you go, without actually bringing anything. If your files are online, you can download it to another computer when you needed it. But then again, you might as well have just brought a laptop or a pendrive.

I didn't write this article to make Online Storage sound senseless to you. But there are a great number of people who think that they should store backup and non-commercial files online; not knowing what they do is impractical.

An Alternative is Using Removable Media Storage and Portable Storage Devices

Here is a quick list and evaluation for some storage.

Data DVD - Not so easy to carry around, but may hold considerably large files.

Flash Drive - Probably the most practical. Here is a reference to what more you can do with flash drives.

Mobile Phone - It's clever, but you can in point of face, keep a ".rar" copy of your backup in your mobile phone, since you carry it around everywhere.

External Hard Drives - Not meant to be the most portable among the rest, but hard drives have the greatest capacity for really large volumes.