Which cloud storage service are you using ?

I started using Dropbox and long time back then move to Spideroak.
Now when I visited the Spideroak website I found that its no longer
free so now I am using MEGAsync.

Which cloud storage service are you using ?

No 3rd party cloud providers for me. Only use my own cloud storage using Nextcloud. In addition I use Resilio sync to sync up some directories between different systems.

And because there is no such thing as a free lunch I just pay for my own provisions. Not only is it worth it, it just feels good.

Just plug a drive into a Raspberry Pi or similar single board computer and have done with it. Self-hosting for the win.

I would never trust someone else's server for any of my data. I back up onto my laptop.

I would never trust someone else's server for any of my data. I back up onto my laptop.

Where is your laptop located ? In the same house as your desktop ? What happens if both computers were stolen or if you had a fire at your house ? Have you heard of offsite storage ? Even external disks or optical media at a second site is safer.

Just plug a drive into a Raspberry Pi or similar single board computer and have done with it. Self-hosting for the win.

Similar comment here. Where would this Pi be located ? In the same residence as the main computer ?

No one is going to steal either my laptop or my desktop. Both are very old and worthless to anyone but me. And if the house burns down, I shall have a lot more to worry about than what has happened to my computers!

Originally Posted by hazel No one is going to steal either my laptop or my desktop. Both are very old and worthless to anyone but me. And if the house burns down, I shall have a lot more to worry about than what has happened to my computers!

Unless your paperwork concerning your house is located on those machines.

No one is going to steal either my laptop or my desktop. Both are very old and worthless to anyone but me.

You are assuming that a burglar who may not have a high IQ to begin with will recognize that the processors are old and the RAM is low by simply looking at your computers. I doubt burglars will boot both machines up to check the hardware specs or do a google search on the model numbers before deciding to take them. The only theft proof electronic devices are CRT TVs and VCRs.

And if the house burns down, I shall have a lot more to worry about than what has happened to my computers!

Possibly true but you don't seem interested in preparing for that possibility. For about $100-200 you can buy a small fire safe that will hold important documents, photos, and external hard drives or optical media. You can place this in your basement for added safety.

Originally Posted by tofino_surfer Similar comment here. Where would this Pi be located ? In the same residence as the main computer ?

It would not be a substitute for adequate, off-site backup. That's a separate matter. Even if it weren't the NAS would not count as back up during the moments it is online. You'd still need something more.

I have a server in the basement and I use iCloud

Nobody's.

"The Cloud" is "somebody else's computer not under my control" so I avoid it.

I make do with my own backups and multiple offsite storage. I've never bothered doing a dollar cost comparison of buying hard drives on a regular basis on one hand, and trusting people I've never met to mind my business on the other.

I store just some basic non-crucial things on my Google Drive...it only has a 15GB limit anyways.

Most everything else I have is on my own Debian file server. If I paid the monthly/yearly fee needed to have my data stored in the cloud, I'd be paying way over the cost of what a comparable personal hard drive would cost.