As a freelancer my data is very important to me. I need to know that my files are safe. Most of my note taking, project planning, time tracking and other documents is handled by Emacs using Org mode. A major benefit of using this system over more proprietary apps is that I retain ownership of my data and can easily automate backup to different places.
- I use my own app beorg to edit these files on my iPhone and iPad. Each time beorg downloads an updated org file from WebDAV, Dropbox, iCloud, etc it keeps a copy of what it is replacing - and the same happens when you update a file in beorg. Seven days of versions are stored locally on your iPhone/iPad. If you delete a file accidentally in beorg you can get it back again by creating it again, long pressing and selecting versions - they will all still be there in local storage.
- My Org files are stored using WebDAV using a free Cloudamo account.
- As a SetApp subscriber I have access to ChronoSync Express, and this is a great app for managing your backups if you have relatively simple requirements. Every day ChronoSync on macOS backs up all of my org files to Dropbox and to an external hard disk.
Anything in my Org files which needs to remain confidential is encrypted
If you are using an app where you can’t easily automate backups don’t rely on its own cloud service. Most apps have an option to export data to files - make sure of this on a semi-regular basis. If the company goes under, gets bought out, discontinues the service or accidentally deletes your data you’ll be glad you’ve got your own copy.
