My castle in the clouds... New Rules for data architecture.
June 3, 2016 5:51 PM   Subscribe

I need a cloud storage service and I know just enough to be overwhelmed. Halp?

Primary uses:

1) I have a lot of educational videos that I don't want to keep on my laptop. I usually watch them once or twice then delete, so I'm not concerned with long-term storage or bomb-proof redundancy. Looking for a drag and drop vault, no sync.

2) I'm learning to program. I want secure sync & backup for Things I Make... apps, games, client files. Needs to be accessible from work and home.

Best of all possible worlds:

1TB+ for less than $15/mo
Mac, Android, Linux & iOS accessible (in that order)
Better security than Dropbox (encrypted storage + zero-knowledge?)
File sharing with non-users
Intuitive user interface
Version control
Unlimited file size
Unlimited bandwidth
Able to stream from cloud

Am I right to think cloud storage is a better option than rolling my own NAS? I'm running trials on Sync, SpiderOakOne, Mega & Tresorit but each has its cons. Steer me!
posted by fritillary to Computers & Internet (2 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
Just put all the things you make while learning to program on Github. Free, and you learn Git too!
posted by rockindata at 6:54 PM on June 3, 2016


Best answer: Remember that "the cloud" is just marketing-speak for "other people's computers".

Think long and hard about what you want with regard to the privacy and integrity of your data, and how closely aligned the interested of those "other people" are with your own, and how certain you are those interests will stay aligned over time.

A roll-your-own or off-the-shelf NAS where you have physical control over both the storage and all the network infrastructure between you and it will always give you the greatest degree of control. It's also likely to be more work and more expensive.

SpiderOak seems promising. I have used it from time to time in The Other Place to get files that are too large to be reasonable email attachments to and from customers and vendors. It's been largely non-infuriating. It's just that, well, it's still an unaccountable third party.

Git is nigh-on essential, second only to Subversion. Github is, IMHO, highly questionable for all the reasons in my second paragraph. I'll repeat my usual litany: If it matters, host it yourself, on a domain you own. (In practical terms, go ahead and put it on Github if you want to share it. Just don't make Github the _only_ place you put it...)
posted by sourcequench at 7:31 PM on June 3, 2016


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