What is the probability that google will loose my data (mails and calendars) ?

May 9, 2006 7:19 AM

What is the probability that google will loose my data (mails and calendars) ?
posted by vincentm to computers & internet (10 comments total)

Non-zero.
posted by smackfu at 7:29 AM on May 9, 2006

Probably not very high.

On the other hand, and from lots of experience with people using calendar software, it is highly likely that you will screw up your own data some how. What Google doesn't appear to offer you is some way to roll back to some backup version once that happens.
posted by cptnrandy at 7:30 AM on May 9, 2006

The may retain the data but lose your account. It will still be there, you just won't be able to access it. I'd recommend you back it up (export contacts, iCal files, and download your emails) every month or two.
posted by blue_beetle at 7:38 AM on May 9, 2006

Presuming you meant lose your data, I'd go with blue_beetle on this one that if the data is mission critical for you, you better back it up offline. And periodically back that - along with everything else stored on your computer somewhere other than your hard drive. But if the loss would be a genuine but manageable annoyance, I'd say the chances are excellent you will never have a problem with any of your googleized data. But as others have noted if you do have a problem there seems a reasonable chance they won't bother to solve it. Google doesn't really seem to do much touchy-feely hands-on support, something I imagine they reserve for people who actually give them money.
posted by nanojath at 8:31 AM on May 9, 2006

I lost my Gmail account last October with no warning or explanation. After a month of emails and phonecalls (yeah, I called Google) I was ready to give up. Then I stumbled upon this site and filled out an urgent bug report.

None of my emails or phonecalls received any personal attention; the bug report, however, was answered in a day and Google restored my Gmail account unharmed.

I tell you this just to emphasize what blue_beetle and nanojath said: back it up and prepare to wait a while for Google support.
posted by viewofdelft at 8:42 AM on May 9, 2006

Significantly less than the risk of losing the data if it's only stored locally on your computer.

That said, redundancy is always best. I love web-based PIM services, but I only rely on them as copies of my local data.
posted by mkultra at 8:48 AM on May 9, 2006

Non-zero.

Which is what you can say about *any* solution ever created. Nothing is 100% failsafe. Nothing.
posted by jedrek at 9:38 AM on May 9, 2006

Gmail randomly "deleted" my account too sometime last year. It wouldn't let me log-in but instead of saying perhaps I'd violated TOS (or whatever), it basically acted as if the account didn't exist. It was frustrating to say the least. Unlike viewofdelft's experience, google did respond to me. They asked me for the original invitation link (right, because everyone saves their invitation link...never mind that it's been more than a year later...). When I told them I didn't have it, they basically said "Ah sux to be you."

Advice: Back it up.
posted by mittenedsex at 10:16 AM on May 9, 2006

Which is what you can say about *any* solution ever created. Nothing is 100% failsafe. Nothing.

Yep, that was pretty much my point. It doesn't matter how low the odds are. If they delete your data, you can't send this thread to Google and say "people said I was safe!" You have to back up your data if it's valuable to you.
posted by smackfu at 12:31 PM on May 9, 2006

i want to second the advice to back it up. much like survival rates, the likelihood of non-backed up data loss on a long enough timeline is 100%. even google can suddenly disappear in a puff of smoke for an unforseen reason, and they're under no obligation to maintain your data if they go belly up.
posted by shmegegge at 1:27 PM on May 9, 2006