Friday 4 April 2014

Ubuntu One is unplugged: the risk of losing your cloud storage

Ubuntu One has announced it is closing and has given users 2 months' notice - free and paid.

"The Ubuntu One file services will not be included in the upcoming Ubuntu 14.04 LTS release, and the Ubuntu One apps in older versions of Ubuntu and in the Ubuntu, Google, and Apple stores will be updated appropriately. The current services will be unavailable from 1 June 2014; user content will remain available for download until 31 July, at which time it will be deleted."

It is an important reminder of the fragility of online cloud storage - even ones that you might pay for. It is a shame as Ubuntu One was (mostly) a smooth system for accessing important files on desktop, mobile, and tablet. It would do it automatically without the worry of having to manually back things up. The latest version of the file you were working on was just available wherever you needed it.

So, how to avoid missing cloud service disappointment? Do you really need to store those files? Are you just doing it as a time capsule for the future?

Suggest keeping your total collection of files to a manageable size and store them on multiple different types of media. An essential piece of digital literacy is not being fixated on any single piece of technology - they all come and go.

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