2. Back up
against the wall
“The system of nature, of which man is a part, tends to be self-balancing, self-adjusting, self-cleansing. Not so with technology.” – E. F. Schumacher
During one of his monologues on the program, Seinfeld, Jerry discussed the wedding ceremony, mentioning the words of the minister: Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? Note that the question didn’t mention the groom’s name. All the men in the bridal party were spiffy in their tuxedos. If for some reason the guy about to be married backed out and didn’t appear at the church, why couldn’t the best man stand in and marry the bride. A great deal of planning took place and money was spent to get to this point, so why waste any of it? I’ve wondered why the bride didn’t wed the groom’s buddy in the first place since he was the best man. This approach is nothing more than one of backup.
The backup thing has been employed by women for some time. Mary and John are almost engaged but Mary senses that John, based on his behavior, could abandon her. From time to time she goes out with Tom as well as with Ron. This is her backup action. It never hurts to employ one since they seem to be a good thing.
In the world of technology, backups are a good idea too. For my desktop computer, I try to do them every six months. There’s nothing worth saving on my ERD – probably not even the device – so I don’t bother with backups. At first files were saved to tapes and floppy disks – those that actually flopped and then the smaller ones that didn’t. Now you can copy files to other devices, such as CDs and flash drives. I understand that a cloud could be used, but not for me since I’m scared of heights. When used, there were problems with either type of floppies. Using CDs improved matters, but not all the time.
Sometime in late 2014, I needed a file from my backup taken at the end of 2013. When I opened it up, the only files listed were JPEGs, mostly photos. I had saved my number crunching files and word processing files, so I wondered where they went. Since I usually copy files to one CD and then another, there is a CD in my car that might have all the files I backed up. At least some of the files were on that jpeg CD, but more than once my backup CD was void of data completely. I wonder if they went to the same place that the spots on pinto beans go after cooking. Checking the properties of the CD, it showed no files using up zero space with no space available. Since I can’t put any data on these blank devices, the CDs are ready to be recycled since they’re all CD-R, meaning read only. Had it been CD-RW, I could have cleared it and wrote data to it – for a while anyway. I should mention that contrary to what shouldn’t happen, I copied data to one CD-R, read it and later could write to it. Maybe it was a CD-RW after all.
It appears that the backup idea doesn’t work every time. Fortunately the business world is better at the process. That’s what I thought until the middle of the 1980s. Despite all precautions, even the best intentions can result in major screw-ups. At the time, I worked in the software department full time for a computer company in Syracuse. My assignment was that of a consultant without commensurate pay. I quit the company after about a year and a half when I saw that there seemed to be no future in this business. While I was in their employ, I was asked to create a purchase order system for a department in a local corporation. I was given two options: modify an existing system that the consulting company had or write one from scratch. I was specifically directed to determine my approach with some analysis, so I set forth and discovered that using what was there would have required more time and effort. Nonetheless, my boss insisted that I use the existing purchase order system rather than starting from scratch – that wasn’t a good idea.
I should have created the system my way and not told a soul about it but instead I foolishly did as told. This approach is acting now and apologizing later if necessary, as opposed to obtaining permission to proceed. The result was that my boss complained when it took longer than he wanted me to spend. Whose fault was that? Eventually the project was complete and the effort was top-notch. The clients were pleased as punch – whatever that means. They used what I produced and couldn’t have been happier with my creation, including the user, with whom I worked closely.
Unfortunately, Murphy showed up one day. You’ve all heard of Murphy’s Law, so you know what I’m talking about. What happened was that the client ran into a problem and had to resort to the backup of their system. Their practice had been to do a daily backup. I think they had a dozen tapes, meaning they would use ten and then start reusing the tenth tape over. When they tried to restore the system from the backup, it turned out that it was worthless. They tried using the backup preceding the bad one but that one was as useful as people in congress. Going back like they were doing meant that they would have lost a few days activities, but at least they had a system as long as the backup was viable.
This problem was that all the backups weren’t working and they hadn’t been for some time, even though they appeared to be. I’m sure you’ve seen numerous examples of technological processes that seemed to be functional when in actuality nothing or very little was happening. That was just what was taking place with those backups. Fortunately, the office where I previously worked had the system still on their computer. Well, had is the operative word because one of my co-workers deleted it. Luckily whoever did that took a backup first. Actually he didn’t do that but simply eradicated the purchase order system. As you can guess, that wasn’t very intelligent.
By this time I had left the company but was contacted about the fiasco at home. I mentioned that on the desk where I spent my days at the office was a tape with the system I designed. Restoring it meant that the client would have to start data entry from the beginning, but at least they’d have their system back. You probably guessed the ending of this tale, but if not, I need only mention Murphy. Sure enough, someone had written over it and the system was lost forever. I didn’t return to the company to redo the system and I’m not sure of the relationship between the company where I had worked and the client. I do know that within a few months this computer company bit the dust. They may have been sued and the other corporation employed some other firm to redo the system. I certainly wasn’t about to return to the company that would cease to be.
A few more safeguards may have helped somewhat. First, look for a backup CD or tape with all the programs that made up the system initially. If that could be located, reassembling the application may not have been difficult. Next try to find a printout of those programs. Lastly, look for documentation. The final two finds would have meant keying of the programs, checking and testing to be assured that the system worked as before. This may not have appeased the people whose system was gone. Somehow, it wouldn’t have mattered because the fate of Mr. Murphy might still be present.
Mr. Murphy joined me again in the summer of 2005 when I tried to sign on to my desktop. The message on my screen said, Corrupt or missing start-up file. I had a few options to get everything back to where it was. I made a make a few calls though, and got some advice. My data files were fine but the anti-virus, clean up, spy detection, web design and Internet software were a concern. As time would tell, I really did not get completely back to where I had been before this debacle until December of the same year. It didn’t take long to recover some of the software, so I had a semblance of my old system in a few days.
The anti-virus restore was the first big challenge. Had I designed the software, the recovery would have worked in the following way: to recover, read in the disc with the software and the system will take care of the rest. That is, all old software will be deleted by the system and a reinstall will occur. Within a few minutes, the software will be back to where it was. As I found out, it’s nowhere near as easy as that. You first have to remove all the old virus software. To do that, you can go to a specific web site for instructions, since bits and pieces are everywhere. I would seriously recommend a beer first. You’re going to need it.
I would have gone to their site but I had no Internet access – I wanted to do the anti-virus recovery first. So I gave in and did the required recovery of web access before the anti-virus restore. When I got to that site, there were pages and pages of instructions. I didn’t want to create a missile, just get rid of the unwanted and unneeded software. I figured the best way to do this was to print out those pages – actually it was a bad idea because a great deal didn’t apply here. Also, on some on the pages, you were supposed to clink on a link to get more instructions. Eventually, I did restore the software, but it took hours and it really should have been a simple task. Then it was on to the next phrase of recovery and more thrills. Fortunately, the other recoveries were somewhat easier.
The real bugaboo on my system was my web design software. I thought it was lost but on the Saturday following my crash, I discovered that the software was still on my machine. I was about to do some file transfers when I noticed that the way I usually did them didn’t quite work. However, I found another way, i.e. workaround, to move data to the web from my PC. I spent some time doing this and everything looked fine, for a while. I soon learned that the transfer not only didn’t work, it messed up some of my web pages. The web design software wasn’t completely on my computer, just bits and pieces – it only appeared to be integral.
To proceed, I had to remove the corrupt web design software and reload it from the master disc. Unfortunately, I made one huge mistake: I gave the disc to another writer without taking a backup. I should have given her a copy not the original. I needed to retrieve it and I could have driven over to pick it up as she lived about fifteen miles away. Instead I asked her to mail it to me. Sometimes we make the wrong choices. The disc arrived six days later – that’s the good news. The bad news is that the CD was cracked even though it came in a sturdy cardboard sleeve.
I liked my web design software but it was an obsolete IBM product. I figured I could find the software by searching the Internet. I found it but the site was written in some language of the Far East, so I passed on that one, not wanting to get mooshu pork, as tantalizing as it might be. However, I found a company that had the software. I ordered it, figuring spending even $75 would be worth it. Unfortunately, about a week later I was notified that they didn’t have it after all. I kept trying and realized that I would never get what I had used. One day I located what I wanted. I didn’t get my hopes up too high but then the CD arrived in the mail. I still needed to install the software. When I did, some six months after the corrupt start-up file originated, I was back in business. It had been one hell of a trip. I don’t wish this on anyone, even lawyers.
Komatsu is a company that makes various types of heavy equipment, such as dump trucks, excavators, graders and loaders. I was told that the products never fail. However, there’s one stipulation: the products have to be maintained. That should sound familiar and it makes sense. Needless to say, since they are machines, there comes a day when the devices are used exclusively for parts. Retirement just can’t be avoided. The good thing is that someone has thought seriously about recycling instead of planned obsolescence. They are to be commended for their concern for the planet rather than green in their wallets.
I need to relate another backup problem related to photos and dates – not the kind at the beginning of the chapter. During Memorial Day weekend in 2007, I had hardwood floors installed in my living and dining rooms. While the work was being done for the three days, I vacated the premises since I’m not good with a hammer. I returned late in the day. One of those days I visited Lake Erie State Park for the first time. It was rainy and I took a few photos, one of raindrops through my front window and another of a large lilac bush in bloom. Over a half dozen years later, I searched for the pictures on a backup CD and found them. The bewildering part of this is those two images on the CD, dated April 26, 2008, listed the Date Modified as 1/1/05 12:00 pm. I thought that maybe my visit had been a few years before this but I logically removed that possibility by discovering from an old check register that I paid for lumber on May 29, 2007. Using the technique of two movies, Blow Up and High Anxiety, I discovered the expiration date of my car registration in the lower left corner of one photo of my front window was May 2008 – backwards, of course. Sleuths are invited to email me with an explanation for this tech mystery. I may have a solution, but I’m not telling just yet. Rod Serling would be proud.
What should we do about the backup problem? The dating backup solution seemed to work fine, although I never used it. I’m not sure we can use the same technique in computer dating. In the examples above, more diligence may have made a difference, but Murphy always comes on the scene. Computer systems of the 1970s seemed to be better at avoiding catastrophes like I related. In any system, more testing of both programs and the entire process might produce fewer problems. Programs and systems should be well documented, saved on electronic media as well as on paper. Rushing to have a system installed doesn’t help matters, but technology of the twenty-first century can’t wait for tomorrow. If that doesn’t change, backup procedures won’t mean squat and there’s no sense in doing them.
Blood, Sweat and Tears released the song “Back up against the wall” on the 1973 album by, No sweat. I wish I could say that your involvement with technology mirrors the album title. Instead your experience fits the name of the group.