MorgueFile’s Back With Lessons Learned

2009 August 10

by timmy

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: Image by Themis was here via Flickr

Hooray for MorgueFile!!!

After a bit of down time, they are finally back up running! Check out this blog post explaining what it is that happened. In the post, they outlined several lessons they learned from the experience and I think they are worth analyzing. Let’s check them out:

Backing up is important. This is so important that I did a post on the subject awhile back outlining several options available for backing up. The people at MorgueFile were also quick to suggest coming up with a recovery plan. What good is a backup if you have no plan for how to retrieve the backup?
“Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of backup tapes.” This statement is interesting! Basically, there are some pluses to having an off-site backup but there is also a minus: the use of bandwidth. For MorgueFile, the amount of data they were attempting to recover remotely became a real issue. When thinking of the type of backup you want, PLEASE consider the amount of data and bandwidth because you may end up chewing your fingernails for days or weeks waiting for the download!
The Internet’s community is a powerful thing. Apparently even competitors even stretched out their hands and offered assistance! Now that’s good sportsmanship! The principle to learn here is that people really will treat you the same way you treat them. If you go around burning bridges, sooner or later your britches will get burned! On the other hand, if you forge relationships that are symbiotic, you’ll be glad you did!

Good for MorgueFile, home of the greatest photography community and the greatest source of free photography on the internet (IMHO) for coming out of this with lessons learned! Tribulation usually teaches something, if we are willing to listen!