Gave Away the V1 Server

[IndyLux]

On Friday, I wiped my home built atom based V1 server and gave it to a friend at work. A little bittersweet, but it was time. After years of fun with the podcast, forums, data management, and hardware tinkering, my server sat unused for over 12 months. We have moved twice in the last year and the server never got plugged back in. Everything that I need is in the cloud (OneDrive). I have quick and easy access to all my files and can share them more easily than ever before.  I have my photos and documents synced to my desktop so am not overly worried about redundancy. 

 

I have no regrets looking back on the investment of time and money on maintaining a server. I learned a ton about data management and security. I'm careful with how I store and organize my digital world. I'm just doing it in a new way. Music is all on OneDrive and I have a Microsoft music pass. I don't own a physical CD, record or cassette tape. I have a growing collection of Vudu movies that keep themselves organized and can't get scratched or lost or corrupted. I don't own a single DVD or Blu-ray. My photos are all on OneDrive and many folders are shared with friends and family. My documents are all on OneDrive folders and I have near instant access from anywhere I am. I even store install files from software I've purchased in the cloud. Bottom line, I've lived the 'all cloud' experience for over a year and have no regrets.

 

Sending the server to a new home was the last step for me.

 

This post is not meant to knock all of you who are still home server enthusiasts. I'm one too! But I'm sure I'm not the only one who's gone this route.

 

Care to share your story?

[awraynor]

I'm not there yet, but close than I've ever been. Looking to go to a NAS soon and forego a server.

 

Would be great to see you on a future podcast now that you have plenty of free time.

[Drashna Jaelre]

Well, that's the push that Microsoft's been making (and other users).

 

That said, I don't like using "the cloud".  I'd rather have all the data local.

[IndyLux]

Would love to come back on the podcast sometime.  Like an alumni show.

 

Drashna: I completely respect your position.  There is something 'right' about keeping your data local.  For me, the whole concept of 'local' has changed.  Local is where I am at the moment.  That is increasingly NOT in my apartment office.  It's in the lab, at the hospital, traveling.  I was never good at having the data on my server efficiently shared out to the internet.  With the cloud, I access the data the same way regardless of where I'm located.  At home, I sync down the files I use most (music, pictures, documents), but still treat them like they are on OneDrive.  It's a change in thinking that I don't expect many in this circle will agree with, but some might share the general way of thinking.

[darkarn]

I think the issue here is more about being really in control of where your data stays and "belong" to?

 

Ultimately, it is about give-and-take; having home servers means being really sure that the data is under your control, but also means that you have to take real good care of it (server maintenance, network optimisation e.t.c). Going for the cloud means being able to have same level of access of your data anywhere but also means that your data may be seen by the service's administration.

[jmwills]

I've always looked at my server, as my own cloud.

[Drashna Jaelre]

Would love to come back on the podcast sometime.  Like an alumni show.

 

Drashna: I completely respect your position.  There is something 'right' about keeping your data local.  For me, the whole concept of 'local' has changed.  Local is where I am at the moment.  That is increasingly NOT in my apartment office.  It's in the lab, at the hospital, traveling.  I was never good at having the data on my server efficiently shared out to the internet.  With the cloud, I access the data the same way regardless of where I'm located.  At home, I sync down the files I use most (music, pictures, documents), but still treat them like they are on OneDrive.  It's a change in thinking that I don't expect many in this circle will agree with, but some might share the general way of thinking.

Absolutely agree with your points. That remote access bit is is vastly important, if you're away from home a lot (like you are).

 

Both Plex and Emby have "sync" features, which are much better about that sort of stuff, and could, in theory, work well for you. However, a small NAS box can run those as well (maybe not as well, for transcoding, but otherwise...).

 

There is that, and VPN, as well.  There are methods.  But whichever method works well for you!

 

Though, one thing you didn't mention: power consumption. It's expensive to run a big server, and it adds up. Especially if each TV has an HTPC attached to it. (though, I have solar, and it makes it a moot point for me )

 

I think the issue here is more about being really in control of where your data stays and "belong" to?

 

Ultimately, it is about give-and-take; having home servers means being really sure that the data is under your control, but also means that you have to take real good care of it (server maintenance, network optimisation e.t.c). Going for the cloud means being able to have same level of access of your data anywhere but also means that your data may be seen by the service's administration.

 

Exactly.  Also, in the US, at least, datacenters are not required to inform their customers when a search warrant has been issued, for their data or other's.  So, you may never find out if your data has been confiscated.... and you may never know who's looking at your sensitive information.

 

I've always looked at my server, as my own cloud.

It is.  The only difference between "the cloud" and my server, is where it's located.  "The Cloud" is a buzzword, it just means somebody's web and database servers that are located in some datacenter that you don't have physical access to. 

 

But somebody does, and see above. 

 

That's a big part of why I have my own server. The other part? Netflix constantly "loses" content every week. Sure, they gain stuff, but they lose stuff.  Hulu does too. So does every online streaming provider (not counting the illegally operating ones).

[jmwills]

However, we all know there are redundant copies of all of our emails.

[IndyLux]

I guess if the anyone is going to take the time to get a warrant for my cloud based data or my e-mail, I have more pressing issues to consider.  I certainly can't image Microsoft (or other compaines for that matter) combing through my OneDrive files looking for dirt.  If the Feds wanted that kind of info, wouldn't they just drop by my apartment and snag my server?  I'm just not that important.

 

I realize that there is some data analysis done for advertising.  Buzzwords, key phrases, search terms, etc.  This is automated and not a person going through my data file by file.  A coordinated effort to figure out anything that could negatively impact me is not something I lose sleep over.  (Please, nobody try and hack me now ). 

 

I also don't put anything in the cloud like passwords, medical data, financial data, etc unless it's in an encrypted or password protected file and even then, it's limited.

Edited August 31, 2015 by IndyLux

[Al_Borges]

I see the distinction between "cloud" and "local"   as being very muddy -    My onedrive data for example is copied on two accounts locally, backed up to a external drive, as well as stored on microsoft's servers

 

with regards to the "Govt"  seeing your data,    what they dont get from your tax return, reports from employers, banks and credit card companies  doesnt amount to much.

 

I have no problem being subject to a valid authorized search warrant.  What is intolerable is the "grey" area of this current state of data collection of private citizens

 

dont want to turn this political, but at what point did we give up "inalienable rights"  and be subject to fungible rights.