this post was submitted on 22 May 2024
978 points (97.8% liked)

Science Memes

10826 readers
2955 users here now

Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!

A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.



Rules

  1. Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
  2. Keep it rooted (on topic).
  3. No spam.
  4. Infographics welcome, get schooled.


Research Committee

Other Mander Communities

Science and Research

Biology and Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

Practical and Applied Sciences

Memes

Miscellaneous

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 80 points 5 months ago (3 children)

The weird part is that most modern office software has version control built right in.

And I still do this with all my files anyway.

[–] [email protected] 37 points 5 months ago

I've had the built in version control do unexpected things, so I play it safe and create named backup files. I usually end up using that one file, but I've been saved on occasion

[–] [email protected] 21 points 5 months ago

Its just not trustworthy

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Use date/time in your file name,using GMT:

Metrics of Sales 2024-05-22_14-29.docx

Very unlikely to have 2 docs with the same down-to-the-minute time stamp in the name.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (2 children)

If you think this process involves enough mindpower to check the time, let alone figure out where the dashes are in whatever language keyboard setup I'm using at the time, you are wildly overestimating how much care goes into doing this.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Eh. I think he reffers to auto naming on save with date, not manually

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I have an AutoHotkey script that drops the current date in ISO8601. I don't need timestamps often, so date is sufficient. I like to have manual control of file names since I very frequently do not want files renamed.

Cute related story: I taught my 6 y.o. son this macro so he can save his Krita art with the date (and then some keyboard spam ending in "poop", usually). The macro shortcut I set is `T so he now calls the date "ticky tee". Any set of numbers with dashes is a "ticky tee" to him, and if AutoHotkey is closed he runs to get me because "ticky tee isn't working, Daddy!"

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Dammit, why have I never thought to use AHK for this? I already use the custom context menu script someone developed about 15 years ago (Favorite Folders? It's on the AHK/AutoIT forum) , I can just add it to that.

AHK/AutoIT are game changers. I feel naked on a machine without it, I'm so used to Ctrl-Middle -click to get to all sorts of things... Folders, scripts, tools, automations (like your date idea), etc.

Ticky-tee! Hahahaha, love it!

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Well, if you can't be bothered to ensure file names mean something, then you get to enjoy the results.

In the Real World®, sometimes files get shared and traded around, and conversations happen about them, and you need to be able to quickly verify you're looking at the same doc.

We can't all be connected to the same version control system.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Well, if you can't be bothered to ensure file names mean something, then you get to enjoy the results.

Now you're getting it.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I generally do this on my NAS, combined with nightly and bi-weekly backups, plus a 6-mo safety backup, to a backup drive. Also, basic off-site nightly backups for important stuff. If I worked on really important stuff that required lots of versioning, though, I'd probably go with a versioning system instead of inserting the date.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Who handles the live replication and offsite storage rotations for your quantum encrypted multi site redundant back up system?

I kid (because your excellent practices put mine to absolute shame). Thanks for the reminder to get serious about backups!