How I can work in the snow (and an offer)

Federal offices in D.C. are closed today because of the snowstorm, and my office follows that decision. But with the year winding down, I still have work to do, and so I wanted to tell you about a tool I’m using that makes that possible.


Dropbox synchs up for files between your computers and at a secure website. You get 2 gigabytes of space free of charge. They make their money from power users. I’m not one of those; even though I use Dropbox heavily for home and work, my files are mostly plain text, PDF forms and word processing or spreadsheet files.

Here’s a real example. Last week, I upgraded computers at work and my home desktop died.

We use IM (instant messaging) at work to communicate between offices, so I placed a the IM tool configuation file from my old work desktop onto Dropbox and installed the synched file onto my new work desktop. Naturally, I deleted the IM files from Dropbox. Then the dual calamity of my dead home desktop computer and the snow. I do have a laptop, but never used IM from it, and I want to keep up with other people working from home today. Well: in Dropbox you can undelete files deleted within 30 days. So I did, and installed that configuation file the same way.

And of course, I keep my project files there and will save anything I write today for use at the office.

Also, when Hubby and I went to Europe in October, rather than keeping copies of our passports and credit cards on our person, I put images on Dropbox.

If you get Dropbox using this referral link, we both get an extra 250 megabytes of space fee more than if you downloaded the software through the front door. And I need the space, please. (Otherwise, I don’t benefit from this article.)

Oh, and I still have Google Wave invitations, should you want one.

By Scott Wells

Scott Wells, 46, is a Universalist Christian minister doing Universalist theology and church administration hacks in Washington, D.C.

3 comments

  1. Be careful for what you ask. There are more Norwegian Americans alone than Norwegians today, much less the rest of us. And who knows what kind of odd lefse-eating habits they would bring back?

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