YesBut keep it in good order

Two weeks ago in my blog “YesBut copy first”, I gave suggestions to follow when editing digital photos. The product of editing is the production of more images, with the inevitable increase in files and computer storage used. Its supprising how quickly storage space can be taken up - I have just checked, last month I stored 593 photographs using 413 MB of storage (those are just the originals, excluding edited copies). Unless you have an ordered approach, searching for photos can become like looking for a needle in a hay stack, and your computer chocked up with un-required data.

So some suggestions:

Have a logical filing system. I file my photos by month, with sub-folders for subjects (visits, special occasions and events) i.e. (the photos I took during my visit to Holland in May are filled in a sub-folder in my “May File”). I also have a file for photos posted or to be posted on YesBut’s Images.

One of the advantages of storing your files on a computer is the ability to “name” each photo. Looking at a photo recently taken, you can recall all the details; where it was taken and when. But with time the information will fade from your memory. So take sometime to record when and where a photo was taken - PIC 00034(London 29.6.7).

I readily admit I have a weakness; I am reluctant to throw anything away. I’m unwilling even to delete an out-of-focus underexposed photo, (you never know when it might be useful). But the time will come when you have to do some housekeeping or your computer will come to a grinding halt. Before that happens, get into the habit of backing up your files every month. Copy your files to DVD or CD. This is a prudent thing to do - you do not want to risk losing all your photos and correspondence when your computer’s hard disc self-destructs.

After you have downloaded the files to disc, check the disc has been successfully copied, and all the files can be accessed. Label the disc and store it in a safe place. If you want to take a belt and braces approach you can duplicate the disc.

Then you can clean up your files. Only keep on your computer files you think you will have to access. The rest? Delete them. If in the future you want to look at other files, you will be able to download them from the disc.

Keep it clean mean and orderly. Sorry if I sounded “preachy”.

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Dysfunctional Computer Programs

I have a USB Digital Video box that I plug into my laptop to view TV programmes.

The trouble is it comes with a totally incomprehensible manual. I think it was written in Chinese then translated into Korean before being translated into an obscure language which didn’t have words for relevant instructions then finally translated into English by a non-English speaking translator. In other words its crap.

So it was quite an achievement to get the dam thing to work. It does have a feature to record programmes, and allegedly a program to convert the recording into a format which will allow it to be recorded on DVD. I say allegedly because it doesn’t #*!^ work.

Some months ago I recorded a TV program I would like to keep, but as it is taking up a hefty chunk of hard drive I would like to record it on a DVD. I sought the help of Technical Experts on a message board, who advised me to download a burner program. Downloaded the program, again it came with, being generous, terse instructions. But the thing that really pisses me off with the program was it had no indication if it was working or not. I clicked on the start button, and the only thing that gave any indication that anything was happening was a flickering blue light on the laptop. Not only did the bloody program not give any indication of whether it was doing anything, but it froze up the computer so that it prevented it from doing anything but blink. Two hours later it kindly informed me it was transcoding. Two hours later it said it was Building a DVD image, what ever that might be. Two hours later, (yes I sat there for over six bloody hours), the screen showed the desktop background and nothing else. No short cut icons, zilch. What the #*!^ was happening. Ten minutes later the desktop opened, and would you believe it the DVD burning program wasn’t running. I wasted over six hours of my life on a dysfunctional #*!^ computer program.

If anybody reads this, and you know how to record a MPEG2 file onto DVD then please let me know.