Flash Drive Caveat
I’m an IT director. When we hand out flash drives (which we hand out like candy), we have a little “talk” that goes with them. It goes like this. “Flash drives are very handy for carrying files from place to place and computer to computer. However, they are relatively volatile storage, so you should never consider them a primary backup for your files. They fail much, much, much more quickly than CDs or hard drives.”
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Back up your files on CDs or hard drives. Check them after you back up to make sure the backup works. Check them once in a while to make sure they are still working. Every few years, transfer them to a new CD or hard drive. How many years depends on the conditions in which they are stored. If you have air conditioning, low humidity, and clean air, they will probably last longer than they will in a more humid or dusty environment.
Rae Williams
Old Bailey Online
You can find names for genealogical research covering the period 1674-1834, from digitized records of the Old Bailey Justice Hall, London, England at www.oldbaileyonline.org (Ref: Smithsonian magazine for April 2007, pg. 66.)
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An interesting note from this story is that many of the convicted were transported to the American colonies.
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Respectfully,
James Robinson
Honolulu, Hawaii
Temporary Highlighter
You can highlight anything on paper without causing damage with a new product called TEMPOTAPE. It comes in three colors and is very clear to read through. The dispenser is pocket-sized which is very convenient to carry around. You can peel it off when you don’t need it anymore and the paper looks like new! It comes from Canada (www.tempotape.com) but can likely be found in specialty office supply stores.
David Goldblatt
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If you have a suggestion you would like to share with other researchers, send it to: [email protected]. Thanks to all of this week’s contributors!
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The “Quick Tip” giving the website http://www.oldbaileyonline.org is great. The website is a treasure trove.There are so many names and info on punishments,”transportation” included. Also on when a person was likely to be transported or killed,and for what crimes,etc. Thanks for that tip!