My Dog Ate My Memories… Now What?

A friend (and client) of mine bought and filled a large FOREVER Digitization Box, but she wasn't ready to spend more money on FOREVER Storage quite yet, so I suggested that she order a thumb drive.

Her digitization was completed, and she received her thumb drive. So, when I received the standard email saying she had one day left to download her files from her Digitization Projects, I didn't worry.

About a week later, I got a frantic message from her:

"So, what happens if your dog finds your thumb drive of FOREVER memories and eats it? Any way to get another one?"

I immediately contacted FOREVER Client Care. Fortunately, my friend’s photos had only recently been removed from her Digitization Projects. The wonderful support staff were able to retrieve her files and put them back into her Digitization Projects, giving her more time to download them and make a backup.

My friend and I were both very relieved and very grateful, but we also had a serious talk about thumb drives.

Even if you don't have a dog that might eat yours, thumb drives should never be considered a permanent storage solution. They can fail, just like the drive on your computer. And if you choose to order a thumb drive rather than invest in FOREVER Storage, you need to understand that keeping those memories safe is ultimately up to you.

I have a FOREVER Storage account that holds many of my photos, videos, and documents. I know those precious memories are safe, and I know that when I send anything to FOREVER to be digitized, it will go directly into my storage. There’s no need to download everything somewhere else (although I can, if I want to), and no need to wonder where a tiny thumb drive wound up.

For me, knowing my memories have a permanent home is worth it. And, as my friend learned the hard way, it's probably a lot safer than trusting a thumb drive around a hungry dog!