Get Your Data
“The cloud is just someone else’s computer.”
It’s on old saying on the internet. One I’ve read many times. Sometimes to make a point in an article, sometimes as a punchline in a comic.
The cloud is just another computer that is storing your data. It’s just not a computer on your desk.
Where it lives?
With most software being web based now, how my data lives is becoming as important as where my data lives.
It’s on of the first things I look at when evaluating new software to use. Both personally and professionally.
Once I start adding my data in this software, how do I get it out?
You’d be shocked how many softwares don’t have an answer to that. Or how many boil down to, email support and they’ll do something.
For the software developers, they are focused on getting your data into the program. Making that as easy and frictionless as possible. If we can make the software perfect, why would anyone ever want to get their data out?
From the user perspective, you are happy to have finally found a piece of software that solves your specific needs. The marketing materials and feature sets seems to be perfect and have everything you need. Why would you ever leave the platform? You can always just copy and paste my data out later.
How it lives?
If I start using a new program to take notes and write drafts of my blog posts for Technology Should Be Simple, what happens when I want to change things? How do I get all of the notes, posts, and writings out of the software I just dedicated all of this time to?
You should be looking to see what format the data can leave the software. Is it in some proprietary format? Is it in plain text? Is it in a programming language or script?
If I’m entering text, I want to be able to export it as a plain text or markdown. If I’m entering images, I want jpeg or png. If it’s in a database, I want CSV with headers.
You need to be able to take work you’ve done in one software and move it to another piece of software.
For many users and software developers this is an after thought.
For you, I ask that it is front and center.