6 ms·

Or...How I would run an online backup service completely unrelated to Tarsnap, with different goals, different priorities, and different ideals.

noir_lord 13y ago
Yep, I think this is basically the problem with this post, it's Dropbox with an open source client and maybe that is what he doesn't want it to be.
- patio11 13y ago
  If you think Tarsnap is Dropbox with an open source client (but marketed differently), a) you do not understand the engineering reality of Tarsnap (or you have a very... curious understanding of Dropbox) and b) Colin, please note that your marketing is creating fans who think that Tarsnap is Dropbox with an open source client.
  - genwin 13y ago
    How about Dropbox + TrueCrypt, except easier to automate and much cheaper beyond Dropbox's free tier, in exchange for taking the risk on a one-person business?
    - vertex-four 13y ago
      You realise that Dropbox isn't a backup system, right?
      - genwin 13y ago
        I have a backup file there, so can confirm it does work for that purpose.
        wglb 13y ago
        Um, no. Delete that file on one device, it is gone from all that share it.
        genwin 13y ago
        Put only a backup copy (not the source file) into Dropbox or Tarsnap. Don't delete the file on either system. Same boat. Scripts can copy out from the Dropbox to both negate your issue and proliferate backup copies to many physical locations.
        dennisgorelik 13y ago
        Dropbox preserves history of the file even after file was deleted. Especially with Packrat feature. https://www.dropbox.com/help/11/en https://www.dropbox.com/help/11/en
        genwin 13y ago
        Didn't know, thanks! Also didn't know that (from Dropbox help) "Your files are stored using 256-bit AES encryption". You have to trust them with the keys though.
  - noir_lord 13y ago
    I meant the product described in the blog post not tarsnap as it currently is. I'm quite aware of what tarsnap is.
    - scott_s 13y ago
      I think Patrick's comment still applies if you think he described "Dropbox with an open source client." Since it's still tarsnap, it still retains all of the security benefits of tarsnap. Saying "open source client" does not capture that.
- pseut 13y ago
  Things tarsnap would need to be anything like dropbox: * Mobile support * Windows support * A web interface * Any way of using it other than CLI TFA left all that stuff in place. "tarsnap the software" does not change at all.
Zikes 13y ago
Honestly, he's put so much thought and effort into it already and seems to care a lot about it, I wonder why he doesn't just launch a competing service. Edit: Whoa, lots of downvotes. I guess it is a bit odd to ask a person who just said "What I Would Do If I Ran Tarsnap" if they have any literal interest in running Tarsnap. Silly me.
- untothebreach 13y ago
  part of the allure of Tarsnap is cperciva's security and engineering expertise. While patio11 is brilliant, that is the one part of the "business" he wouldn't be to compete with.
  - dublinben 13y ago
    Couldn't he just run a marketing site that passes user data directly through to Tarsnap, but charges a 1000% markup for the flashy website?
    - deleted 13y ago
      [deleted]
- phillmv 13y ago
  The whole point is that cperciva has a unique competitive advantage in operating tarsnap in that he's a remarkably good at that problem set. patio11's whole point is that he loves both tarsnap and cperciva and thinks literally everyone in this equation would be better served if cperciva made more money and by making the tarsnap user experience more sensitive to the needs of businesses who want to rely on it.
- patio11 13y ago
  Because being on the hook for people's backups is not my idea of a fun time, because I'd be directly competing with an Internet buddy who I'd rather see successful, because I have no particular comparative advantage in backups that I don't have in a host of better product categories, because I already run three businesses and enjoy sleeping occasionally, because running services is in fact a heck of a lot harder than posting about them, etc etc.

noir_lord 13y ago

Yep, I think this is basically the problem with this post, it's Dropbox with an open source client and maybe that is what he doesn't want it to be.

patio11 13y ago
If you think Tarsnap is Dropbox with an open source client (but marketed differently), a) you do not understand the engineering reality of Tarsnap (or you have a very... curious understanding of Dropbox) and b) Colin, please note that your marketing is creating fans who think that Tarsnap is Dropbox with an open source client.
- genwin 13y ago
  How about Dropbox + TrueCrypt, except easier to automate and much cheaper beyond Dropbox's free tier, in exchange for taking the risk on a one-person business?
  - vertex-four 13y ago
    You realise that Dropbox isn't a backup system, right?
    - genwin 13y ago
      I have a backup file there, so can confirm it does work for that purpose.
      - wglb 13y ago
        Um, no. Delete that file on one device, it is gone from all that share it.
        genwin 13y ago
        Put only a backup copy (not the source file) into Dropbox or Tarsnap. Don't delete the file on either system. Same boat. Scripts can copy out from the Dropbox to both negate your issue and proliferate backup copies to many physical locations.
        dennisgorelik 13y ago
        Dropbox preserves history of the file even after file was deleted. Especially with Packrat feature. https://www.dropbox.com/help/11/en https://www.dropbox.com/help/11/en
        genwin 13y ago
        Didn't know, thanks! Also didn't know that (from Dropbox help) "Your files are stored using 256-bit AES encryption". You have to trust them with the keys though.
- noir_lord 13y ago
  I meant the product described in the blog post not tarsnap as it currently is. I'm quite aware of what tarsnap is.
  - scott_s 13y ago
    I think Patrick's comment still applies if you think he described "Dropbox with an open source client." Since it's still tarsnap, it still retains all of the security benefits of tarsnap. Saying "open source client" does not capture that.
pseut 13y ago
Things tarsnap would need to be anything like dropbox: * Mobile support * Windows support * A web interface * Any way of using it other than CLI TFA left all that stuff in place. "tarsnap the software" does not change at all.

Zikes 13y ago

Honestly, he's put so much thought and effort into it already and seems to care a lot about it, I wonder why he doesn't just launch a competing service. Edit: Whoa, lots of downvotes. I guess it is a bit odd to ask a person who just said "What I Would Do If I Ran Tarsnap" if they have any literal interest in running Tarsnap. Silly me.

untothebreach 13y ago
part of the allure of Tarsnap is cperciva's security and engineering expertise. While patio11 is brilliant, that is the one part of the "business" he wouldn't be to compete with.
- dublinben 13y ago
  Couldn't he just run a marketing site that passes user data directly through to Tarsnap, but charges a 1000% markup for the flashy website?
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
phillmv 13y ago
The whole point is that cperciva has a unique competitive advantage in operating tarsnap in that he's a remarkably good at that problem set. patio11's whole point is that he loves both tarsnap and cperciva and thinks literally everyone in this equation would be better served if cperciva made more money and by making the tarsnap user experience more sensitive to the needs of businesses who want to rely on it.
patio11 13y ago
Because being on the hook for people's backups is not my idea of a fun time, because I'd be directly competing with an Internet buddy who I'd rather see successful, because I have no particular comparative advantage in backups that I don't have in a host of better product categories, because I already run three businesses and enjoy sleeping occasionally, because running services is in fact a heck of a lot harder than posting about them, etc etc.