Some years ago (OK, many years ago), I had to learn the importance of backup the hard way. The hardest way. While writing the final chapter of my BA thesis, my hard disk died and could not be revived. So all my work was lost, together with all the materials I had gathered for it. You can imagine what the result was: sleepless nights, loads of coffee, sore fingers (from all the typing) and a pair of prescription glasses.
That was when I found out how important it is to back everything up. Which now I do on a regular basis. Should my hard disk ever decide to play dirty tricks on me, I’ll be prepared.
Just like everything else, backup methods have evolved. It’s no longer necessary to use CDs/ DVDs that take up physical space, nowadays you can store your work, documents, pictures or what not in the cloud.
The same goes trend can be seen when it comes to software. Quite a lot of websites/ organisations offer free versions of expensive software. For example openoffice.org offers a free alternative to Microsoft’s Office.
One of the most useful tools for translators is SDL Trados, which, let’s face it, can be quite costly. Yes, it is worth the money, but for a translator just starting his/ her career, it may not be affordable. The web offers free translation memory programmes. Just do a search on Google and see which one suits your needs best.
