Mar
03
Thank you so much for visiting my office this weekend. I hope you had a great time trying to break my door. Gotta admit I’m impressed at your finesse and style. I bet you must feel really disappointed for not getting the part for Ocean’s Thirteen. Pfff, it’s their loss. I am certain they wont find your your white-gloves skills anywhere else.
Anyway, I’m sorry you couldn’t actually break in. If there’s one thing I learned from Web Development is that you have to pick the right tool for the right job. Next time bring an axe. Or grow some muscles.
What I find interesting though, is how you broke the entire lock, and yet didn’t manage to break in. Maybe you’re either too weak or too dumb. Which (contrary to my expectations) are clear signs that you’re not Catherine Zeta Jones. Oh crap. I guess we both loose ey?
Anyway, if it makes you feel any better, thanks to your incompetence, now the door has no lock so neither you, or I have entry.
Love,
- The owner of the studio you couldn’t break into.
So this morning I got to the studio as usual, and I found that someone (unluckily for me, NOT Catherine Zeta Jones) tried to break in over the weekend. My first thought was:
“OMG MY DATA!”
Then my second thought was:
“OMG MY ITUNES LIBRARY!”
As a burglary victim myself (back in 2001) I don’t think I ever felt a more bitter moment on my career than the moment I realized all my belongings and my digital existence was stolen. That’s why I have so many few works from back in the day. I lost all the photos, mp3 and documents I had from 1995 til 2001. It pretty much SUCKED BIG TIME.
So after we manage to get in and 10 seconds before going into DEFCON 4, I ran to my office and I got a huuuuuge relief when I found everything was untouched, just like I left it on Saturday.
After the 2001 incident, I learned a few things that, while this time didn’t help to avoid the attempt of burglary on my studio, may help you in the future:
I know technology will always get cheaper, but you can’t take the risk of losing all your equipments and not having a way to get a backup soon enough to finish your client’s work. Remember, even the most open-minded, easy-going client will understand and cut you some slack, but they won’t be able to cancel their event or website launch because you went mustang on your office security.
Unless you have one mean Pit bull (the dog, not the rapper) doing night shifts at your studio, there’s nothing more effective than locks when it comes to keep people out from your facilities. If you just moved in, replace the locks. If someone at the studio needs to stay behind to finish up some work and you need to leave, install an extra “employees-only” lock. Your employees will only have keys for that lock, but not the main one. That should be only reserved for you (and if you’re like me) your wife :) That way, when they leave they will be able to lock the door. If you’re bit of OCD like me, you can later stop by and lock the main lock too.
If you’re on a small building like I am, talk with the neighbours and explain that security is a matter that should concern everybody. If you can, change the main door entrance lock too. Who knows if an old neighbour didn’t just lost the key and someone found it.
One of the undeniable proofs that technology is getting cheaper each days are thumb drives, hard drives and optical media. I remember paying $ 949 for a 1X SCSI Sony CD Burner back in 1996. If you think that’s a lot, think about the box of 10 blank CD-R’s sold for $ 99.99.
These days, most computers already come with a built-in burner and you can get a whole tube of blank DVD-R for less $ 25, which equals to 47 GB of backed up data. Seriously, if you think about it, it’s even dumb not to do it.
Even the latest OS from Microsoft and Apple have built in backup solutions right to on the core, so you just need to add an extra hard drive and backup those early Britney Spears album that you like so much. Don’t worry, you’re secret is safe with me. “I’m not a giiiiirl… not yet a woooooman”. Ahh… timeless.
Wait, not done yet. After you backed up everything, DON’T LEAVE THE BACKUP AT THE STUDIO. Yeah, I know it might be obvious, but I know a lot of people who store their piles of burned DVD’s on their cabinets.
Also, forget about the spare key. This is not your bachelors apartment.
I’m not talking ONLY about your computer, operative system, directories, etc. If these guys managed to steal my equipments, not only they will gain access to all of those things, but also to my Washington Mutual, PayPal, Ebay, Flickr and Gmail accounts. Why? because I’m so cool that I don’t like to retype my passwords every time. That’s why I always check the “remember me” option on each of those services.
“Yeah but I have a laptop so, it’s cool”. EEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRGN. Wrong, it’s actually even worse, not only you can get your laptop stolen, but I know of people who lost them instead. Same as with your iPhone. How would you feel if you find out someone just wire all your money from your account and there’s nothing you can do about it.
From this moment on, I refuse to use the “Remember me” option on all those websites, and so should you.
Anyway, the locksmith just finished replacing the door lock and I need hug him so, may you all have a great (safe) week!
2
No te puedo creer, una locuraaaaa!!!!
Bueno me alegra que no te hayan robado nada, y gracias por el post tan didáctico!!!
Ja
3
Hello, i have this comment find by Googlesearch. Very intereseted. Thank you and Best Regards
4
Whoa damn buglars! Nice write up by the way. Especially the “I’m not a girllll, not yet a womann” LOL.
So I guess good things (nice writing) came from the bad things (buglar event) he he.
Hello by the way! I found your site from CSSImport, nice website, nice person, nice writings.
5
It’s a bummer that someone is trying to break into your place, but it is great that you wrote about it the way you did. Made me laugh pretty hard. Thanx. Keep up the good posts.
6
Ya its all about the deadbolt. Sorry to hear about your breakin.
7
Have been in your position before. At least you find some humor in it “not getting the part for Ocean’s Thirteen”
8
Oh! Wonderful job!
Very interesting and actual post.
I add your interesting blog in my iGoogle page!
9
I lost my data twice before I start daily DVD backup. People, never forget to do it!
