Backup tech felt the need – the need for speed. And pastries and Tomb Raider

Who, Me? Wait, what? Is it that clip again? Time for Who, Me? successful which we induce readers to stock stories of nan less-brilliant moments of their workplace lives, and really they were caught retired – aliases narrowly escaped.

This week we perceive erstwhile again from a past contributor we Regomized arsenic "Guillermo" erstwhile he told america astir a instruction he'd learned regarding nan contented of locking doors.

Guillermo, it seems, is still retired location learning lessons. Education is simply a life-long pursuit, Guillermo – you conscionable support correct connected going. You're an inspiration.

Well, benignant of.

In this tale, Guillermo was moving for a integrative extrusion institution and was handed nan awesome work of doing nan play backup. This progressive "a really heavy and unnecessarily analyzable 80-page agelong manual, a mates of caddy-only DVD burners and 4 100-disc cakes of Memorex 4x DVD-RAMs." As well, of people arsenic 3 disc caddies.

Remember disc caddies? Ah, bully times, bully times.

Anyway, nan first clip done Guillermo did nan backup pinch nan leader watching for illustration a hawk. He followed nan manual "to nan dot" – formatting each disc, penning each disc, verifying each disc, removing each disc and labelling each disc earlier repeating nan process. All up it took 10 discs and respective hours.

Well, arsenic you tin ideate a go-getter for illustration Guillermo didn't for illustration wasting hours doing backups erstwhile he could beryllium "eating pastries and drinking coffee" (his words, we swear).

So Guillermo recovered immoderate ways to trim nan time. A period later, he was doing nan backup connected his own, unsupervised, and put his corner-cutting scheme into action. Manual? What manual?

For one, he pre-formatted nan discs successful different instrumentality while nan backup container was moving connected nan first one. Then arsenic soon arsenic that disc was done, nan adjacent went in. As soon arsenic nan instrumentality spat retired 1 disc, successful went nan next. It was glorious.

It was, arsenic Guillermo puts it, "the backup velocity run"!

• A extremity for contented select evaluators: erase nan database of sites you tested, don't stock them connected 100 PCs
• Learn nan creation of malicious compliance: doing precisely what you were asked, moreover erstwhile it's wrong
• Eager young tearaway almost ruined Christmas pinch printer paper
• Shag heap PC earned techies a carpeting from HR

Guillermo's off-books backup regular was truthful speedy he saved capable clip to industriously ... relax and play Tomb Raider connected his PlayStation Portable (PSP).

And that heap of unlabelled discs that accumulated connected nan crushed arsenic Guillermo guided Lara Croft done her adventures?

He was beautiful judge nan backup manual mentioned those location … he conscionable needed to put each disc successful a machine, cheque nan scale number, and explanation them.

Except that, astatine that very moment, a rattle connected nan doorknob indicated nan presence of nan boss.

Quick arsenic a flash, Guillermo collected up nan DVDs successful immoderate bid they had deed nan floor, stacked them connected a spindle, hid his PSP, and acted natural.

The leader congratulated him connected executing his task truthful dutifully and sat astatine his ain workstation. Guillermo vanished nan backup, reasoning he could spell backmost and explanation nan blank discs aft nan leader left.

But nan leader had different plans. As nan instrumentality announced nan last disc had been burned, nan leader announced that arsenic he was heading to nan wide manager's agency anyway, he'd driblet disconnected nan backup.

OK, thought Guillermo, fingers crossed thing happens that requires this circumstantial backup to beryllium used. Next week, he'd do nan backup by nan book and no-one would beryllium immoderate nan wiser.

But nan leader had different plans. The pursuing week, he announced that he wanted to do nan play backup himself. By nan book. The book that says earlier you do nan backup you verify nan erstwhile week's disks. Guillermo crossed his fingers really hard.

And then, salvation. The leader had to reply a telephone call, and near Guillermo to do nan backup himself.

Which he did. By nan book. No much velocity runs.

Have you ever had a constrictive flight for illustration Guillermo? Cut a area and had to wish for illustration crazy no-one would find out? Tell america astir it successful an email to Who, Me? and we'll (anonymously) elevate your exploits to nan worldly of legend. ®