Kim Komando sent me this letter that she got from one of her listeners:

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Dear Kim:

Not really a question...What was I (NOT)thinking????? My husband and I were in Hawaii on business when we heard there was a wildfire in Santa Barbara — near our neighborhood. While trying to keep the panic down, talking with the house sitter who was caring for our two dogs and cat...I suddenly realized — OUR COMPUTERS!!! I had the laptop, but all the real stuff was on my external drive. That little black box..sitting on my desk in a house that could burn down. Our house sitter had already evacuated and wouldn't be able to get back in — perhaps our niece's husband could make his way to and in the house to retrieve the box? He did get it but I couldn't help but think of the ramifications had he not been successful.

The bottom line — I not only GOT how valuable Carbonite was — but I also GOT how stupid of me to be sitting at the airport trying to get back home and have to worry about losing all our data. It's day three and my Carbonite is still backing up. Kim — many thanks for recommending it and oh yes — we still have our house (and Carbonite).

- Maria

By chance, one of Carbonite's investors, Floyd Bradley, lives in the same neighborhood and sent me this picture from his back yard. Better believe he has Carbonite on ALL his computers!

— Dave
CEO, Carbonite

Earlier this week I had gotten a note from one of our employees about the recent fires in Santa Barbara, CA. 230 houses burned down. All the people who thought they had their data backed up on CDs, DVDs, and external hard drives lost everything.

Then it happened in my own family. My son's house in Cambridge, MA was completely gutted by fire yesterday. Here's the story on Boston.com. He was awakened by a neighbor pounding on his door and discovered smoke seeping from the floor boards under his bed. Moments later the house was completely engulfed in flames. He got out barefoot in his pajamas. His mac with all his professional work was vaporized, as was his external hard drives that he used for backup. I am kicking myself for not getting him onto our mac beta, but he was waiting for the production release next month.

Believe me, this kind of thing is not an abstract possibility. It actually happens all the time, and when you think about what you've lost, it makes you sick.

Update 12/12/08: Here's a photo of the fire that was sent to me by a friend who lives a fews streets away.

— Dave
CEO, Carbonite