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