"It's not about backups. To where would you restore those backups? I mean, sure, make sure you have copies of the things you care about. But, if what you care about is long term availability of your content and social connections... just making backups doesn't really help."

"The big difference, though, is who's paying? If you're paying to have your content hosted, then you're how the host makes money. If access to you and your content is what the host is selling, then the host makes money by selling you. In which case are yours and the host's interests more aligned? This isn't about being 100% self-reliant or anything, it's about having control over your stuff. Paying for hosting (which is *super* cheap these days), versus being the product is the key."