What is the proposed idea/solution?
Allow snapshots to be downloaded locally in a compressed/encrypted format native to Airtable only.
How does is solve the user problems?
I think this would meet the never ending demand/requests to have better backup options off-server.
How was this validated?
I understand Airtable's caginess to restrict moving all of a user's data off the server, they want to keep customers, that's cool, I want to stay here too. The problem is data often needs redundancy by keeping it separate on completely different systems. Currently, providing a CSV/JSON/API export only allows the data to move, but not the rest of the airtable features like formulas, scripts, automations, interfaces etc. If I were to lose a base for some reason (malicious intent for example), even if I have the CSV exports I would not be able to rebuild my base. If this happened I would 100% not bother to attempt to return to airtable because I know it's pointless.
Airtable already provides options to duplicate bases and create snapshots (also duplication) of older states. I don't think it should be unreasonable to be able to have a feature to be able to keep these snapshots in an encrypted format offline on a local machine.
The intent would be the ability to reupload this back up to airtable after a critical failure event (loss of account control for example, malicious deletion via API perhaps, loss of snapshots?). Considering it would contain other airtable exclusive features like interfaces, I don't see this being useful to attempt to port it elsewhere. If it was encrypted and formatted in a way that could only be imported/exported through airtable then this would protect airtable's IP. Password protection on this downloaded file would also prevent it from being reimported maliciously if the files were stolen.
Who is the target audience?
Anyone who cares about their data and don't want their eggs all in one basket. Also people who don't like to have to take their eggs out of the basket by having to crack them open, hoping to put them back later but it's just leaking through the bottom.
If you can't offer an option to both backup and RESTORE user data, then it's not a backup feature, it's just a customer exit feature.
