Managing storage of digital content

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory that stores code executable by the processor, the code comprising:

code that determines an age of each of one or more content elements, the age of a content element determined based on an amount of time since the content element was originally created;

code that determines a number of times that each of the one or more content elements is accessed;

code that determines one or more content elements that are eligible for compression in response to the determined age of each of the one or more content elements exceeding a threshold age and the determined number of times that each of the one or more content elements is accessed being less than an access threshold;

code that determines a compression rate for each of the one or more content elements as a function of the age of the content element such that older content elements are compressed at a higher rate than younger content elements, and as a function of the number of times that that the content element is accessed such that less accessed content elements are compressed at a higher rate than more accessed content elements, the compression rate comprising an amount of compression to be applied to a content element; and

code that compresses each of the one or more eligible content elements according to the determined compression rate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the popularity of the content element is determined based on user feedback associated with the content element, the user feedback comprising one or more of:

a number of comments associated with the content element;

a number of times that the content element has been shared; and

a number of likes associated with the content element.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising code that checks a compression flag associated with a content element, the compression flag comprising a characteristic of the content element, wherein the content element is determined to be eligible for compression in response to the compression flag being set.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the compression flag is associated with an account for an owner of the content element, the compression flag being settable by the owner in response to a type of the account comprising a premium account.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the compression rate is customizable by an owner of a content element that has a premium account.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising code that determines an amount of available storage capacity of a data center where the one or more content elements are stored, the amount of available storage capacity comprising a characteristic of a content element, wherein the compression rates for each of the one or more content elements are determined as a function of the amount of available storage capacity.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising code that determines a storage cost for one or more content elements, the storage cost comprising a characteristic of a content element, wherein the compression rate for a content element is determined as a function of a storage cost for the content element.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more content elements comprise one or more of a document, a digital photograph, a video, and an audio file.

9. A method comprising:

determining, by a processor, an age of each of the one or more content elements, the age of a content element determined based an amount of time since the content element was originally created;

determining a number of times that each of the one or more content elements is accessed;

determining one or more content elements that are eligible for compression in response to the determined age of each of the one or more content elements exceeding a threshold age and the determined number of times that each of the one or more content elements is accessed being less than an access threshold;

determining a compression rate for each of the one or more content elements as a function of the age of the content element such that older content elements are compressed at a higher rate than younger content elements, and as a function of the number of times that that the content element is accessed such that less accessed content elements are compressed at a higher rate than more accessed content elements, the compression rate comprising an amount of compression to be applied to a content element; and

compressing each of the one or more eligible content elements according to the determined compression rate.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the popularity of the content element is determined based on user feedback associated with the content element, the user feedback comprising one or more of:

a number of comments associated with the content element;

a number of times that the content element has been shared; and

a number of likes associated with the content element.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising checking a compression flag associated with a content element, the compression flag comprising a characteristic of the content element, wherein the content element is determined to be eligible for compression in response to the compression flag being set.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining an amount of available storage capacity of a data center where the one or more content elements are stored, the amount of available storage capacity comprising a characteristic of a content element, wherein the compression rates for each of the one or more content elements are determined as a function of the amount of available storage capacity.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining a storage cost for one or more content elements, the storage cost comprising a characteristic of a content element, wherein the compression rate for a content element is determined as a function of a storage cost for the content element.

14. A program product comprising a computer readable storage medium that is not a transitory signal and stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to perform:

determining an age of each of one or more content elements, the age of a content element determined based on an amount of time since the content element was originally created;

determining a number of times that each of the one or more content elements is accessed;

determining one or more content elements that are eligible for compression in response to the determined age of each of the one or more content elements exceeding a threshold age and the determined number of times that each of the one or more content elements is accessed being less than an access threshold;

determining a compression rate for each of the one or more content elements as a function of the age of the content element such that older content elements are compressed at a higher rate than younger content elements, and as a function of the number of times that that the content element is accessed such that less accessed content elements are compressed at a higher rate than more accessed content elements, the compression rate comprising an amount of compression to be applied to a content element; and

compressing each of the one or more eligible content elements according to the determined compression rate.