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Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems

arstechnica.com

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Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems

#81

Post by hunter2_ »

gwbas1c wrote: post #59

I've worked for a major Dropbox competitor for almost a decade. Shenanigans like this don't surprise me. This happens because product managers, developers, designers, ect, like to get creative. They think that they need to invent something new; AND, we (in the industry) see how a certain group of users is constantly confused by the files and folders concept. Usually, cooler heads prevail and remind everyone why our c…

Can you expand slightly on the confusion, perhaps give a typical support question or similar?

Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems

#82

Post by criddell »

speeder wrote: post #54
bhouston wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

SoundBlaster sold sound cards as well, but then sound cards got integrated into the motherboards and now only <0.01% of people buy sound cards.

What killed SBlaster was not motherboards having sound cards. It was movie studios convincing microsoft to ban from Windows the best featuresof SBlaster cards (those features are STILL banned by the way) because they were afraid of people using them to pirate movies. It is a reaaaaally long story, but to make it short: MS changed radically how windows drivers worked, and what a driver could do, during the transition…

Say you could run an experiment where in one universe motherboards were developed with integrated audio and Microsoft never cooperated with Hollywood and then in a second universe motherboards never included audio but Microsoft did cooperate with Hollywood. Clearly sound card makers have a big future in only one of those.

Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems

#83

Post by w8rbt »

dreamcompiler wrote: post #17

Dropbox is two things: Cheap cloud file storage with an API, and a desktop app. The desktop app used to be a glorified FUSE app that worked well (except on ARM Linux for some reason) and got out of your way. Now Dropbox has decided it's time to ruin the desktop app in an effort to chase conversions. This strategy will fail. Fortunately their cloud storage backend still works (unless it bugs you that they just increas…

It's actually rather expensive storage compared to other cloud providers.

Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems

#84

Post by Bjartr »

bborud wrote: post #50
zymhan wrote: post #39

Has anyone clicked the link at all? Dropbox says this was a feature in testing that got accidentally deployed, not an intended update. > Update 4:06pm ET: Dropbox says this was a mistake. "We recently announced a new desktop app experience that is now currently available in Early Access. Due to an error, some users were accidentally exposed to the new app for a short period of time. The issue has been resolved, thoug…

So it is a matter of timing. Why would they test something they do not intend to ship?

To find out if they should ship it?

Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems

#85

Post by Ensorceled »

Yeah, I had this new interface popup yesterday at random, same time as I got a notification that a file had been uploaded. I didn't click on the notification, Dropbox seems to have used this as a hook to launch the preloaded new application. WTF, Dropbox?

I've recently unsubscribed from Dropbox Pro, in part because I was no longer using it that much and, mostly, because of the non-stop, incessant, annoying pleas for me to upgrade to Dropbox Business. I'm a paying customer, stop advertising upsells to me! I actually get less advertising now that I'm on a free Dropbox account.

Anyway, depressing to see a service I once counted on go so far wrong.

Reminds me of Evernote and the "Upgrade to business and share your personal notes and journals with co-workers. And we have chat!!! Did we mention we have chat? You should check out chat."

Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems

#86

Post by dunnevens »

criddell wrote: post #41
CPLX wrote: post #3

This seems like a good time to resurface the worlds best Quora answer, by Michael Wolfe. Answering “Why is Dropbox more popular than other tools with similar functionality?”: Well, let's take a step back and think about the sync problem and what the ideal solution for it would do: There would be a folder. You'd put your stuff in it. It would sync. They built that. Why didn't anyone else build that? I have no idea. "B…

Steve Jobs may have been right when he said something to the effect of Dropbox isn't a product, it's a feature . If all you want is a folder that syncs, then don't we get that from every commercial operating system?

I think there’s a strong case to be made for companies that do one thing and do it extremely well. A feature can be cut. It can be abandoned. It can be the thing no one wants to work with because it gets the reputation of being the department where careers go to die.

Whereas a feature as product means it’s more likely to stick around. They have nothing to do but build and maintain this feature. They have the luxury of working out the edgiest of edge cases.

But I guess the pointless file manager shows the downside of features as product. One the product is complete and largely bug free, marketing and engineers get itchy in their unique ways.

Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems

#87

Post by ChrisRR »

bhouston wrote: post #40
CPLX wrote: post #3

This seems like a good time to resurface the worlds best Quora answer, by Michael Wolfe. Answering “Why is Dropbox more popular than other tools with similar functionality?”: Well, let's take a step back and think about the sync problem and what the ideal solution for it would do: There would be a folder. You'd put your stuff in it. It would sync. They built that. Why didn't anyone else build that? I have no idea. "B…

> "But," you may ask, "so much more you could do! What about task management, calendaring, customized dashboards, virtual white boarding. More than just folders and files!" > > No, shut up. People don't use that crap. They just want a folder. A folder that syncs. This argument is a good one but it only covers the rise of Dropbox. We are now in a different era. Dropbox's functionality is now table stakes and not somet…

We're in a different era, but the issue is still the same. Lots of competitors have popped up in file syncing, but they all want to link in with additional services and other crap that people don't want.

There's still a lot of value to be had in providing a folder that syncs quickly and effortlessly.

Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems

#88

Post by thaumasiotes »

speeder wrote: post #54
bhouston wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

SoundBlaster sold sound cards as well, but then sound cards got integrated into the motherboards and now only <0.01% of people buy sound cards.

What killed SBlaster was not motherboards having sound cards. It was movie studios convincing microsoft to ban from Windows the best featuresof SBlaster cards (those features are STILL banned by the way) because they were afraid of people using them to pirate movies. It is a reaaaaally long story, but to make it short: MS changed radically how windows drivers worked, and what a driver could do, during the transition…

I think it's safe to say CRTs were killed by their incredible bulk compared to LCD displays.

Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems

#90

Post by 0_gravitas »

Perhaps I dont fully understand the value of something like DropBox, when it comes to syncing my files the only thing I've ever needed has been github (or other online repo). Among syncing it has all the other version control goodness, and I will likely use it until I can setup some kind of home server
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