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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

#71

Post by bluedino »

zapnuk wrote: post #30
nessunodoro wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love my Nextcloud so much. I use it all day every day and it just works. It's missing a few tiny things on my wish list, but it's crazy to me how I don't miss Dropbox at all. I can't speak for what it's like to administer Nextcloud for a large org, but for my personal work sync it is a godsend. Easily my favorite software of the last three years.

I just switched back to dropbox after switching to Nextcloud. For some reason I constantly got a'... could not be downloaded because of a local file clash' error with 6 files. 2*3 files have the same name but are in different subfolders. I've searched for this error, deleted the filed locally and in the cloud. Every time I add them again, I get the same error. Not to mention that I get reminded of this error every 30…

Why are there so many versions in the Ubuntu store? On Mac/Windows I just download from Dropbox's site.

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

#72

Post by rimliu »

obituary_latte wrote: post #25
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…

As an Apple ecosystem user (not evangelist), I stopped using Dropbox completely in favor of iCloud. I mainly only used DB for syncing 1Password keychains but randomly other stuff too. I do trust apple in terms of security and their offering is affordable, painless and works well for my needs. May not fit well for more power-user types and for people who need cross-platform compatibility but it’s worth a look if you h…

Same here. I even had premium (or whatever they called it) plan, but moved everything to the iCloud drive and went back to basic, though most likely I don't even have Dropbox running on my machine right now.

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

#73

Post by kruffin »

soziawa wrote: post #13
mothsonasloth wrote: post #6

After Dropbox introduced the 3 machine limit to free tier accounts back in March. I decided to migrate to Nextcloud. The migration was easy: 1. Setup a directory on my VPS for storing files 2. Install Nextcloud 3. Configure security 4. Install clients on (Mac/ Windows and Androd phone) 5. Starting adding files

How do I configure security and how do I handle backups?

It's somewhat difficult to find, but is in their administration section.

Backup: https://docs.nextcloud.com/server/stable/admin_manual/mainte... I haven't found it documented, but there are also a few occ commands to do the backup and restore that were added this year some time.

Security: https://docs.nextcloud.com/server/stable/admin_manual/instal...

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

#74

Post by erichurkman »

skocznymroczny wrote: post #22
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…

I just installed Dropbox after few years because I need to sync some folders. The new application is terrible! It took me a long time to find the selective sync options, instead it's showing me some features that I am not interested in at all.

My biggest complaint of the new dropbox app (for Windows) is that every other day the tray icon routinely pops up alerts (or warning badges over the icon) that look alarming. But they're just ads for other Dropbox features. I already pay for it — stop pretending my non-use of Paper is an "alert" worth interrupting me for. If you can't sync my folders, yes, alert me! Otherwise, shut up and do your job (sync my folders).

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

#75

Post by koolba »

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…

Where can I read more about this?

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

#76

Post by ungzd »

Does not look so bad. It's similar to web interface on dropbox.com, but packaged as "electron-like" app. Its functionality is related only to Dropbox, and it can be considered a part of main application. If it was third-party crapware, like free-to-play game or antivirus, I might be concerned, but it's just a piece of new bad UI and not worse than that.

If I do "apt-get upgrade" and "gnome" metapackage installs me another new picture viewer/calculator/text editor appeared in new version, does it mean "Gnome silently installs unwanted software on users computers"?

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

#77

Post by thedaemon »

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…

Do you have a link to a source for this information? I personally stopped buying sound cards because they are now integrated on motherboards.

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

#78

Post by your-nanny »

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…

Nai e me, but it seems an extension scheme, in which additional features can optionally be added (for $) as desired is way to go.

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

#79

Post by seanieb »

No one comment about the actual substance of the change or why they don’t like it. Just lots of emotions ! And the author seems to have left out the most critical thing about this update, the main interphase is still the OS and the tiny badge in the system tray. The new file browser thing can remain closed and unused unless you want to use Dropbox search natively or one of their upcoming 3rd party integrations. It’s a very simple file browser that you need to click to open, that you don’t need to use, not a bloody crypto miner or an opt in to sell your data. It would be awesome if folks would actually criticize the design and technical implementation!

I really dislike this type of FUD based reporting https://twitter.com/ronamadeo/status/1151947264149131265?s=2...

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

#80

Post by jgalentine007 »

wukerplank wrote: post #63
criddell wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

If it's part of the OS, it's probably not cross-platform... I still use Dropbox because it runs everywhere: NAS, Windows, Mac and my phone. (At work we use Google Drive, it it just sucks. File Stream is super buggy and the web UI lacks a lot of productivity features.)

Drive / File Stream is like the late 90's Norton antivirus of syncing apps. I can't believe how much it slowed down my wife's 3 year old laptop.
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