Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems
1–10 of 263 posts
Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems
#2Dropbox is almost as bad as every single third party anti virus product.
I won’t install it on any of my personal computers. If I have to share a document, I’ll just upload it via the web.
Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems
#3This 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.
"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.
"But," you may say, "this is valuable data...certainly users will feel more comfortable tying their data to Windows Live, Apple Mobile Me, or a name they already know."
No, shut up. Not a single person on Earth wakes up in the morning worried about deriving more value from their Windows Live login. People already trust folders. And Dropbox looks just like a folder. One that syncs.
"But," you may say, "folders are so 1995. why not leverage the full power of the web? With HTML 5 you can drag and drop files, you can build intergalactic dashboards of stats showing how much storage you are using, you can publish your files as RSS feeds and tweets, and you can add your company logo!"
No, shut up. Most of the world doesn't sit in front of their browser all day. If they do, it is IE 6 at work that they are not allowed to upgrade. Browsers suck for these kinds of things. Their stuff is already in folders. They just want a folder. That syncs.
That is what it does.
http://www.quora.com/Dropbox/Why-is-Dropbox-more-popular-tha...
Oh well.
Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems
#4I use Resilio Sync for some files between two machines but that only works when they are both on at the same time. What are some good alternatives?
Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems
#5Dropbox is almost as bad as every single third party anti virus product. I won’t install it on any of my personal computers. If I have to share a document, I’ll just upload it via the web.
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.
Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems
#6After 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
Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems
#7I don't think this was a mistake. The mistake is that they were automatically switched but I'm sure they intended to download and install it in the background. I know several people who clicked "try the new dropbox" and it was instantly installed/available.
I'm not sure this is a problem because I/they asked to try it, but it still felt a bit odd that it was already installed. Uncanny Valley.
Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems
#8Dropbox is almost as bad as every single third party anti virus product. I won’t install it on any of my personal computers. If I have to share a document, I’ll just upload it via the web.
It didn't do anything bad to me while I used it. I finally got round to replacing it with Nextcloud though, so now I only use Dropbox very occasionally, and via the web.
Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems
#9A file manager... If only they could add this little feature "show folder size"...
Re: Dropbox silently installed new file manager app on users’ systems
#10After 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
Save some people some typing: