Dropbox for the People!

A few meetings ago, I presented the idea that if our club used Dropbox (a free file syncing and backup service) then entering photos for club and N4C competitions and critique nights could be as easy as dragging it to the corresponding folder on your computer.  Then your entries would  be synced to the competition and critique coordinators computers, thus reducing the work they are required to do when compiling entries.  So far the idea has been well recieved and the club has agreed to a trial, with the possibility of implementing it for next year’s competitions and critique nights.  Submission options like ones we’ve used in the past would still have to be available. Not everyone in the club has e-mail or computer.

We’d love your input and your thoughts on Dropbox.

The first stage of the test is complete, I sent out invitations to share Dropbox folders with all the current members of our camera club. Next, we need members of the club willing to try using the shared folders.  So how do we try this out?

First you’ll need to set up a Dropbox account. (If you already have a dropbox account skip to ***.  If your dropbox account is linked to a different email than the one I sent your shared files invite to – email me sfcameraclub@gmail.com and wait for the re-invite.)  You can click the link in the e-mail I sent that invite you to share folders or you can go to https://www.dropbox.com directly.

You’ll be asked to install the Dropbox software and it will step you through setting up an account.  (It is possible to create an account with out the software and use just the web interface.  Let me know if you want directions for this.  For now I’ll only focus on it with the software – because it’s what makes the idea for the club the easiest!)

*** Once you have your account setup, go to your dropbox account on the web (http://dropbox.com) and login.  Then click the sharing tab.

The shared files that I sent the emails about will be listed there.

Go ahead and click accept for those.  That’s it.  Now you have access to the folders.  When you setup the software, you also setup a Dropbox folder/directory.

To enter files for the Club Competition – drag your entries to the Dropbox folder on your computer called “SFCC Competions – (Your name here)” folder.  They’ll now be synced to our competition coordinator’s computer.

Want to submit photos or articles to the newsletter? Put them in the “SFCC – Group Folders”->”SFCC – For Newsletter” folder.

What about N4C digital Entries? Put them in “SFCC – Group Folders”->”N4C Entries” and the corresponding category folder.  Our N4C coordinators will now have access to them.  We’ve been going with the first 8 submitted for that month to enter.  And the coordinators can look at the timestamps to see which files are the first 8.  If we need to setup more directories for the ease of keeping track – our coordinators can do this as they see fit.

I set this competition folder up differently than the club competion folder to see what we liked best and how we felt about the possibility

And photos for Critique Night? Put them in “SFCC – Group Folders”->”SFCC – Critique Night”

For more info on putting files in Dropbox folders, please see: https://www.dropbox.com/help/90

The Technical Details

Dropbox works with Windows, Mac, Linux and Mobile devices.  For anything else (is there anything else?) use the webinterface.

Dropbox updates itself – so you don’t have to worry about that aspect.

You have 2GB in your free account.  The files and folders the club’s account share with you and the other club Dropbox users are part of that 2GB.

For the files to sync from your computer to Dropbox, you need the Dropbox software running or to upload files via the web interface.  So you should see a little icon like the one below in your task bar (or the appropriate doohickey for Mac or Linux). If you don’t see it, just start the software again from your programs list in the start bar (or the similar doohickey for Mac or Linux).

Enjoy!

Amy