You might see that the Dropbox Community team have been busy working on some major updates to the Community itself! So, here is some info on what’s changed, what’s staying the same and what you can expect from the Dropbox Community overall.
How Connie, a member of the Community, uses Dropbox
We love hearing how you, the Community members use Dropbox. Everyone has their own favorite features and little hacks, so we want to share some with you! Up first, we haveConnie (ConF2_0), a long time Dropbox Plus customer, member of the Dropbox Community, and avid Vault user. Connie sat down with Gavin, a member of our Dropbox team, and told him all about how she uses Dropbox and why she loves Vault. I am Connie and I currently live in Germany. I've lived here for two years now. I've been a speech language pathologist for more than 30 years and that's what brought me to Dropbox, actually. I worked in a school setting for years and I frequently needed to be able to take work home. I needed a way to do this without having to carry stuff and make copies. I could email my spreadsheets, and reports and things, but I kept thinking “I don't know, emailing doesn't really make me comfortable - it's supposed to be really secure, but I'm not sure." I honestly cannot remember how I stumbled on Dropbox but I thought, “Oh, this is perfect!”, so I set up my account and I've been a user ever since. I was able to start writing my notes and reports at school, and then put them in Dropbox and finish them up when I got home. I could work on my spreadsheets and lesson materials at home and have them back at school waiting for me the next day. My only concern was that as a health care provider, you need to be able to ensure security and privacy. Before Vault, I was using a third party app to encrypt my school files. I thought “there's got to be another way, Dropbox has got to be able to do this”. That third party app was sometimes cumbersome and I'd lock myself out of files. Now, it's so easy - anything that I need to have protected gets uploaded to the Vault - done. No extra passwords to remember, no extra copying and/or downloading! Thanks Connie! We love to hear stories like this and how we can make Dropbox better for all of you. How do you use Dropbox? Tell us in the comments below! Share your tips, tricks, the features you love and how you make the most of Dropbox, whether it’s at home, at work or at school!Dropbox Basic: Let's Maximize Space
Try to think of your Dropbox cloud storage as a well organized bedroom. In order to maximize space, you want to be thoughtful about how you use each closet and section of the room. With your Dropbox Basic account you have 2 GB of storage. With this amount of storage its imperative that you are thoughtful about the files you save to your Dropbox account. If you know more about files sizes, you can make more informed decisions about which files you upload. In this article you will get a better understanding of how to maximize space with your Basic Dropbox account. What are the average file sizes of media we use daily? Images Many of use Dropbox to upload images, which come in several formats and sizes. These formats affect the amount of space the image may take up. Photos from our computers are usually in formats such as JPEG and PNG. This is great because these images often don’t take up as much space as larger format files. Image formatting (as in the space it takes up, not the dimensions of the photo itself) is based on resolution and quality of the pictures. I know this because I uploaded each type of image to my Dropbox Account and saw that the quality and difference in resolution affected the overall size. Larger pictures, such as raw camera footage (TIFF and BMP), should be converted to JPEG before uploading to your dropbox account. The rationale here is so that you save about 1000kB of space. Documents Documents overall take up the least amount of space. With your Basic account, you can save about 25,000 pages of word documents,depending on file size. If you use documents for planning and collaboration, I suggest you try using Dropbox Paper. Paper documents take up very little space on Dropbox. I would suggest placing homework assignments and projects that you may always need access to on your Dropbox account. I am currently working on creating my dissertation and have it saved on Dropbox - this document is super important to me and I need to ensure that I can access it from all of my devices. Media Files Video is the largest file format but that doesn’t mean you can’t store video files in your Dropbox Basic account. To make the video more compact you can use an online compressor, or, like I’ve done in the past, edit the videos to make them shorter. I have also experimented with changing the format of the video to reduce file size. Remember to treat your Dropbox like your well organized bedroom. You want to shrink larger items if you can and want to organize items that you know do not take up much space. I use my Dropbox account to hold my important documents, vacation photos and files from Dropbox Paper. Now that I know how much space each file takes up, I do my best to maximize my space. Let’s maximize our space by using the tips and tricks above - and if you have any other space saving tips, share them in the comments below!How we use Dropbox: Project management
When we hear about how other people use Dropbox, I have to say we scan for tips and advice that we can carry through to our own workflows and projects, from planning a wedding to organizing family photos.With that in mind, we loved hearing about how Project Manager extraordinaire, Libby, uses Dropbox to keep her projects, and more importably, the team, on track. Check it out below and let us know if you will take some of these tips forward😁 The key to a successful project is good planning and organization. Duh, but here is what I do to start off on the right foot there. Step 1: Create a shell of folders to start a project I create all of the folders to help manage the different stages of a project, which include: Ideation Planning Execution and closure And to go even deeper, within these folders we can have sub folders for different levels of approval. At this stage, I add everyone involved in the projects - and I BEG them to create their documentation within these folders. There is nothing worse than people creating rogue docs and forgetting to link it back so starting off in the right place makes it easy to keep us all in contact. Step 2: Create a Project plan I then create a Project Plan Paper doc, and this outlines the goals of the project, and this outlines the goals of the project, milestones, results and more. Now, this can seem daunting to begin with but luckily, we have a template to get you started right here. Within this doc, I can also tag people, create and add to-dos, link to other docs and of course, adding tables and images seamlessly. The perfect one pager, if you ask me. Step 3: Track the progress In theory, now everyone can get to work on their own sections of the project, and I get to observe, check in and remove any blockers. So I get notified when changes are made, I get tagged, I receive Capture updates. Whatever works for the team works for me! Step 4: Reporting and sharing wider Once the project has finished, and undoubtedly been a resounding success, it’s time to report back. So the results folder can contain Exel sheets of data, screenshots, and docs summarising the impact of the project. It’s great because everyone can contribute to this section as the results often come from varying sources. Once docs are ready for sharing wider, there are executive one pagers that can get workshopped internally and then a shared folder is created for the wider team. I enjoy how logical this process is, and as someone who can feel daunted about documentation, this seems really achievable. I also asked Libby for her best project management tip and this was her sage advice: Be flexible and work how your project team works. What works for one team won’t work for another. How do you manage projects? Do you have a different process you want to share?What’s included in my Dropbox plan? Plus edition
If you use Dropbox there are a ton of amazing features available to you, but different plans have different features so we want to make sure you know exactly what you have access to! This time, we’re going to focus on Dropbox Plus accounts - so listen up if you’re a Plus user. Here is a list of the features available to Plus users, that I’m sure most people are already aware of, or using regularly already, but it never hurts to be reminded! 2 TB (2,000 GB) of storage space. Shared folders and links - learn the ins and outs of links here. Dropbox Paper - this is a big one, so here’s a refresher on that. Anywhere access Integrated desktop experience Best-in-class sync technology Mobile offline folders Camera upload Send up to 2 GB per Transfer File requests Web previews and comments Viewer info Remote device wipe File recovery and version history - 30-day history Dropbox Rewind - 30-day history Full text search Plus button Web previews and comments Integrated cloud content 256-bit AES and SSL/TLS encryption So those are the ones you likely already know, but there are some new and exciting features for Dropbox Plus users this year as well, and now’s your chance to learn all about them. Dropbox Family The Dropbox Family plan has 2 TB of storage space that can be shared by up to 6 members, even grandparents or kids away at college. With Dropbox Family, you and your family can securely organize and share content, like photos, videos, and important documents. Dropbox Passwords: Dropbox Passwords lets you seamlessly sign in to websites and apps by storing your passwords. The Passwords app remembers your usernames and passwords on all your devices—so you don’t have to. Dropbox Vault: Dropbox Vault helps you secure and organize your most sensitive information in the cloud. Vault is a PIN-protected folder in your Dropbox account that you can access any time and on any device. There’s even more new features, including Computer Backup, Hellosign and the App Centre so you can get more details here. Support: If you need help with your Plus account, you have access to priority email support, the Help Centre, and of course the Dropbox Community is always here to help.How Raymond uses Dropbox sync to access his files on any device at any time
Meet Raymond, a seasoned Dropbox user who works in tech and uses Dropbox as his one stop shop for file storage. This is Raymond’s story… What brought me to Dropbox I needed a way to always have my files available on any computer or device that I was working on. In addition, I needed to make sure that my files were safe and always up to date. Ensuring that files were up to date and available between a phone, tablet, laptop, and desktop was nearly impossible. In addition, when I used a flash drive as an attempted source of truth, I would often misplace or lose it, making my files unavailable and potentially lost. How I use Dropbox I consider Dropbox to be the new "My Documents" folder. Every document that I work on is saved to Dropbox and categorized into folders, much the same way I categorized docs into folders before Dropbox. When accessing files from other devices, I can choose to use the mobile app, web client, or desktop app to ensure that I'm always able to get access to the files that I need at any time. The three features that have been the most impactful include: Syncing files between computers and devices: Every file that I work on now lives in Dropbox and I always know that my latest version is available to me on any device. Easily generating shareable links: When I have to share files with other people, I can easily generate a link to that file. The link (as opposed to a file attachment) will always be automatically updated when I save a change to a file. Smart Sync: On my laptop, I'm able to save space by enabling Smart Sync. This ensures that only the files I absolutely need are locally downloaded, but I can access any of the other files in my Dropbox at any time. Tips for the community Give Dropbox a try. It's painless (you can even change it so the documents folder is automatically the Dropbox folder), comes with 2 GB of storage free forever to try it out, and gives you peace of mind to know your documents are always safe. Do you use Dropbox in a similar way? Have questions for Raymondabout their workflow? Reply below with your thoughts!How Dropbox helps a District Manager connect her staff quickly and securely
Meet Danielle, a District Manager who has used Dropbox for over two years, with a team of 50. This is Danielle’s story… What brought us to Dropbox Overall, we needed a secure encrypted application and to overcome our struggle with complicated applications. As a store manager I struggled to understand how to use and in turn teach my employees and their reports how to operate the apps we were using. I would have to teach the team how to use these apps via video conferencing, and often several times over. Sometimes, as a worst case scenario, I would have to travel to each individual store and train the staff just to use these apps, which was a cost to the company. Honestly if our company was still using our previous file sharing application, I would have had to find a different job. I was going through daily issues with all my stores’ staff. The employees’ frustration and inability to work with the old app was making me suffer weekly migraines. Dropbox’s impact The ability to easily link staff, wholesalers, or customers to a set project has been an enormous help. Dropbox’s applications are so much easier, faster, and more secure than any other app out there. Every branch of our company uses Dropbox for unlimited uses. From the in-store head cashier, who takes daily pictures and sends them to their District Manager, who then links in corporate; to the corporate offices who use every aspect of Dropbox because they trust Dropbox’s encryption. Overall, inventory has become less of a headache with the speed of downloading with Dropbox. Tips for the community I wish I had known about the Dropbox forum from the beginning. The forum makes it easy to quickly find help with any problem a user could possibly encounter. Give all of Dropbox’s features a try. I think you may be surprised by Dropbox’s ease of use. Be patient and check on the help section. If the answer you are looking for is not there, check Dropbox forum. I don’t think there’s any question someone has not already asked. Do you use Dropbox in a similar way? Have questions forDanielleabout their workflow? Reply below with your thoughts!Amanda creates filing structures to access work and personal files with ease
Meet Amanda, who collaborates at work and at home with Dropbox. This is Amanda’s story… What brought me to Dropbox I started using Dropbox to share documents at work. I was either emailing documents back and forth (bloated inbox, totally inefficient as a filing system!) or using a shared drive that was only accessible from inside the office or via a VPN. How I use Dropbox Being able to share different folders with different people makes it easy to have a home folder where my husband and I keep notes and documents, and to use Dropbox for multiple collaborative projects. I try to create intelligent filing structures and primarily use Dropbox to share documents. My account syncs to my home computer, work computer and phone. I have a "Print Me" folder so if I need to print something I can just toss a PDF in there and print it when I'm at the office. I also have a "Travel" folder that has copies of any travel itineraries so I can always find my travel documents. Selective sync means my travel documents always sync to my phone, but I don’t keep my whole Dropbox on my phone. Tips for the community I have a "Miscellany" folder with yearly folders inside it. That means that random stuff that doesn't have a better home at least gets filed chronologically. It's okay to reorganize but be diligent about putting things in folders. Do you use Dropbox in a similar way? Have questions forAmanda about their workflow? Reply below with your thoughts!
What strategies do users employ to effectively manage version control for collaborative projects?
What strategies do Dropbox users employ to effectively manage version control for collaborative projects, especially when working with non-technical team members who might accidentally overwrite or delete important files? 🙂How we use Dropbox: Susan
You might have seen our recent post about using Dropbox to help to get the most from your vacation (and we hope you use that information!) and we are delighted to share some more tips from our own teammate, Susan. In this ‘How we use Dropbox’ Susan discusses how she keeps track of her documents and photos from start to finish, from creating a Dropbox folder to store important documents, to sharing files so everyone knows the plan for the trip. Before my trip: Before I set out on holiday, I like to create a Dropbox folder for my trip. In it, I keep important documents like flight confirmations, hotel information, passports, and visas. That way, during my trip when things can tend to get chaotic or busy, I have a go-to folder where I can access all my travel-related paperwork. I also use Dropbox Paper to create itineraries that include daily schedules and lists of restaurant recommendations. I share these files on Dropbox with any friends/family that are coming on the trip with me. During the trip: Depending on the plan for the day, I will sometimes tag my friends or family members in the Paper doc itinerary and just double check we’re on the same page about the plan for the day. It’s easier to get that information sorted before we leave the hotel so I either do it the night before or the morning of so that we don’t have a moment of stopping in the middle of a busy street and being the tourists everyone hates. After the trip: And then, once I return from my trip, I like to create a subfolder and move all the photos I took while on vacation into that subfolder. Doing this helps me stay organized and save all my vacation memories in one place. It also makes it really easy to share those photos with the people from the trip - even if they don’t have a dropbox account. I love these tips - especially the ones to avoid being a hated tourist! We want to know so drop your tips in the comments and who knows, we could share your tips here too! Looking for further inspiration? See how Vicker organizes team files or how Emmet uses Dropbox to organize photos - especially useful if you have lots of pictures from your vacation.
