Ending support of public folder

[ae2rigc]

Just heard from dropbox that support for the public folder is ending.

---------

As a result, we’ll soon be ending support for the Public folder. Dropbox Pro users will be able to use the Public folder until
September 1, 2017. After that date the files in your Public folder will become private, and links to these files will be deactivated. Your files will remain safe in Dropbox.

If you’d like to keep sharing files in your Public folder, you can create new shared links. Just make sure to send the new URLs to your collaborators.

--------

It is one of the most useful features of the service for me as I use it to get links to single files that I can send to people without setting up shared folders and requiring them to have dropbox accounts.

(Save file to my public folder locally, syncs, right click, get publick link, paste. Doesn't get any easier than that.)

It's also useful for bb style forum posts where you can link to images with an easy tag.

With the public folder support being removed, is there going to be an alternative solution to allow easy public sharing of single files?

[LGM]

---

Mark a écrit :
I know it isnt what people want to hear, sorry, but would rather you had the right information now - that is this wont change so you need to start thinking about ways to mitigate the damage now.

---

I've been using dropbox hosting for years.

It was great service, and I used it for free since I didn't need any "pro" feature so I should not complain.

Let's find a workaround.

(Unfortunately Dropbox doesn't seem to use the Automation and Services like it should .. I can't find a way to create an automated "Create public link" service for the moment .. will keep looking into this tomorrow).

[Tedology]

Hello,

I appreciate the email letting me know I have eight or nine months to get my ducks in a row.

What I'm confused about is: how will I post photos on such sites as Blogger? To date, I have to have the photos in my "Public" folder. No other folder will work (at least not that I'm aware of).

Is there a different way to share photos on blogging sites...? I'd appreciate any link, tutorial, help.

Thanks much! 🙂

Ted

[rileyph]

This is an awful stain on Droobox, I agree with the other posts, I have hundreds maybe thousands of links to the public folder. And customers, suppliers andcollaborators pass them on.

This is a good reason not to use cloud storage for professional people. Its ok as a toy for amateurs.

I need to control my business. It is not right that a cloud supplier should control my business by making arbitrary changes. 

Do droobox realise the financial consequencies of this move on customers?? Our data is valuable to us. It is a terrible indictment on dropbox business values (or lack of)

[rileyph]

Why can't Dropbox preserve existing public links?
Then just impliment changes for new ones. This would save your users a lot of money, and reduce the anger felt towards dropbox.

[Metta]

@rileyph wrote:

This is an awful stain on Droobox, I agree with the other posts, I have hundreds maybe thousands of links to the public folder. And customers, suppliers andcollaborators pass them on.....

Do droobox realise the financial consequencies of this move on customers?? Our data is valuable to us. It is a terrible indictment on dropbox business values (or lack of). 

---

I agree complely, and I can't even begin to imagine how catastrohic this decision will be for individuals, professionals and businesses that have been actively using the public folder since there is NO feasible way to replace ALL the links created and shared by heavy users of the Public Folder.

This could have profound (and costly) business implications for many of Dropbox's Pro (professional) users, and I sincerely hope Dropbox will consider the terrible impact of this decision.

In the meantime, on a practical level, for those of us who do want to go ahead and begin proactively "fixing" all the links that Dropxbox will eventually break, I have a couple of questions:

> Based on a review of my "share link" options in my Dropbox folder, it looks like I can't even begin using the new standard "Copy Dropbox Link" option in my Public Folder, so there's no way for me to begin fixing the links without MOVING all my public files into another non-public folder.

Is this correct?

> If so, it looks like there are only 2 less-than-satisfactory options for users right now:

(1) MOVE all public files to a new, non-public folder (sacrificing your existing folder structure), generate new links for every previously public document, and then replace the old public links with the new shared link. (Obviously NOT feasible for heavy users of the Public Folder.)

(2) KEEP all public files in their current public location (in order to preserve the existing folder structure), and wait to generate new links until after the Public folder is made private (on 09.01.17). (This of course means there will be a potentially LONG period of downtime while we have to change all the broken links manually -- and this, again, is obviously NOT feasible for heavy users of the Public Folder.)

Is this correct, or am I missing something?

[Pablo f.6]

They will only change if mass cancellation causes to lose $, already started to migrate to google cloud storage!!

[Metta]

Looks like the thing to do, Pablo f.6. I've been thinking about switching to Google Cloud for some time now.....

Looks like I'll begin investigating alternation options now in earnest.

[Scipi]

I really have to voice my opinion in opposition to this. Not only have I used dropbox to host images and such, but I've also used it to distribute binaries, code, and other tools/projects on a public basis. With these changes, I would have to manually hunt down every dropbox link I've posted in the last 6 years and change them if I want to make sure people still have access to my programs and such. Dropbox is pretty much making the exact same problem that occured when megaupload was taken down. I can't tell you how many times I needed some legacy tool or the like that I couldn't get because of a dead megaupload link.

[Pablo f.6]

The only problem so far I have not found a way to remotely upload to the google cloud platform

[NFAToys]

Does Goggle cloud storage support the equivalent of Public Folders?    I'm looking for any solution that I can use to replace Dropbox.   I'm paying $99 a year for a service they promised to provide.   Now that they've decided to give me the middle finger and not honor their part of the contract, I'm looking to bail on them like a hot rock through snow.

Please, anyone who knows of an online file sharing service that still has integrity to not screw over their paying customers, and provides what Dropbox promised but feels it no longer has any obligation to provide, please let me and the others here know about it.