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?

[Oskar_M]

---

@narikaa wrote:
The litmus test is in your hands ...take a "www.dropbox.com/...." type link and see if the forum will take it. (I doubt it as none have in my experience, and this is the problem, apart from killing all existing links Dropbox Management are inflicting a future format THAT DOES NOT WORK onto its customers)

---

Hi.

thanks for your answer.

I've tried with four or five photos and it looks like it does work. I attach the forum link in case you want to check it out.

http://www.losviajeros.com/Blogs.php?b=5354

The fear I have is that I change the 1400 links and Dropbox says that is not enough.

Regards,

[Pablo f.6]

[[raw=1] HOW LONG DOES THIS FUNCTION WORK? AND ALL MY LINKS GET OUT AGAIN?

[Oskar_M]

Hi.

That's the fear I have. I will work for several hours to change all my links so that after Dropbox unilaterally decides that it no longer works. I really hope this does not happen.

Regards

[rileyph]

Suggest you do not use dropbox. Find another provider.
DB cannot be trusted, they unilaterally change things, and refuse to explain why.
Vote with your feet and save future heartache.

[dw s.]

Dropbox, you do realise that anyone who doesn't have a Dropbox account cannot view your links on an iPad or iPhone using the "Shared Link"? Why does your website state anyone without an account can view links when it's not true in every case?

[mrfett]

I understand my sharing options just fine. Never using Dropbox again once you break all my years of shared items. Shame on you destroying a useful service like this. Hope you have your CV updated because Dropbox will be forgotten once this happens.

[Allyana]

This is exactly my issue, I keep my school's blog and there's years of materials posted in it, that use public links. I can't even start imagining how much it'll take me to change all that!

[Lyndon]

I am with everyone else here, and think this is deploreable. I have over 600 images shared on a blog site, and am going to have to change all of them. I just reluctantly signed up to Photobucket (with much nervousness, as that site is very unstable from what I've seen).

But now that I know I've got till September, I will take a bit of time and find another.

But it's bugging the heck out of me that I've got to go through my thread and change the links on 600 + images, and I can't change the links for anyone who quoted my pics, so the images in their quotes will dissappear, and their quotes will become meaningless........

Shame, SHAME on Dropbox for doing this! BYE.

[Nick C.2]

While I didn't use the public folder extensively as others here and am can see pros and cons of deprecating it -

• I think its ridiculous they don't maintain the existing links which should be a trivial operation
  • i.e. they could make the 'Public' folder private and translate all the existing links to new shared links.
• I think any deprecation of public folder in favour of shared folders, the shared folder should be as easy to use - which in my opinion it currently isn't it
  • I have shared items before outside of the public folder and the people I shared with got incredibly confused about having to sign up for dropbox. Its basically unworkable.
• Note - I can see can a pro in deprecating it therebye having one consistent interface .... if that interface was as good!

[dw s.]

Since this change was announced I have gradually been moving anything for which I need links from Dropbox to Google Drive's free storage and got new links for my websites. Even if they change their mind and change the current Public links to the 'Shared Link' automatically, it still means anyone without a DB account who is using an iPad/iPhone (as well as many others) cannot view the links without being pestered to get a DB account.

Fortunately I only have a couple hundred links to amend but I can understand how angry those with thousands must be and especially paid-up users.  For those with many links on forums can I suggest you ask the forum managers to place a prominent note about this problem on the front page of the forum and suggest to forum members that if they find a dead link they contact the poster of link directly for new link? Just a suggestion that would reduce your workload.....