DropBox: An Overview

Founded in 2007 by MIT graduates Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi as a Y Combinator startup. Dropbox is a Web-based file hosting service operated by Dropbox, Inc. Using cloud computing to enable users to store and share files and folders with others across the Internet using file synchronization  Dropbox uses the freemium financial model and its free service provides 2 GB of free online storage.Dropbox can be said to be an "online flash drive".

There are both free and paid services, each with varying options.^[6] In comparison to similar services, Dropbox offers a relatively large number of user clients across a variety of desktop and mobile operating systems. There are a number of versions across many operating systems, including versions for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux (official and unofficial),^[7] as well as versions for mobile devices, such as Android, Windows Phone 7, iPhone, iPad andBlackBerry, and a web-based client for when no local client is installed.
Dropbox uses thefreemium financial model and its free service provides 2 GB of free online storage. Users who refer Dropbox to others can gain up to 8 GB of free storage.

The purpose of a dropbox is to allow a user to add content without the ability to modify or remove the content once it has been added. There are two types of dropbox users -- the submitter and the administrator.

• Administrator.  A dropbox administrator is a user which has either created the dropbox, or has been added as a dropbox administrator to an existing dropbox. This user has the ability to view, modify and delete any content located within the dropbox. The administrator may also close or open the dropbox to submissions. Visit Dropbox Administration for more information.
• Submitter.  A dropbox submitter is a user which has been added to the dropbox by the dropbox administrator. This user has the ability to add any content from either their local computer or from their existing account. The submitter may view any content they have added to the dropbox, however they may not modify or delete the content. There may be multiple submitters for each dropbox, however the submitters will only see their own files. Visit Using the Dropbox for more information.

Submissions

When creating a new dropbox, the administrator may set the date on which the dropbox is available for submissions. If this date is left blank, submissions may be made immediately. The final submission date, or dropbox close date, may also be set. For more information regarding managing the open and close dates of dropboxes, visit Managing the Dropbox.

With several submitters to a single dropbox, it is highly probable there will be files with the same name added to the same dropbox. If submitter "Sally" adds the file "bird.jpg", and the submitter "Steve" adds the file "bird.jpg" to the same dropbox, there will not be any type of conflict or renaming of the file. If, however, the submitter "Sally" adds the file "bird.jpg" and attempts to add another file "bird.jpg" to the dropbox, an error will be received. It is not possible to upload a file of the same name in an effort to replace the file. You must rename the file.

Permissions

Providing access to a dropbox should be done from within the dropbox wizard, or the dropbox manage pages. Similar to a wiki, access should not be granted through the traditional share and permissions pages for files and folders. If this should accidentally occur, open and save the dropbox. This resets permissions correctly.

Accessing a Dropbox

The dropbox administrator may notify a user of dropbox access using any of the following methods:

• Email. Open your dropbox to launch the administrative screen. An Email button will appear, clicking this button allows for emailing the dropbox link to submitters and administrators of the dropbox. You may modify this email to include any additional information.
• Copy link location. Within the Document Manager, navigate to the location of the dropbox.xapp file of your choice. Right-click on the file, and then select the "Copy link location" option. You may paste this link into an email, or use it as a web link, etc. If this link is sent to a recipient whom is listed as neither an administrator or a submitter they will not be able to view the dropbox.
• Dropbox details. Navigate to the dropbox manage screen. Click on the dropbox details link, and then copy the dropbox location into an email, or use it as a web link, etc. If this link is sent to a recipient whom is listed as neither an administrator or a submitter they will not be able to view the dropbox.

Adding Content

Similar to the file upload options in the webview, you have the ability to use either standard or advanced upload options. When using the advanced upload option, you must have Java 1.5 or newer installed. For more information on adding content, visit Using the Dropbox.

Missing Files in the Dropbox

It is possible that a file you submitted to the dropbox a week, or a moment ago may no longer show up in the dropbox. Files may be moved by the dropbox administrator at any time. Your file is not missing, but rather moved to a location in which you do not have access.

Closed Dropbox

A dropbox may be closed at any time by the dropbox administrator. If the dropbox is closed you may longer submit content and should contact the dropbox administrator. When visiting a closed dropbox, it will be plainly displayed as "closed" and none of your content will be listed.;