The cloud has made it very easy for people all around the world to share information like no other time in history. Simply dropping a file on the cloud and letting people pick it up as needed is a massive jump from the times of the Pony Express. There are rules that need to be understood if you hope to share files properly with others. These rules can help you to upload the files correctly, to make them accessible by those you want to have access, to protect your files and to lock your files from editing if needed. This will allow you to share information through the cloud like a pro.
Upload Files Correctly
The first part of file sharing through the cloud is uploading files in the first place. In most cases, this is as simple as moving the file from one location to another. Of course, there may be a size consideration. If the program you are using restricts the size of the files you can upload, you will not be able to get the kind of results you are looking for if you need to upload massive files. Beware as many of the file sharing companies online requires you to pay in order to have large amounts of memory.
Make Files Accessible
The whole point of online file sharing is to make the files available to share. Make sure to invite anyone you need to have access to the files you are adding to the cloud. They can either download the files, or access them directly using their computer. Everyone will have to set up an account with the company you are using so they will be able to have access to the files. This is a free process and you can invite them to assure they will not have to pay, even if you are paying for a massive online storage account.
Lock Files from Editing
Most of the file sharing programs on the cloud have encryption software that protects the information on the system overall. Even though you have access to this kind of protection, make sure you are using individual encryption software for the individual files. This will assure that even if someone has access to the main site that they will not have access to your files. If you are using encryption software, you will need to make sure that anyone you are sharing the files with will also have the same encryption software.
Protect Your Files
In some cases, you may want to share information, but still maintain the ownership of the file itself. This is when you might want to lock the files from being edited. Those who have access to the files will be able to see everything that is in the files, but they will not be able to make any changes. This is perfect when you simply want to share information, but not looking for a collaborative effort. Use this to show people the final draft of anything you have been working on.
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