Website Tools: Sharing Files

Collaboration has always been part of business and life. What's different now is how easy that has become, at least from certain perspectives. The tools available are wide ranging and readily available. I wrote recently about one of those tools and the ways that I use it to essentially help me be more efficient. If you didn't see it, I wrote about how I use my Google Drive. This time I'm going to write about file sharing.

What does this look like? In the past, we talked about how having some kind of policy for being able to work in a mobile format is almost a must these days. It can help a company to be more productive and be a great benefit for team members. One of the examples we gave was about an employee having to stay home to look after a sick child. They don't necessarily want to use a vacation day, but they need to be home. This is one time when, among other things, file sharing comes into play. Sure, emailing can work, but in many cases the files are too large or the email takes a long time to arrive. With an online drive the files are there as soon as they're uploaded.

Which tools? Personally I've used Dropbox quite a bit. This is a great tool and gets the job done. All you have to do is share the folder with someone and then move the file. However, it's not perfect. I've had issues with certain types of video files that simply don't transfer well, but in general it works.

The other option that I've used is Google Drive. What I like about this option, while also not perfect, it makes it possible for someone to not only share files, but for multiple people to be able to edit the file. There are also options, concerning permissions, on what the person you're sharing the file with can do to the file.

What to remember: As I stated in the last article, not every tool is going to work for every person, but that shouldn't deter you from seeking out new tools and options for getting the job done both more efficiently and effectively.