New Dropbox users won't get Public folders or direct links from August 1 - Polidicks

[url]http://www.slashgear.com/dropbox-confirms-public-folder-phase-out-15234163/[/url] [quote=SlashGear]Dropbox has confirmed that it will be ending public folder support from the beginning of August, though the change will only impact new accounts and new public shares. “After July 31, 2012, we will no longer create Public folders in any new Dropbox accounts” the company said today, having emailed developers with the news last night. “Public folders in existing accounts, however, will continue to function as before.” “In April, we launched the ability to share any file or folder in your Dropbox with a simple link” Dropbox wrote on its company blog. “This new sharing mechanism is a more generalized, scalable way to support many of the same use cases as the Public folder … If your app depends on Public folders, we recommend switching to the /shares API call.” News of the change was first reported by German site Mobiflip, and prompted some criticism from Dropbox users. Although the public link functionality is a rough approximation of the public folders, it doesn’t offer direct linking to individual files. Instead, users – who need not be registered with Dropbox – are taken to a webpage that offers download links to those files. Dropbox has not given any explicit reasons for its change in policy, beyond the newer linking system being “more generalized” and “scalable.”[/quote] This is a link using a Public folder: [url]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3675893/example.png[/url] This is a link using the new sharing method: [url]https://www.dropbox.com/s/sj0ppwuhdonc4or/example.png[/url]

More of a reason to switch to another service.

does it really matter? you can still share files plus do people actually host important application files on dropbox?

I don't see a problem with this cause it's only affecting new users.

It sounds like they're just changing the Public folder to a "Shares" folder? Or something like that? Not really a big deal, I don't think. Does make me wonder why they made the switch at all, though, if the functionality is more or less the same - which, as far as I can tell anyways, it will be.

So wait. It only generates a link to ALL your uploaded files? Why would they do that?

It's actually useful. You can link other people's porn folders to your own dropbox! Genius.

No more embedding Dropbox-hosted files? Kinda defeats the point of using them over any similar service.

So if google adds public file URL grabbing from the folder interface, dropbox becomes entirely inferior?

I'm assuming this new way of sharing will also prevent images hosted on Dropbox from being hotlinked. That's pretty stupid, if you'd ask me.

Dropbox must be losing funds, and has to cut back on web costs.

stupid. i'll probably switch to another service if i can't hotlink images after this change. the only reason i used dropbox for any sort of hosting is because i could hotlink images of any size.

[QUOTE=Drsalvador;36356628]stupid. i'll probably switch to another service if i can't hotlink images after this change. the only reason i used dropbox for any sort of hosting is because i could hotlink images of any size.[/QUOTE] It only affects new users starting August 1.

[QUOTE=Drsalvador;36356628]stupid. i'll probably switch to another service if i can't hotlink images after this change. the only reason i used dropbox for any sort of hosting is because i could hotlink images of any size.[/QUOTE] Existing users will still have this functionality.

puush!

[QUOTE=icemaz;36356642]Existing users will still have this functionality.[/QUOTE] my mistake, i parsed the article incorrectly.

Even if you signed up the day Dropbox went public you can't put anything more in your public folder after August 1st. If you're using it to hotlink pictures and you finish a work of art on August 2nd and want to hotlink it from your dropbox, you're out of luck. That's not good.

Wait, does that mean that I can no longer embed images from Dropbox to Facepunch?

[QUOTE=cccritical;36356672]Even if you signed up the day Dropbox went public you can't put anything more in your public folder after August 1st. If you're using it to hotlink pictures and you finish a work of art on August 2nd and want to hotlink it from your dropbox, you're out of luck. That's not good.[/QUOTE] Where does it say that? The article only says that “Public folders in existing accounts, however, will continue to function as before.” which to me sounds like nothing will change for existing users.

[QUOTE=mac338;36356679]Wait, does that mean that I can no longer embed images from Dropbox to Facepunch?[/QUOTE] [img]https://www.dropbox.com/s/sj0ppwuhdonc4or/example.png[/img] if you have a new account no you could always go into the page source and look for the direct image link: [img]https://photos-4.dropbox.com/psi/2048x1536/wrgXHpG5AnavWu98ckb3OibtqtrXLTG5VSIS14H2qV4/3675893/1339963200/df1c866/example.png[/img] just kidding it keeps working on and off

[QUOTE=cccritical;36356672]Even if you signed up the day Dropbox went public you can't put anything more in your public folder after August 1st. If you're using it to hotlink pictures and you finish a work of art on August 2nd and want to hotlink it from your dropbox, you're out of luck. That's not good.[/QUOTE] Source? Their official announcment says 'Public folders in existing accounts, however, will continue to function as before.'

[QUOTE=The First 11'er;36356710][IMG]https://www.dropbox.com/s/sj0ppwuhdonc4or/example.png[/IMG] nope[/QUOTE] Damn, I really like Dropbox but that's 90% of what I use it for. That means I'll have to find another service. Now I'm pissed. [QUOTE=The First 11'er;36356710]you could always go into the page source and look for the direct image link:[/QUOTE] That's a temporary link that runs out after a time peroid. I forget if it's like a minute, an hour or a day. Also it's a hassle.

Wasn't google supposed to be doing a cloud file storage service at some point?

[QUOTE=legolover122;36356733]Wasn't google supposed to be doing a cloud file storage service at some point?[/QUOTE] they do?? afaik google drive is as far as they're going

[QUOTE=legolover122;36356733]Wasn't google supposed to be doing a cloud file storage service at some point?[/QUOTE] Yeah, but I decided not to use it because it didn't have direct viewing. :aaa:

[QUOTE=mac338;36356728]Damn, I really like Dropbox but that's 90% of what I use it for. That means I'll have to find another service. Now I'm pissed. That's a temporary link that runs out after a time peroid. I forget if it's like a minute, an hour or a day. Also it's a hassle.[/QUOTE] yeah that's probably why its broken now, at least i have an old account

Well, I guess it's time to get a Dropbox account.

[QUOTE=horsedrowner;36356552]I'm assuming this new way of sharing will also prevent images hosted on Dropbox from being hotlinked. That's pretty stupid, if you'd ask me.[/QUOTE] I assume it would which sucks. Only one way to find out though. [IMG]https://www.dropbox.com/s/sj0ppwuhdonc4or/example.png[/IMG] Edit: Nope you can't embed it.

What, I registered two hours ago then this. Fuck. [editline]value[/editline] Misunderstanding.

Well I got 25 gigs free from microsoft for skydrive so if push comes to shove, I can always use that to post things as they have said it will affect everyone (New users will not get a public folder and any new items added to existing public folders will use the new system)