Introducing Private Files
DivShare has always been a great way to share your files with the world, and our newest feature now makes it a perfect solution for storing your backups, personal projects and other private files online. These new private files are accessible only when you’re logged into your account.
To give it a try, log in to your account or sign up for a new one (it’s very fast and very free). Then head over to the upload page, where you’ll find a new sharing option:
Check the “Make it private” box and upload away. Your new file still gets its own DivShare URL, but no one will be able to download it but you. Here’s what another user will see if they try to access your private file:
And, of course, if you ever visit your file’s download URL before you’re logged in, just use the form on that page and you’ll be able to view your file immediately. Now, head over to the dashboard to see the changes we’ve made to allow you to modify the privacy setting of all your files:
You can also see the new icon we’re using to indicate a file that’s been flagged, as well as the fact that we use DivShare a lot while developing DivShare :). To change your file’s privacy, just click on the “Public” or “Private” link, which will launch a new dialog beneath the file, just like how it works for deleting a file or viewing the sharing links.
So, there ya go! Start taking advantage of the new privacy features to upload all the stuff you want to keep online but don’t want everyone else to see. And, of course, our content standards regarding adult and copyrighted content like music, movies and software still apply to your private stuff.
As always, hit us up with all your comments and suggestions right here on the blog.
January 16th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
I needed this option. Nice and simple too which is great. Looking forward to seeing what else you got planned.
January 17th, 2007 at 10:08 am
Excellent indeed!
Could even be taken further too - many files one does not wish to be “Public”, but one definitely wants them to be accessible to Friends and Family.
However giving Friends and Family both one’s username AND password is hardly ideal as that would give them access to one’s really private files too!
So how about a Friends and Family category with a different password.
Jeremy
January 17th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
To share the private files with others… I suppose you can create another account that you can share the username & password with others. I just wonder if there would there be any conflict in the system if BOTH were logged on at the same time?
January 17th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
I agree with Walter and Jeremy - it would be nice to set up a gallery that could be shared with a special password to a group of friends or family. Walter’s idea might be a work arround but how would I transfer items from my private account to the shared account? That is without re uploading again.
It would be nice if the shared account/gallery would just be a subsection of the main account. Maybe a box for share this picture/ file/ gallery with x subaccount. You could use a checkbox or dropdown menu.
January 18th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Seems to me that the best of all would be that a Gallery (or Folder of non-image files if these were introduced) could be allocated an individual passward.
Maybe the password could be auto generated when an e-mail was sent to someone inviting them to view a Gallery (or folder).
That way different Galleries/folders could be for different recipients (with individual passwords).
Subsequently if one wished to “link” a new Gallery/folder to an existing one (to avoid having more than one password for, say, family) - one could be asked if there were an existing Gallery/folder to link to - and if a new e-mail were sent the system would add the original password. Family who already had the password would not necessarily even need a fresh e-mail notification - they would simply see a new folder when they next logged in to divShare.
Ia - I think your idea of sub accounts for specific groups of people is excellent
(”Family” or “Friends” or whoever). Presumably all group members could upload Galleries from different locations if they knew the name and password. The Sub-Accounts would be nice as they could be given a more General Name that therefore would feel as though that account were a colletive shared resource of all participants.
January 18th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
So if I email someone to be notified of viewing a new file I upload, then I make it private, will they be able to see it when they log in with the email address that I sent notification to?
January 18th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
When you upload a file and make it private, you get a direct link address.
Send this link to another person you want to share it with.
That person will get a screen that says they have to log in to view the file. However, the download starts right away without entering anything. So they can download it, but they can’t access the account unless you give them the log in info.
January 18th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Re: Walter’s error report, that problem is now fixed, and was only the case for about two hours after some server changes. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thanks as always for using DivShare.
January 19th, 2007 at 5:23 am
Walter - see what you mean re: ability to send a direct link of a private file to someone that they can then download (though currently no link to download a whole album of files together).
However as regards Friends and Family - surely what is needed is the ability to view whole albums which are viewable to that group of people, but not the general public.
Only when the Album had been viewed would the fovoured shots be saved by the viewer.
For that one needs Album specific passwords.
Jeremy
January 20th, 2007 at 11:39 am
i really wanna see a folders option - enabling some sort of order by saving files in different folders. this will be helpful as one uploads more and more files…
January 20th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
There’s a lot of confusion caused by “Flag this file” button.
While I agree that it is important to provide the users with the possibility to flag inappropriate or copyrighted content, placement of this button doesn’t seem adequate.
I have many friends who either do not speak English well, or are just too busy to read the label.
When they open the download link, the fore-mentioned button is the only push-button they see, so they just press it.
One of the possible solutions would be to place clearly labeled “Download” button on the download page.
This will significantly reduce the number of false alarms as most of the internet users know the word Download already.
.
January 21st, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Hey! You guys should put a uploading status!
January 21st, 2007 at 2:24 pm
no show
January 22nd, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Hi =) ..can i upload mobile software? thanks
January 22nd, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Burney80: As long as it’s not copyrighted material (i.e. open source that allows you to post anywhere or you created it/own the rights) you can upload just about anything.
February 14th, 2007 at 11:12 am
Hi, I have uploaded a bunch of images, and I checked “create gallery” while doing this. But where is my gallery? Where can I view the images? All I can find is a file-list. A file list is not a gallery!
February 15th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
Regarding sharing files:
DivShare can put a feature that, AFTER YOU LOG IN, allows you to email a friend or family member to view that file. The email would contain a link to the file, that would be generated when you hit SEND, to send the email to that person. The other person receives your email advising them that you have invited them to view a file and all they need to do is click on the link… VIOLA… It takes them right to file…. DivShare would have to program this because it has to get around logging in to access “private” files. But by virtue of the email sent, DivShare would know that this person has been given access and take them directly to the file. Some programming on DivShare’s side.. but if they are able to make a site like this… then I’m sue it’s a piece of cake for them to do.