A preview of this week’s big changes
As we’ve mentioned briefly in a few posts, we are working on a ton of cool new upgrades to DivShare. The new features are going to rock your world, the new design is the hotness, and a bunch of other changes will simplify the site and focus on what DivShare does best: easy web hosting for everyone. Today, we’re giving you a preview of a few features from the current version of DivShare that will be lessened or removed in our big update — this will provide you a simpler, easier-to-use application, without a lot of the bells and whistles that haven’t been adopted en masse by our members. Here’s the lowdown:
Profiles and Friends: We’ll be removing the DivShare profile pages, and the connections you’ve made with DivShare friends. We love social networks, but we’ve found that these features have added unnecessary complexity to the site without a big payback in added functionality. As you’ll see, a big part of this redesign is going to be eliminating features that no longer fit our core mission to be the fastest, simplest host on the web. Our new features will all focus on that idea, and we’ll release the details on those over the next couple days.
Groups: While groups are also a really cool idea, we’ve done a lot of research and found that only a handful of them have really gelled into the large, vibrant sharing communities. For those of you who have very active groups, we’ll work with you to make the transition as smooth as possible — feel free to drop us an e-mail with any questions you have along the way. Over the next week, we’ll be phasing out the creation of new groups, and then phasing out the ones that are currently online.
We’ll also be changing or eliminating a few smaller features, like comments, inboxes and favorites, that don’t get a lot of use or don’t fit in with our larger vision. In all of these cases, our support team will be able to help you retrieve any data or files you might have had stored as a part of any of the features that will be retired. We’re expecting all this to take effect toward the beginning of next week.
So, what’s in store for the future? We’ve got some really cool new features for our Flash players, and new options that will allow you to link directly to your files without going through a download page. We’ll be hard at work on the new stuff all weekend, so let us know if you have any questions, and stay tuned for more Version 2 launch news!
June 8th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Do you think you’ll come up with a Facebook application anytime in the future?
I think comments are a neat idea for the files, so I will be sad to see that go. I also really like how you show who is linking to the files that we upload.
June 8th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
I’m one of the many who I guess never used these features. Good to see that less is more after all. I would again urge you to give us a truely useful and well-designed dashboard.
We need size, downloads, privacy status as columns that can be sorted and a filter on privacy status would be brilliant features.
June 8th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
One thing I would say to keep is easy sharing with other divshare users. I totally understand taking out all the social goodness, its unnecessary, but easy sharing is helpful so that your not emailing links to everyone.
June 8th, 2007 at 10:22 pm
im loving this site more and more especially now that you guys will be givin us the option to give direct links to our uploaded files. i can’t wait for this feature it makes everything so much easier for me.
YOU GUYS ARE TAKING OVER… KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK !!
June 9th, 2007 at 11:27 am
As always, great to see the responsiveness towards your rapidly growing community. You guys rock!! Couple of items for a wishlist:
1. for photo albums (and overall appearance), would it be possible to allow the account owner choose a different theme - such as a black background instead of the standard white? The slideshow is great, and a darker background would set the photos off even more!
2. when in an album, a link or button back to the folder list, or account home. (if it’s there, I’m missing it - the back button in the browser works fine, but this may not be intuitive to a visitor)
Thanks for sharing!
June 9th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
i think that removing Groups is a bad idea. it is a public area where many users go to share their files together instead of finding the files in separate profiles. i dont see any easier way to do that
June 9th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Thanks for thinking of better features for the site. If I may suggest,
1. At the dashboard, I wish we may be able to move folders or rearrange them alphabetically. It would also be good if you allot a bigger slot for the folders area so we can view them easily and not the long list of our downloads. It will be faster to look for files that way . Anything thats not in the folder may just be the one listed outside.
2. I wish that when I open every folder, the previews can be seen and that there’s a “next” and “previous” button like the ones in the slide show. I have around 16 folders but only one is doing a slide show.
3. I wish there’ll be previews for different photo files aside from jpeg. When my picture file is bitmap, I still have to download it to my computer to be able to view it.
If there shall be no profile page, how can visitors not see folders/files that we wish to be private?
Thanks!
June 9th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
I’m stunned. Removing Groups?
Right now Memory Lane has 122 members. All they needed was an on-site search and an alphanumeric file system. Instead you’re saying “Too bad. By-By”…talk about getting some terrible PR…this stinks, and I’m out a year’s subscription.
June 9th, 2007 at 10:41 pm
I couldn’t agree more with Don. I had been looking forward to improvements in Divshare which would allow for better organization of files and folders and for transfer of files and complete folders easily between members. I thought all of that was coming in the near future. Suddenly, Divshare seems to be taking a different direction. I am disappointed, to say the least. It now appears Divshare is not gong to be offering the services I need. Guess I will have to look elsewhere.
Gary
June 9th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
I am very disappointed at wat divshare is doing
File Sharing Groups was da major reason I joined divshare where I could easily share files, photos videos with all my friends and classmates.
And even profiles & friends was a neat idea and gave us a nice main page to show off ur pix videos n stuff. I no longer needed any of the photo album pages, video & music sharing sites 4 ppl 2 link 2.
I invited a lot of my friends to sign up for divshare, and they really liked all its cool features, and especially the concept of a space where ppl could share files with others. But sadly, they all are going to be disappointed by the removal of some very useful features.
The feature of Groups is a quintessential feature to such a file sharing site.
Profiles & friends are also preferable but we will some how hav 2 do without them if u do indeed remove them.
The other features that u hav decided 2 remove were really unnecessary their removal shoudnt cause much grief
June 9th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
It is rather like being part of a perpetual beta - actually a pre-release beta!
Certainly it is odd to remove features such as groups shortly after starting to take payments for participation at divShare.
Maybe there should be two divShare sites. One for all the experimentation - trying features out and chopping and changing.
And a stable version where only fully developed features were occasionally introduced.
June 10th, 2007 at 4:10 am
i think it’s a bad idea removing all the groups, specially since it makes it a lot easier for users to share and find files instead of having to look for them in different profiles scattered all over the place
June 10th, 2007 at 11:53 am
You are doing away with the features that made me want to use your service.
The Groups made it real easy for sharing the files with each other.
I belong to “Memory Lane” and “OTR World” both are groups with the common interest of preserving and sharing Old Time Radio shows.
I’ve spent many hours/days uploading files to “OTR World” to share easily and now you tell me it was a waste of time. If you check these 2 groups you’ll see these files have been downloaded by many people who had no other way to get these shows.
June 10th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
I would like to see Groups kept.
I can’t say much more than what’s already been said in the messages above. The only way I even found this site was because of “OTR World” in the first place.
June 10th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
I would like for the groups to be kept. The group makes it easier for me and my friends or groups with the same interest to share and talk about it.
I like to suggest files with password, or more security option on who can view your files. Like if I were to upload files and make it friends only, only my friends can dl it and no one else. Same goes for the groups, but I think you guys already did that for the group.
Thnx for making this site so great.
June 10th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
Why get rid of groups? The only reason I joined was because I could create a group to share video and photos with friends. Why should I continue to be a member of DivShare if I can’t do this?
June 11th, 2007 at 12:13 am
thank you for making it possible to directly link to our file without going to the download page. this way i can prevent people from downloading which has been a major concern of mine. i want to make music available on my page, but not downloadable. thanks again for making this option available
June 11th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
The groups ability was what drew me to use your services and the same day I sign up to check it out I read your blog that you’re getting rid of it. We have a private programming group for a GNU project and I am looking for a service with groups so we can have a different group for our programmers versus the public group. We need one place to see all the current projects in one place and the sending of links for each file will be a hindrance to us.
June 11th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
Bad, really bad decision.
Groups and profile was the only thing that difference DivShare from the rest (ok, better design and ajax too). The only reason I’m currently using divshare is groups, because unlimited space there are other alternatives.
Thanks DivShare, you’re taking of the “social” from social file storage (how I was named it in my blog entries or to friends).
I know alternatives with social solution around the net.
June 11th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
I recently joined DivShare and, like others, like Groups very much. I use Divshare as a way to share files and pictures with classmates from a graduate course, anw we find this place good and useful. So I would rather prefer not to get rid of Groups. It’s maybe one of the better features of this site. We have devoted some hours putting together the Group inside DivShare that it would be a pity having to move somewhere else…
June 12th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Its good to hear about new updates but i really dont like the new mp3 streaming design as we cant see the name of the mp3. Plz make a new design which shows the name of the song or just restore the previous flash player.
Thanks
June 12th, 2007 at 10:46 am
“and new options that will allow you to link directly to your files without going through a download page”
If this is what i am thinking then you ROCK
(I think you mean:
a. I upload a mp3 called song.mp3
b. The link will be http://www.divshare.com/modkafros/song.mp3
c. I can attach it to my flash mp3 play directly)
P.S. I hope this will be free…
June 13th, 2007 at 1:06 am
I second Alistener’s comment. (I, too, am—-er, was—-a member of both MemoryLane and OTRWorld.) YOU folk may think the groups weren’t as “vibrant” as you hoped/expected/thought, but WE folk know how vibrant our little groups had become. Perhaps you might have taken a look at the number of downloads coming/going from our little groups and, I’m sure, quite a few others, before deciding to leave we folk in limbo . . .
June 13th, 2007 at 3:28 am
I just want one more.. Please do it. I can’t upload exe, jar, sis, zip ect. Please do that we can upload these files..
Sorry for my BAD english
June 13th, 2007 at 7:20 am
Well, I’m annoyed.
I want the groups and profiles concept back, where I can CHOOSE who gets to download my files, instead of having them available to every hacker, Jack, and bonehead. Making them private does not help…
I belonged to a small but very active group who shared numerous files on our common group profile page.
If you wanted me to take out a premium subscription to do this, I’d gladly do it…but right now, you’ve got me wondering if I should even bother to keep the DivShare subscription I’ve got, if you’re not going to make my files private without making a bunch of people jump through hoops to get them.
June 13th, 2007 at 7:31 am
Another suggestion…maybe instead of just saying “15DL” on a file, set it up so I can find out WHO downloaded the files, and block those I don’t want downloading them.
Sure, that’s similar to a profile, but I want to share my files with my friends only, not just anybody who stumbles across it.
June 13th, 2007 at 9:53 am
[…] The redesign also spelled the end of groups, profiles, and inboxes/favorites. I didn’t really use any of that myself as DivShare was only a file hosting service for me, but judging from the comments on their blog there are some people who were upset that these features were removed. Although by removing those features it gives them more time to focus on what they do best: file sharing. […]
June 13th, 2007 at 10:48 am
[…] The redesign also spelled the end of groups, profiles, and inboxes/favorites. I didn’t really use any of that myself as DivShare was only a file hosting service for me, but judging from the comments on their blog there are some people who were upset that these features were removed. Although by removing those features it gives them more time to focus on what they do best: file sharing. […]
June 14th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
When I saw that “Beta ” was in the name I new that this site was in transition and sooner or later the dollar would have to get involved. Before you get us all ticked off, how about giving us a clear understanding of where you want to take DivShare and what the future plans are for us Beta Monkeys.
June 17th, 2007 at 1:10 am
While I never felt I had a need for “groups”, eliminating the “profile” feature has made sharing much more difficult. For example, if your friends/family, etc. were used to merely “searching” your profile name, they could easily get to your download space and navigate from there.
Without the profile, now every time you’d like to share a folder or link, you have to send them that individual link. This is cumbersome, and takes away the beauty of having people only needing to know your profile name.
Sure wish you’d left the profile one alone.
Just my $.02
g
June 18th, 2007 at 2:01 am
Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! skwcuraonkyedo
July 9th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Yeah, I want the profile and groups back. It’s the main reason why I liked divshare over all the other file uploading sites. It made this place more personal and easier to navigate. Now, it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack. :[