Copy link button creates an edit link on a view file

That doesn't seem to be the issue, because when I tried it again with a private window I got the same results with the identical link.

Could you clarify what Moodle is exactly, and it affects Dropbox links? Are the users signed into their own Dropbox account when viewing the link?

Moodle is our course management system. It allows us to post urls and documents to share them with students. I've never seen it change a url before. 😞

The users do not need to have dropbox links, though some of them might.

What exactly happens when a user in Moodle clicks the edit PDF button, or the Draw button? Does it allow them to change the PDF in the shared link itself? 

If so, does the change save for anyone else who views the same shared link, or just for that user? What about if you view the shared link in an incognito window afterwards?

I'll let you know when I find out, but it will be a while.

Hi patb1, I'm Alex - PM lead for document tools at Dropbox. We tested the flows based on your feedback and verified that students shouldn't be able to edit original document. They can only create an edited copy and save it separately. Please let me know if your experience is different. 

However, I do agree that with recent change in UI it became confusing. I really do apologize for that, as I can see it disrupted your work quite a bit. We're working on improving experience here (in fact you already should see improvements). Thank you for your feedback!

For years, I have used the right-click function in Windows Explorer to copy and share links to files for student use. My default Dropbox settings clearly say "View only." It is only this past year that I have found that students have been able to edit the files without downloading them, including on a spreadsheet shared for the final exam. This is, as others have said, a significant breach. 
I need to continue using the Explorer interface; logging into the the online server each time I want to share a link is tedious and impractical. Like the original poster to this thread, I no longer trust Dropbox as I have in the past. Is there a solution?  

Hey slruss63, thanks for taking the time to post your feedback to our Community.

Can you take a look at these steps and let me know if they help?