Add .dropboxignore directory to exclude folders without using selective sync

+1

Does anyone have any good relationships with well-known tech journalists or bloggers? Maybe we could tweet at them, refer them here, and give them something to write about.

… and you can sync config and other 'secret' files (like files containing API keys, passwords, etc) without committing them, which is very convenient (and secure) too. 

If Dropbox implements this feature it will become the natural complement to Git/SVN, making millions of developers very happy (and me too)

I would also like to add, that some people may reject our request out of hand as they would say that it promotes an anti pattern for software developers, where you would use Dropbox instead of git, however we (or at least I) have never used Dropbox in place of git and instead use both of them together to compliment one another, where I use Dropbox syncing for myself only and git to mark meaningful changes and share those with others.

This allows me to switch between computers without delay (except for necessary large uploads, hence this thread) and have continuous, instant backups. This also enables me to avoid requiring a commit just to be able to carry my work over from one machine to another, which IMHO is in and of itself an anti pattern as it encourages premature commits.

Well this latest blog post put the nail in Dropbox's coffin for me.

https://blogs.dropbox.com/tech/2016/05/going-deeper-with-project-infinite/

Read the comments at the bottom to see why this is such a bad idea.

Then read how to Drop Dropbox.

Thank you for pointing at, Ray C, didn't notice that. They are not really competitive, aside from the initial free space. 

I like your summary, thanks Stefano :)

I understand Infinite may not be the solution and yes, synching massive amounts of files (especially when installing it on a new machine) can be painful. 

Thanks again for posting,

I don't really think that I need safety, but I don't think they have a FreeBSD client, so I'd have to roll my own solution again.

Are you sure Mega is cheaper? It looks like it is more expensive to me. Dropbox is $8.25/TB/month and Mega is 9.99€/0.5TB/month. That seems like less than half the space for the price.

Thank you for the update, Ed, but, as "cool" can be Infinite, it's not going to change our workflow.

This little hack, on the other hand, could simplify our life greatly and would:

• Avoid unnecessary syncs (saving cpu and bandwidth for us and Dropbox as well)
• Save us from "wrong sync" related issues like 64 bit libraries that "pops up" on a 32 bit computer on the other side of the world screwing our projects. I call them "doomsday syncs", BTW.
• Going through selective sync interface (that is, at least, sluggish and unreliable)

It would be a typical win/win situation if you guys implement it (your bandwidth would be saved too from unnecessary and dangerous syncs of millions of nested folders and files, that is very slow and cpu intensive)

Please "precedence" it, IMO at least. 

Quick update - I'm adding your recent posts to the feedback that I've already sent to our dev team before. I still don't have more info on Infinite as some have asked, so I don't know if that would help achieving the goals you're trying from this request. 

I'm also not suggesting Selective Sync as I'm aware most of you in this thread (if not all) are aware of this functionality already and if you're not using it, it's because it's not fitting your needs as it is.

In any case, I don't have a solid answer to this product request, so hence some 'vague' answers as some of you mentioned. 

I'll update this thread if I hear anything in that regard (both Infinite or this request). Going back to stealth mode now :)