Ending support of public folder

[ae2rigc]

Just heard from dropbox that support for the public folder is ending.

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As a result, we’ll soon be ending support for the Public folder. Dropbox Pro users will be able to use the Public folder until
September 1, 2017. After that date the files in your Public folder will become private, and links to these files will be deactivated. Your files will remain safe in Dropbox.

If you’d like to keep sharing files in your Public folder, you can create new shared links. Just make sure to send the new URLs to your collaborators.

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It is one of the most useful features of the service for me as I use it to get links to single files that I can send to people without setting up shared folders and requiring them to have dropbox accounts.

(Save file to my public folder locally, syncs, right click, get publick link, paste. Doesn't get any easier than that.)

It's also useful for bb style forum posts where you can link to images with an easy tag.

With the public folder support being removed, is there going to be an alternative solution to allow easy public sharing of single files?

[Huggalugs]

Adding my vote to please not kill public folders! The time it would take for me to change all my links to the images in my folders is beyond thinkable. The pubic folder is one of the main reasons I've been a dropbox customer for so long. I beg you to rethink this decision!

[Jacob J.2]

Shame on you Drpobox management. What a dumb move. Want to piss off long time users? Guess what, you have succeeded at that. I used to recommend Dropbox everywhere i went, for 7 years, but that won't be the case any longer. I won't support a company that goes against common sense logic and that doesn't care what their customers want. A chage like that should only be applicable to new users, who join after this stupid decision. Dropbox, I hope you won't be able to make any more profits, because you don't deserve profit. 

[SolitareLee]

I've been using Dropbox for my business for almost five years now. The devestation it'll wreak when those links all die at once is almost mind-numbing: I have 4200 files and 100s of meticulously maintained folders and subfolders. It's literally the only reason I use Dropbox. It's why it was recommended to me, and why I've been recommending it dozens of others over the years, both personally and online. 

I literally made a username for this account just to upvote this and say that I'll be cancelling my service and switching to a new one ENTIRELY in protest if this change goes through. I had been just considering switching to Dropbox Pro for more space due to how much I used Dropbox in my business and personal life. I'm VERY VERY VERY glad I put off making that decision until the new year! If I was a Pro user I'd be demanding a refund right now; this is ridiculous behavior for any business. 

[Pablo f.6]

Friends we need to unite and fill the email support@dropbox.com with our dissatisfaction with this change.

[disanski]

I am out of here if dropbox ends the public folder and breaks all the old links!!!

[RichardK26]

Wow, what a response!  My gratitude goes out to everyone chiming in.  Overnight, you've made this the 7th most popular feature request. 

If you're on Slashdot, feel free to upvote this news story.  If you're social network savvy, make some noise.

Let's keep raising awareness of the issue.  Who knows, we might just be lucky enough to reach a critical mass sufficient to catch the attention of a decision maker at the company.

[ROMAD]

@RIPerKilla wrote:

"Directlinks was the sole reason I used Dropbox. Will surely migrate somewhere else if Public folder goes away.

"What a relief I was using free account. I feel sorry for Pros."

Beware the Ides of March, RIPerKilla! For Dropbox Basic users, the Public Folder goes away March 15, 2017.

[ROMAD]

"Directlinks was the sole reason I used Dropbox. Will surely migrate somewhere else if Public folder goes away.

"What a relief I was using free account. I feel sorry for Pros."

Beware the Ides of March, RIPerKilla! For Dropbox Basic users, the Public Folder goes away March 15, 2017.

[JetWave]

I've appreciated, loved and shared the dropbox service for years using the free model, so with this change I figured it'd be time to finally upgrade. It's only fair, that way. But the public folder is removed for paying customers as well? That's insane. 

I am very dissapointed. 

[Mercer432]

Please don't kill Public Folders... this will destroy an enormous amount of archivng effort in public education.

[Elizabeth G.10]

I have many files shared from my public folder, and links to those files are posted in forums, on Quora, on blogs, and an unknown number of other sites.  Finding and repairing all of these broken links is a huge undertaking.

Is there any way to preserve the existing public links?  This was a fantastic feature in dropbox and fixing it will be a huge pain.