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Re: Ending support of public folder

Ending support of public folder

ae2rigc
New member | Level 2
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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?

659 Replies 659

Chris R.
Collaborator | Level 10
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Mac users can also sign up for a One Drive account (just need to register for a hotmail or Outlook email address) - after that, it just behaves the same way as for Windows users.

Chris R.
Collaborator | Level 10
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Actually, you don't need to change from "dl=0" to "raw=1" - "dl=1" also works and I've tested it in another forum. I'll test it here too:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/s63vkui5hj8iifk/13886356_1344156158947621_6261452485851677603_n.jpg?dl=1

Hopefully it will display when I post. My only worry is that the egregious Dropbox will knock this practice on the head too, after March. We can only hope they don't, and if they do, protest to every consumer radio and TV programme going.

Chris R.
Collaborator | Level 10
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Weird. It hasn't worked here, but did on another forum. Ok, I'll try the other suggestion...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/s63vkui5hj8iifk/13886356_1344156158947621_6261452485851677603_n.jpg?raw=1

Chris R.
Collaborator | Level 10
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That hasn't worked either, but clicking the ?raw=1 link opens just the image in a new tab, so no hijacking the user to the DB website, which is at least one positive.

Dima
Super User alumni
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Chris R: Just change the host name from "www.dropbox.com" to "dl.dropboxusercontent.com", and don't add any query parameters, e.g.:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/s63vkui5hj8iifk/13886356_1344156158947621_6261452485851677603_n....

That will give you the contents of the file, and will avoid a redirect that dl=1 and raw=1 need to do.

Server_Align
Collaborator | Level 10
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Sad how this company just stops supporting things.

 

I dont want to hear any BS about you can MAKE them from anywhere now, since you dont have to MAKE public folder links at all, they just ARE!

 

Knowing the content of the public folder, and the public folder section of the link, you can instantly create a link without any interaction with the DB site, while your offline if you like.

 

narikaa
Helpful | Level 7
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Ex-fookin-actly

DBs competition (can I say things like photobucket here without getting the cane?) supply the damned link you need with a mouse click.

What part of providing a service is:
"ohh you can get the link we provide - granted it doesnt actually work - but if you stand on your head facing into wind and whistle 'Jerusalem' you can convert it into something we cant be bothered to"

Nick C.2
Collaborator | Level 9
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I didn't realise that when this all started, originally a user entered a feature request to restore this functionality and it hit the top six before it was censored and purged by Dropbox:

 

https://i.imgur.com/uRaN7Vc.png

https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/16/12/16/2111220/dropbox-kills-public-folders-users-rebel

 

*Way to get engender trust and get feedback from your paying customers* !

 

(me wonders if this will get censored....)

 

SolitareLee
Helpful | Level 6
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Yep, I was there, and it was also reported on by a couple news websites. I wish more major tech websites would pick this up, but I guess there's no money in pointing out corporate corruption. Dropbox has been consistently censoring people this entire time and refusing to respond to any public outcry, even repeatedly editing things and lying to make it look like there's less of one.

Chris R.
Collaborator | Level 10
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(to Dima R)

 

The problem with that is that - I suspect - Dropbox will end support for any link beginning "dl." as soon as the Public folder stops.

It's worth pointing out that the 'dl=0' to 'dl=1' method still works in other forums, though not here. (DB obviously have control over this one, but not others).

Need more support?