Solution for conflicted copies

[thomaskkang]

PROBLEM:
When two (or more) users open the same shared file and save different changes independently, Dropbox creates two (or more) branching files. This is a serious deficiency when many users are working on the same file - something that is causing many of the people I share files with to look around for a better solution than Dropbox.

SOLUTION:
Create an additional setting where a user who is making changes on a file to lock that file until the user is finished making changes to the file.

[Rich]

There is a feature coming that will notify users when someone else has the file open, but it will only be available to Dropbox for Business users. It's called Project Harmony.

[IT I.]

The badges feature works fine for those with the dropbox app on their desktop, however many users aren't using that app.  A way to mark a file as read only while editing would be great.

[Mark]

How would that work though? They'd need to be connected to a desktop to show that it was in use. 

[IT I.]

How about a way to mark it manually?  What I've suggested for our users is that when a user opens a document, spreadsheet or other editable file, they immediately save it as document name - in use - user name.  Then when they are done they rename it as the old name.

If a user could mark the document as read only or in use, which would really be doing the same as above, it would help us with a lot of conflicts.

When a user has a document open in sharepoint, it marks it as read only for all other users until it is closed.

[Derek R.2]

Just do whatever Google Docs does...it works automagically when collaborating on a document (two files being open and worked on)

[Ben P.20]

As Derek R stated.  It needs to be automatic, like google docs.  It's too hard to 'remember' to do any particular thing.  Needs to be fail-safe. 

[MetaMedia]

Doc files are not the only types of files. Dropbox is used with vast array of file types.

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