26 Feb 2021

The Easiest Way You'll Ever Find To Share Files

Sharing files can be made needlessly complex, but most people prefer simple and easy to complex and difficult. Using a service such as Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive makes the process as simple as possible, but (as Einstein may have cautioned against) no simpler.

Truth in quoting: Albert Einstein probably did not say the exact words "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler", but it's likely that he said something that had the essentially the same meaning. But we'll leave that for another time, and perhaps we'll just all forget about it.

Regardless of Einstein's thoughts on the matter, my preference is always for the easy method. I'm lazy that way. If there's something that I need to do frequently, I try to find a way to automate it. If there's a difficult path and an easy path, I always choose the easy path.

There are lots of hard ways to share files: You can attach a file to an email and send it to someone. You can put it on a thumb drive or CD and mail it. Those are two needlessly complex methods that come to mind immediately.

When you send a file as an email attachment, the recipient will need to download it and figure out where to save it locally. You might be surprised by how many people don't know how to deal with downloaded files. And if you expect the recipient to make changes to the file and send it back to you, there's a whole new level of complexity. Sending the file on a thumb drive or CD is even worse.

Wouldn't it be nice if the person you want to share a file with could just open it and, if you want that person to be able to edit it, to make changes and save the file so that it's immediately available to you? It can be just that easy with Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive.

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My preference is Google Drive (with Backup and Sync from Google), but similar functionality exists with OneDrive.

Anyone who has a Google account has Google Drive with 15GB of storage for free. That may be enough for you. Because my storage requirements vary over time, I pay for an addition 100GB of storage ($20 per year) and that gives me 115GB of storage. This turns out to be 121GB because of some grandfathered uses. If I ever need more space, I can increase storage to 200GB for $30 per year or 2TB for $100 per year.

Once you've signed up for Google Drive, it's a good idea to download and install Backup and Sync from Google. If there's any complexity, this is where it occurs. Backup and Sync can be used to backup your computer's Desktop, Documents, and Pictures directories and the setup procedure needlessly sends people down that road.

It's fine if you want to use Google Drive to back up your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures directories, but this isn't the place to set up shares for others to use. So let's assume that you have a Google account and that you want to use it for more than just backing up the Desktop, Documents, and Pictures directories.

Start by downloading and installing Backup and Sync from Google.

During the setup process, you'll be asked to decide whether you want to back up the Desktop, Documents, and Pictures directories. You'll also have an option to choose another folder to back up. This is where a lot of people run off the rails. Check the Desktop, Documents, and Pictures directories if you want to back them up, but don't add any other directories. I don't use the Desktop, Documents, and Pictures directories in the usual manner, so I don't back them up.

The next step involves defining your Google Drive. I have created a directory called "GoogleDrive" on drive H. It doesn't have to be called GoogleDrive. It could be called "frobozz" and be located on drive Z. (Apologies to Zork and the Great Underground Empire for that.) The point is that any file you place in that directory will be backed up to GoogleDrive in the cloud after you set it up.

If you simply want to share files with a friend or spouse, create a directory on each computer that you want to be able to access your GoogleDrive directory. You can call it anything you want, but GoogleDrive is a good choice. Then install Google Backup and Sync on each of those computers using your user name and password, and specify that you want to use that directory in the GoogleDrive section of the setup.

Any file you place in the GoogleDrive directory will appear on all of the computers where you have installed Backup and Sync with your user name and password.

Sharing Files With Others

Once you get Backup and Sync set up for your Google Drive, files you place in the Google Drive directory will synchronize to all of the computers where you have set it up. For me, that means files are synced between my primary computer, a MacBook Pro, and a Surface tablet. The files are also accessible from my Apple tablet and Android phone. If you're sharing files with family members, you can install Backup and Sync on their computers and use your account so that specific directories will be synced to their computers.

You may also want to share files with other people and there are two options: You can give those you're sharing files with only the ability to view the files, or you can allow them to edit files you've shared or upload their own files to share with you. It's not necessary for the people you share files with to have a Google account, but it does make the process a lot easier and I'll presume that those you'll be sharing with do have a Google account.

In addition to not needing a Google account, those who share your files don't need to install Backup and Sync from Google. They'll access the files using the web interface, so sharing starts by logging onto the Google Drive website interface. From there, you can share directories or individual files.

When you open the web interface, you'll see quick access to files that you open frequently and files that you've opened recently. Below that are folders. The screen shot shows a folder called Bellefontaine. To share that folder with someone, start by right-clicking it and then choose the Share option from the context menu.

I'll assume that my objective is to share the folder only with people I've explicitly invited and that I'll require them to log in. Additionally, I'll give them only viewer permissions so that they won't be able to add comments or change the files. They also will not have permission to add files.

So I start by (1) clicking the link to modify or confirm the options. On the next screen, I select (2) the Restricted option. To change the permission level from viewer to commenter or editor. I could (3) choose the preferred permission level from the drop-down list.

To give the right to view files, click (1) Add people and groups. This will display a (2) list of people that are in your contacts, but you can also just type an email address. Sharing is easier if the person you're giving access to has a Google account, but it isn't necessary.

Later, you may want to review who has permission to view, edit, or add comments to your files. Right-clicking the folder and choosing Share displays a list of people who have access to the folder and what they are allowed to do. You will be shown as "owner" at the top of the list. As owner, you can add, delete, or modify files. To change what permissions someone has, click the drop-down list to the right of their name.

You'll find options to set the user as a viewer, a commenter, or an editor. Editors can organize, add, and edit files. Two other options exist in the list. You can make any person with whom you've shared the directory, the owner of the directory. The final option is to remove the person's permissions, meaning that they will no longer have access to the directory.

The same options exist for individual files within a directory. So a user might have view only permissions on a directory, but could have editor permissions for a file inside the directory.

So forget about emailing files. Forget about using a thumb drive to copy files from one computer to another. Forget about mailing physical media. Sharing files between your own computers, between your computers and those of family members, and between you and distant family and friends doesn't have to be difficult. A service such as Google Drive eliminates the work and the annoyances.

Although I've described Google Drive, Microsoft's OneDrive can be used in similar ways if you want to avoid Google.

Short Circuits

Vertical Tabs For Firefox, Chrome, And Other Browsers

Last week, I mentioned one of the new features that's built in to Microsoft's new Edge browser. Vertical tabs are not a built-in feature for Firefox or Chrome, but add-ons are available to make them available.

Because adding vertical tabs to Chrome or Firefox depends on installing an add-on (Firefox) or an extension (Chrome), the feature isn't as tightly integrated with the main application as it is in Microsoft Edge. If you don't want to depend on a beta version browser or prefer to stick with Firefox, Chrome, or one of the other Blink-based browsers, there are options. Visit the Chrome Web Store or the Firefox Add-Ons page to locate, download, and install the app for your browser.

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Mozilla Firefox Vertical Tabs Reloaded can display the list of tabs on the left or right side of the browser window. The close button can be displayed only on the currently active tab or on all tabs. When displayed, the close button can appear on the left side or the right side of the vertical tabs. To close a tab without using the close button, the user can set the app to close when the tab is clicked with the middle mouse button.

An option to control how each tab's status is displayed shows tabs with new data with an underline, tabs without new data with no marks, and unloaded tabs with a line through the name. Tabs do not unload automatically as they do in Edge. The user must right-click the tab and unload it. When the mouse cursor is over a tab the tool-tip can display just the page title, the title and URL, the URL and title, or just the URL.

Tabs across the top of the browser are retained, and I've found that I prefer this to Edge's either/or functionality.

Vertical Tabs for Chrome offers many of the same functions, including retention of tabs across the top of the screen in addition to tabs stacked vertically on the right or left side of the browser.

The Mozilla extension automatically squeezes website pages when it's enabled, but the Chrome extension gives the user the choice of having the vertical tabs cover part of the page or for the page to shrink a bit. The text on the vertical tabs can be limited to just the title information or include additional text. This can extend tabs from a single line of text to several. Although that consumes considerably more space, it can be a helpful option. The user can also specify that the vertical tab bar will be hidden until the browser width is equal to or greater than a named value.

The vertical tab bars created by both Mozilla Firefox Vertical Tabs Reloaded and Vertical Tabs for Chrome can be resized, a feature that's missing from the built-in feature found in Microsoft Edge. So if the thought of vertical tabs appeals to you, but Microsoft Edge does not, there are options for your preferred browser.

Advanced Sharing Options For Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, And Fresco

Following the installation of Adobe Creative Cloud updates on 9 February, users may have noticed a new icon on the user interface for Photoshop, Illustrator, and Fresco. The icon appears in the upper right corner and shows a silhouette with a plus sign, and it provides a quick way to allow others to work with and modify the image.

This week's main article is about sharing files using Microsoft's OneDrive or Google Drive. Adobe takes that concept further and this would be the preferred choice for Adobe applications. Let's see how it works.

When you have a document that you want to share with another Adobe user, you need to start by saving the file as a cloud document. You can do that using the File > Save As menu option or just (1) click the sharing icon. If the document is one that's saved on your computer, you'll be (2) offered an opportunity to save it as an Adobe Cloud document. When you do that, the old document name (3) with a PSD file extension will change. The new file name will be shown (4) with a cloud icon and the file name will have a PSDC extension.

After you've saved the file to the Adobe Cloud, clicking the Share icon will open a dialog box where you can specify one or more people you want to be able to edit the document.

After sending the invitation, you can see the names of the recipients listed under the Members section in the Invite to edit dialog. To leave the share when you no longer need access to a file, hover the cursor over your own name and tap Leave. To remove another collaborator, hover the cursor over the name and tap Remove.

Another feature added in the February update allows users to sync settings between machines. Some users have Photoshop installed on two Windows computers, two MacOS computers, or one of each. The new sync option ensures that brushes, swatches, gradients, patterns, styles, and shapes are identical in all locations where you use the application. The ability to sync brushes will be added soon to the IPad version. Those who prefer to have different settings on each machine can turn the feature off.

Spare Parts

Office Workers May Soon Be Able To Go Back To The Office, But Will They Want To?

It's been nearly a year since businesses and other organizations told people who could work from home to do that. Now, as vaccines for covid become more readily available, people might be called back to their offices. Some won't want to go.

I have heard from people who, after working from home for several months have no desire to spent the better part of an hour each day driving to and from the office, working in a tiny cubicle, dealing with the usual office noise, and seeing their expenditures for gasoline and auto insurance increase. Many people have found that they're more satisfied working in casual clothes (and maybe their pajamas) from home.

This doesn't surprise me. For nearly 30 years, I worked from home two or three days a week. When the office moved from Columbus to Cincinnati, I worked from home every day. Then I retired. I'm still working from home and couldn't go back to the office even if I wanted to (which I don't) because I have no office.

The best companies will continue to allow their employees to work from home if they want to. Customer relationship management company Salesforce is one of several companies that does not envision a return to "normal". President Brent Hyder says "An immersive workspace is no longer limited to a desk in our Towers; the 9-to-5 workday is dead; and the employee experience is about more than ping-pong tables and snacks."

The company says employees will have three options:

1. Flex – When it’s safe to return to the office, most of our employees around the globe will work flex. This means they’ll be in the office 1-3 days per week for team collaboration, customer meetings, and presentations.
2. Fully Remote – For employees who don’t live near an office or have roles that don’t require an office, they will work remotely full-time.
3. Office-based – The smallest population of our workforce will work from an office location 4-5 days per week if they’re in roles that require it.

Salesforce will not be alone. As one who spent a lot of years working in what is now considered a "flex" environment, I see how working from home has a lot of advantages, but that it's also important to spend some time in the office to communicate with co-workers. When we get to the end of the pandemic, the workplace will be unlike what it was a year ago.

You can read the full Salesforce article on the company's website.

Paper Is Magical

Probably there is no company that has done more to eliminate the need for paper than Google, and yet Google Senior User Experience Researcher Corbin Cunningham has written on Google's blog about the magic of paper.

My day always starts with paper. Whenever I get up, whether it's 5am or 10am, I start with a to-do list for the day. All of these items are somewhere on the computer — on the calendar, on a list of to-do items, or on an application that reminds me of goals. Even so, I write reminders on paper. With a fountain pen that I've owned for nearly 40 years. There's just something about maintaining this list on paper that I don't want to give up. Sometimes I even jot down notes for the next several days.

Cunningham writes "I spend a lot of time thinking about technology’s role in creativity. Over the past year, I've been interviewing folks about creativity, idea generation and the technology they use, and one little comment always made it into every conversation: “I prefer paper.” And honestly, I feel the same way. Looking across my desk, I see a carefully curated grid of sticky notes arranged to signify their priority and layered to reduce redundancy. They’re a physical manifestation of my thoughts, ideas and tasks for the next several weeks."

Cunningham's article describes paper's advantages: It's fast and slow, it's rewarding, and it transforms our thoughts. The blog post is one that you might enjoy reading. It's not particularly long, but there are links to other articles and investigating them could take a while

Twenty Years Ago: Big Name Colleges Started Offering Distance Learning

We have just ended a year in which distance learning became essential for all colleges, high schools, and even primary schools. We may return to more normalized classroom learning by the time schools open in the fall, but in 2001 it was a new and exciting concept.

"There's no question that 'distance learning' will continue to grow. Colleges see this as a way to increase their numbers of students (customers) without having to invest in buildings. Most of the early participants have been less-known schools, but now Columbia University is on board." The first classes were from Columbia's Arts and Sciences College and there were plans to expand course offerings later in the year into more traditional areas such as economics, psychology, and physics.