Admin Toolbox

Modern conveniences have made it easy to  work from wherever you happen to be. Many scientists who write manuscripts do so on a bunch of different computers. For instance, my boss uses his work PC, his home PC, a laptop, and a netbook. It’s easy to get confused. For example, have you ever asked “Which version do I have on this computer?”

Convenient Irritations

Worse, if your PC crashes, you may find that all the work you’ve been doing on your next paper is hopelessly lost. My institute, like others, has in-house network storage available to us. But it’s a hassle. You have to log in, check a document out, check it back in when you’re done again. Besides which, what was the address? Where do I go once I’m in?

The scientists I work with simply avoid it altogether because it requires effort and time they don’t have. The trick to making something like this work is that it has to be invisible. It must be so easy to use that they don’t even know they’re using it.

DropBox is Invisible

This is why I recommend using DropBox. This software creates a folder on your computer’s hard drive. Whenever you add, replace, save, or delete an item in this folder, the changes are sent to the DropBox server. On any other computer where you have DropBox installed, the changes are made instantly.

All you need to do is save stuff here and your work is backed up. Not currently connected to the internet? No problem. Once you reconnect, it will synchronize the files automatically. If there is any kind of conflict (ie – a file was edited in two locations), it will retain both copies and note the conflict in the file name.

Even more, the service will keep previous iterations of your files going back 30 days, just in case you need to pull a previous revision. If you are on a PC that doesn’t have DropBox installed, you can access your files through the web.

How to Set it Up

All you have to do is click this image, visit the site, and download the software. Setup is simple.

1. Click on the DropBox logo to the right.
2. Download the software and then follow the instructions.
3. The software will guide you through the setup process. That’s it.

Security

This is a big concern at almost any company. Fortunately, they have us covered. The following is from the Features page.

1. Shared folders are viewable only by people you invite.
2. All transmission of file data and metadata occurs over an encrypted channel (SSL).
3. All files stored on Dropbox servers are encrypted (AES-256) and are inaccessible without your account password.
4. Dropbox website and client software have been hardened against attacks from hackers.
5. Dropbox employees are not able to view any user’s files.
6. Online access to your files requires your username and password.
7. Public files are only viewable by people who have a link to the file(s). Public folders are not browsable or searchable.

Did I Mention It’s Free?

2 gigabytes of storage is completely free. There’s a monthly hosting charge for additional storage, but for free that is quite a lot of storage space. I haven’t needed to purchase anything additional for some time, though I could see how power users would find $9.95 dirt cheap for 50 gigs of reliable storage.

Over the past year this software has revolutionized how I manage my duties. I use Microsoft OneNote for all my workflow management. I will find myself struck by inspiration when I’m home, rush to the computer, type in some notes, and then forget about it. When I return to work, my notebooks are already updated. I simply type and forget and between OneNote and DropBox, I don’t miss a beat. I don’t forget.

System crashes aren’t the ordeal they once were, either. All the most critical stuff I have is placed in my DropBox so I can always obtain them. That’s the power of DropBox. I know you will find this software quite useful.