Posted by BrendaTx on 12/4/12 7:22pm
Msg #445550

Do you "Dropbox"??

I mentioned Dropbox earlier. (Dropbox.com)

I love this tool.

I am a multi-station gal. I have my phone, mobile devices, my laptop, and my computer at work.

When I go on vacation, to meetings, conferences, or travel with a boss, I am ten times more efficient because I save to my Dropbox maps, tickets, flight confirmations, directions, agendas, notes, and things that I will need to have readily available when I need to know, "Where is...???" or "Who is...???", etc.

Dropbox is like a USB drive that can't get lost. Since IPads and Kindles do not accept USB drives, Dropbox is truly awesome for swapping files from one device or computer to another.

Now, maybe I am preaching to the choir, but even some college students do not make use of Dropbox...they are constantly leaving USB drives behind when they need them, and they panic because they are without, or have lost, critical homework documents, notes, etc.

Dropbox is a great place for storing documents for collaboration, sharing, ready reference, or future use.

Oh yeah, I didn't say anything about sending loan documents to the cloud. However, a notary might store a collection of forms in Dropbox, just in case he or she was away from the house and needed an ack or jurat, a receipt or invoice. Like I mentioned before, a notary can use Dropbox to store a notary manual, rescission calendars, and more.

I know, I know...some people just don't trust the cloud...and, that's fine, but I'm all about being efficient, or at least looking like I am. Dropbox has been helping me out for a year now.

Reply by Pro Mobile Notary on 12/4/12 7:28pm
Msg #445552

We too have been long time users of Dropbox.

We will not place any loan docs or other sensitive information that potentially could be hacked into and taken in the cloud. It is too risky from our perspective.

If the hackers can hack into the Pentagon & White House servers, we would not place anything sensitive in the cloud.

Nothing is 100% secure in the cloud.

Reply by BrendaTx on 12/4/12 7:48pm
Msg #445556

Why would anyone put loan documents on any cloud

computing tool? Foolishness.

It goes without saying that ANY segment of the cloud is good for non-sensitive information.

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 12/4/12 7:58pm
Msg #445559

Re: Why would anyone put loan documents on any cloud

The funny part is that simply emailing unsecured PDF files of loan documents, which so many companies do these days, is actually WORSE than storing loan docs in some cloud systems.

This is especially true for those using certain popular email providers that hackers loves to monitor or "eavesdrop" on the transmission. Those email transmissions, along with the attachments, can be "snagged" in transit and are easily viewed by anyone with enough know-how. Copies of those emails are left on dozens of servers along the pathway before it even gets to you, including copies of those loan docs.

Reply by BrendaTx on 12/4/12 8:16pm
Msg #445561

So true, Marian.

The reason that I would not put loan docs in the cloud is because the hiring entity didn't do it. They can email 'em, and that's their bad, but I won't upload them...of course.

In fact, I cannot even think of a good reason to do that.

The other day I was in an Adobe InDesign training class...rather than having a paper copy of the manual, I had uploaded it to Dropbox and downloaded it on to my IPad...there are plenty of apps that all you to make notes right on the pdf...no matter where I am, I can download the training manual when I am creating publications. Love it.

Reply by VT_Syrup on 12/4/12 8:14pm
Msg #445560

Re: Why would anyone put loan documents on any cloud

I mostly agree, except of the document is password protected with good encryption and a good password. But notaries are seldom in a position to add a password to a document, so this exception would seldom apply. And of course, the password would go on before the upload and not come off until after the download.

Reply by BrendaTx on 12/4/12 8:36pm
Msg #445564

VT - as to uploading, maybe not (software)

Actually, you can go to the website and upload and download files.

On my computer(s) I have installed Dropbox so that when I open up Windows Explorer, my Dropbox appears as a regular file on my computer.

It must be a fairly decent application and website because all of my tech guys use it and they allow everyone to install Dropbox and Evernote on work computers. Maybe we just have a really good security/antiviral management plan.

However, if I were to be terminated, I would need to get myself to a computer rather quickly to change my Dropbox password, or all my files would be available for the employer to peruse...but, anything that you view on a work computer, as you know, is available to the employer. Everything leaves a digital footprint.

Reply by BrendaTx on 12/4/12 8:37pm
Msg #445565

Re: VT - correction

"regular file on my computer. "

should be regular FOLDER

Reply by VT_Syrup on 12/4/12 7:30pm
Msg #445553

Do you have to download any kind of application to use information from Dropbox on a new computer? I looked at Google Docs, and it seems that to use a Word document on a computer you haven't used before, you have to download an application. That's great if you own the new computer, but if it is borrowed, or belongs to an agency you're working for, you might not have the authority to download an app.

Reply by BrendaTx on 12/4/12 7:47pm
Msg #445554

(I have the authority on my agency computer or it would not

be there.)

Also, Dropbox (and EverNote) are agency favorites!

To upload documents to dropbox, you will have to install software.

This is not for everyone, but it is a boon for people who use it to turn otherwise wasted time into productive time.

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 12/4/12 7:49pm
Msg #445557

Re: (I have the authority on my agency computer or it would not

I use both Dropbox and Evernote... LOVE them both. Dropbox is good for the bigger files. Evernote for everything else. It syncs between my laptop my phone and my ipad just wonderfully.

Reply by anotaryinva on 12/4/12 7:47pm
Msg #445555

No but I Evernote n/m

Reply by BrendaTx on 12/4/12 7:50pm
Msg #445558

Re: No but I Evernote

So do I. Evernote is great because I can email myself documents.

Love it. I use it differently than I do Dropbox.

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 12/5/12 12:32am
Msg #445573

Stuck in the tar pits

All you guys are so ... 21st century! I'm so impressed. E-mailing docs to yourself, syncing laptop, ipad, iphone, itunes, iwhat-have-you. Wow. Swapping documents. Storing files. Clouding, Evernoting. When you first asked "Do you Dropbox?" I thought it was a post about dropping docs vs. handing them over at the FedEx counter. Apparently, I'm far more out of it than I imagined. I had no idea any of this stuff existed. Additionally, I would have no use for it even if I could figure out how to download/use it.

Nonetheless, it's OK to watch as the world passes me by. At least I know what I'm missing.

Reply by Bee_CA on 12/5/12 1:43pm
Msg #445620

I'm there with you GOLDGIRL n/m

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 12/5/12 10:19am
Msg #445596

I've Been "DropBoxing" for Several Years...

...& wouldn't be without it! BTW, did you end up looking at &/or getting the Logitech T650 Touchpad?

Reply by C. Rivera Chicago Notary Services on 12/5/12 11:38am
Msg #445604

I USE AND LOVE DROPBOX...$9.99 a month is so worth it!

I can log on with any computer, and have access to my docs anytime, anywhere!

I've been using it for about 2.5 years now, and have never had any issues!

Reply by BrendaTx on 12/5/12 8:46pm
Msg #445661

I don't pay for it, but I have 10 GB

of storage because of an affiliation with my employer...it's not attached to my employer's email, I just had to verify it. (The only way that I could benefit from mentioning this is 2500 more someones with my same employer joined...then, we will get double that. Not likely to happen through NR...so, not advertising.)

Reply by MikeC/TX on 12/5/12 5:01pm
Msg #445651

I've been using it for quite a while, and it's an excellent way to share large files that might be too big for an email attachment.

There are a couple of ways of doing that - you can either create a folder within your Dropbox folder and give specific people access to it (which is great if you're doing some collaborative work with a group of other people), or you can drop a file in your public folder and generate a URL for that specific file. You can then send that URL to someone in an email, and they don't even need the Dropbox software - they just use their web browser to access and download the file.

Reply by sueharke on 12/6/12 12:22am
Msg #445676

I use dropbox too. I also use "surfeasy" when using someone else's computer to avoid leaving any footprint that I have used the computer. This way I am able to access dropbox (with firefox), open email, and print documents if needed. I can use dropbox on my phone to email a documents to myself on gmail and print on the "surfeasy" browser. This would make it possible to use a signers computer to print a corrected documents if necessary.

Reply by BossLadyMD on 12/6/12 11:18am
Msg #445708

I have Dropbox for personal use only and I love it!!!! :) n/m