Dropping Files into Someone Else’s Dropbox
Dropbox is an incredible utility for those who want to work, and to share their work collaboratively. However, Dropbox is predominantly used in one way; someone uploads a single file and shares that single file with multiple people. Now, what if that one single person instead wants to receive multiple files from multiple people into their Dropbox folder? Well, Dropbox has a way to do that as well, I had to figure this out myself just this week, and I wanted to share this little-known way of sharing files within Dropbox with you.File Requests
In the web client for Dropbox, down along the left side menu, is a little-known link called File Requests. Now this is not the most intuitively named link, but this is what we’re looking for. What a File Request does is it flips around the usual file sharing flow, instead of sending a file to someone it requests a file from someone.
This way of sharing files is of particular interest to those who may not want to open up more of their Dropbox account to others than they need to. Additionally, it may be of interest to people who need to solicit submissions, comments, or reports while maintaining anonymity because the people who submit the files you have made a request for cannot see what other files have been uploaded.
Making a File Request
Setting up a File Request is an easy process. Simply click the link on the left side of the Dropbox web client, and you will be able to see all of the File Requests you currently have open, it will show you each submission to each open File Request and you can also create a new File Request by clicking the big blue ‘plus’ sign. After clicking the new File Request link you will be prompted to title your request, and then to select the file within your Dropbox account where those file requests will be deposited.
After that, it’s as simple as sending the link that Dropbox generates for you to everyone who you need to request files from. When they follow the link, they will be prompted with a screen that allows them to simply choose a file from their computer to upload and then they’re all done!
This utility from Dropbox is a potentially very useful way to change around the typical file sharing flow, and it may have particular uses for people needing to request files when discretion is important.
