digitalbucket.net Blog

Official blog of digitalbucket.net

Tag files so they're easier to find

clock August 5, 2010 17:32 by Admin

Digitalbucket is all about the users and providing them a great user experience. Our vision is to provide the most powerful, flexible, easy to use platform for individuals and businesses to share, access, and manage all digital content on the cloud. We are continuously enhancing features and brainstorming ideas to push our product to the next level. In our efforts to assist users in finding files faster, we are pleased to announce the expansion of our tagging feature.

Finding related files can be very difficult, especially if you have many of them and they are located in different folders. You can make it easier to find your files by applying Tags to your files. Additionaly, you can use the Tag tab in the File Manager to filter the files.

What we have done recently with tagging goes beyond filtering. We have added the collaborative dimension to the Tagging. What that means is that administrator of the account and the sub-accounts can collaboratively add or remove tags and both access the same Tagging information.

To add tags to pictures

  • 1. Log into your account and in the File Manager locate and right click (Ctrl-click for Mac users) the file that you want to tag and select Tag this File.
  • 2. In the Tags dialog type a tag name, and then click Ok.
    In the details pane at the bottom of the window, next to Tags, the tag name will appear.

    The details pane displaying tags for the selected picture

Tips

  • You might want to add tags to your files to identify projects, the location, or the event associated with your file.
  • You can add multiple tags to a file.
  • After adding a tag to a file, the tag will be displayed next to Folders tab in the File Manager. Click on a Tag and the files will be displayed on the right pane.
  • Sub-Accounts can access the same Tags if only the Tagged files are shared with that user.

Email Files to digitalbucket.net

clock July 12, 2010 04:36 by Admin

There is no question that email is a tool that is already integrated into our personal or work life. Even though email makes communicating easier; it has many limitations when it comes to working with files. It's simply not designed for file collaboration.

Digitalbucket has the perfect solution for just these situations; Our Upload by Email Feature. The idea is simple. Email files as attachments to digitalbucket.net and have your files uploaded to your account. Already a great success with existing user, we are pleased to announce our existing upload by email feature got a neat makeover.

This new feature lets you choose your target folder of your files. It skips the cumbersome download and then upload step. It allows users to easily upload your files, organize and share content with others. When uploaded, you can also take advantage of many other tools available for your files like file content search.

Additionally, the sub-accounts can also send emails to their accounts and they will automatically upload to a folder chosen by the sub-account.

The setup of this feature is easy. Log into your account and from the Account Manager/Settings enable this feature; choose your Target Folder and Save Changes.

One cool idea is that you can Cc this email address in your email and all the files in the email thread will automatically uploaded to digitalbucket.net.

The email address is upload@digitalbucket.net. This feature only works with registered digitalbucket.net users.

Take this new feature a spin and make getting content into the right folder on digitalbucket.net easier than ever before. We’d love to hear your feedback

Tips for Finding Files

clock April 11, 2010 17:17 by Admin

Here are some useful tips on how to find and organize your files using tools available in the File Manager.

There are so many ways to find and organize your files that you might not know where to start. Most of the time, to find a file, you will probably start by using the search tools that are available within File Manager outlined in the picture below.

How do I search for files?

The method you use depends upon what you're searching for, and where you're searching for it. The following table describes the different search methods and when they're useful:

Search method When it’s useful
The Search Box If you are looking for a file or folder located in any folder, you can often find it fastest by typing in the Search box. For more information, see Use the Search box later in this article.
File list headings If you are looking for several related files, such as all the files from a particular month or all the documents with the same type, you can use the headings above the file list to sort or group your files. For more information, see Use file list headings later in this article.

Use the Search box

The Search box is located at the upper right corner of File Manager. It searches the entire account based on the text that you type. The Search box finds files based on the file name or text within the file.

For example, if you created a report called "Las Vegas Sales Trip", and forgot the location of the file, type Las into the Search box and click on the glass magnifier icon next to the Search box, a new window will popup and your report would immediately be displayed.

The following table lists the common scenarios that you can use in the Search box:

Search What it is How to use it in the Search box
File name The name you have given the file. Type part or all of the file name you are looking for. For example, to find a file called November invoice.txt, you can just type Nov or inv.
File Type The file extension. For example, DOC, PDF, MP3, etc. Type the file name extension. If you want to find only PDF files, type PDF. For more accurate results, type *.pdf.
File Content The contents inside your file. Type keyword you are looking for. It searches files of ".doc", ".docx", ".xls", ".xlsx", ".ppt", ".pptx", ".txt", ".htm", ".html", ".pdf", ".tif", ".tiff".

Advanced searches in the Search box

Digitalbucket.net search for whatever you enter in the Search box by looking in the file name, file type, and file contents of all the files in your account. Type "Project," for example, and it will find files named "project description.doc," and files that contain keyword “Project”. This broad approach to search usually helps you find your file quickly.

If you want to search more selectively, however, you can filter your search in the Search box by specifying Filters.

Using Boolean filters is another way to perform a more precise search. Boolean filters let you combine search words using simple logic, as you can see in the following table.

Filter Example Use this to
AND building AND project Find files that contain both words "building" and "project" (even if those words are not right next to each other).
NOT project NOT project Find files that contain the word "building," but not "project".
OR project OR project Find files that contain either of the words "building" or "project".
Quotes "building project" Find files that contain the exact phrase "building project"
Wildcard Searches te?t
test*
te*t
Find single and multiple character wildcard searches within single terms.
To perform a single character wildcard search use the "?" symbol.
To perform a multiple character wildcard search use the "*" symbol.
For example, to search for "text" or "test" you can use the search: te?t
Fuzzy Searches roam~ To do a fuzzy search use the tilde, "~", symbol at the end of a Single word Term. For example to search for a term similar in spelling to "roam" use the fuzzy search: roam~ This search will find terms like foam and roams.
Proximity Searches "project china"~10 Find words which are within a specific distance away. To do a proximity search use the tilde, "~", symbol at the end of a Phrase. For example to search for a "project" and "china" within 10 words of each other in a document use the search: "project china"~10

Displaying the Search results

By clicking on the magnifier glass next to the search box, the search results would immediately displayed on a new popup window as shown in the picture below.

Use file list headings to organize files

By clicking the headings that appear above the file list in a folder, you can change how files are displayed. Viewing files in this way can help you organize files that share something in common.

When you want to sort the contents of a folder by file properties (like file name, date, and size), files with those properties can be displayed ascending or descending. For example, if you want to see files sorted alphabetically, sort by that file’s name.

  • 1. Open the folder that contains the files you want to sort.
  • 2. Click the arrow to the right of the heading that you want to sort by.
  • 3. Click the Sort Ascending or Sort Descending.

A group displays a sequential list of all of the grouped files. When you group your files by Type, for example, you'll see several groups, each one displaying all the files grouped by a particular Type as shown in the picture below.

  • 1. Open the folder that contains the files you want to group.
  • 2. Click the arrow to the right of the heading that you want to group by.
  • 3. Click Group by this Field.

Tagging

Files and Folders can be "tagged" to make them easier and faster to find. Enter a tag name in the Tags Window and save. Tagged items can be viewed by clicking on the Tags tab at the lower left of the File Manager.

Invite Unlimited Collaborators

clock February 26, 2010 00:26 by Admin

You can easily Share folder(s) with any number of digitalbucket.net users. Let's call these users Collaborators. These "Collaboration" folders work like a private workspace that is shared between you and your collaborators. This is a great way of inviting people to collaborate on your project folders. Each collaborator will have its own digitalbucket.net account and only can see the files that you have shared with him/her. You can share one or many folders with unlimited collaborators.

Once shared, any changes to your folder's content will be instantly available to your collaborators. The opposite is true as well, collaborators with Full Control permission can make changes to the shared folder and changes will be instantly available to you.

Add Email Notification Service to the Collaboration Folders and you and your collaborators will get email updates any time there is a new change in the folder. You can also monitor your collaborators' activities.

How to make a collaboration Folder

To make an existing folder a Collaboration Folder, right click on the folder and then select "Share this Folder" from the popup menu. Enter the email addresses of the individuals you would like to collaborate with. You may also use the Address Book to select your contacts.

NOTE: The email addresses must be the same as your collaborator's which have been used to register for their digitalbucket.net accounts.

Upon clicking on Ok, an email will be sent to all the users notifying of new shared folder. Shared folders are color coded. This will help to distinguish shared folders quickly.

Sub-account or Collaborator

Sub accounts are defined to give customized privileges to all or parts of your digitalbucket.net main account. Sub accounts don't need to be registered digitalbucket.net users to access those folders you've given them permissions.

Here is a quick comparison chart on how Collaborators are different from Sub-accounts.

FeatureCollaboratorSub-accounts
Is Registered user? Yes No
Use WebDAV to access Shared Files? No Yes
Lock/Unlock users No Yes
Share with others? Yes No

It is all depend on your usage scenario to decide to use Collaborators or Sub-accounts.

How to Backup or Sync your files to digitalbucket.net using GoodSync

clock June 17, 2009 20:08 by Admin

GoodSync software can be used to backup your files to your digitalbucket.net account. It also can be used to synchronize multiple Windows machines with your digitalbucket.net accounts.

GoodSync is the latest software in a series of highly reliable, easy to use products from Siber Systems, the makers of RoboForm. The program can automatically synchronizes and/or backup files such as photos, financial documents, MP3s, e-mails to your digitalbucket.net account.

See for yourself how easy it is to set up and use GoodSync with digitlabucket.net. Below, you will find our quick setup guide.

Note1: Your digitalbucket.net account must support WebDAV in order to use GoodSync software for backups/synchronizations. Please contact us if you are not sure your account supports WebDAV.

Note2: GoodSync software is Free but it comes with limitations. Please visit GoodSync’s Free vs. Pro webpage for more information.

Basic Setup

Step1: If you don’t already have an account, Sign up for an account that supports WebDAV.

Step2: Download and install GoodSync software.

Step3: Once you start GoodSync, select Job >> New.

Step4: Choose a name for your job and select on the job type and click OK. You can either select Synchronize or Backup.

Step5: Click on the left side Browse button on your main page.

strong>Step6: Select the directory you would like to backup and Click Ok.

Step7: Select your digitalbucket.net account by clicking on the right side Browse button.

Step8: Connect to your digitalbucket.net account.

  • Select WebDAV from the left side of the dialog.
  • Enter https://dav.digitalbucket.net as the address.
  • Enter your account’s UserId and Password and click on the Go.
  • After successful connection, you will see you digitalbucket.net folders.

Step9: Select the folder you would like your backup to be created. You can also click on the ‘Make New Folder’ to create a new folder on your digitalbucket.net account. Click Ok.

Step10: Click on the Analyze and GoodSync will show you a list of files to be backup/synchronized.

Step11: When your files are ready, click on the sync button. Your Files Are Now Synchronized! – Yes, it's that Easy!

Step12: Log into your digitalbucket.net account to verify your files are copied.

Automatic Settings - Set it and Forget it!

There are a variety of automatic settings you can choose. You only need to set up your synchronization job once and GoodSync will automatically backup or synchronize your files according to your preferred schedule/settings.

Step11: Select Options from the Job Menu.

Step12: Click "Auto" and select automatic setting that suit your needs. GoodSync will now automatically synchronize your files based on your settings.

Mac Finder bug not fixed since version 10.5.3

clock April 12, 2009 19:02 by Admin

Apple has had this annoying Finder bug since version 10.5.3 which causes issues with WebDAV file copies. This issue is still not fixed in the latest Mac OS X.

What makes this even more frustrating is that Apple has known about the problem and has not done anything to fix it. (For my Apple readers, you can follow the discussions here, here and here).

All other operating systems are working fine except Mac OS X 10.5.3 and later.

We've tried everything possible to get this resolved – Contacted Apple Support, reviewed our WebDAV source code a thousand times and tested different usage scenarios. Finally, we decided to completely redesign our WebDAV software architecture to resolve this issue.

The good news is we have fixed this issue even though we didn't cause the problem. We are proud of this accomplishment because this proves our commitment to being an excellent service provider and striving to enhance our customer's experience.

Apparently these kind of nasty bugs have been a case with other service providers as well.

-Greg