Learn the basics including how to avoid some common pitfalls - especially with regard to sharing. I had trouble getting all the hyperlinks to work - scroll down to copy and paste links from the transcript below.

1. A GUIDED TOUR OF
THE BASICS

2.  Virtual storage: store your documents in the cloud
 Sync across multiple devices (computer/iPhone/iPad)
 Share some or all files and/or some or all folders
 Access your docs from any of your devices or the internet
 Backups of all files automatically created (30 days only for
free)

3.  Start by going to https://www.dropbox.com/ and enjoying
the nice clean interface (scroll down to enjoy it all)

Sign up (create an account)

Download and install the app on each of your devices

4.  On your computer:

Go to Preferences >Users and Groups >Login Items

Check Dropbox
 Any file you put in Dropbox on one device will now
automatically syncs to the others in real time.
 Any file you edit or change in Dropbox on one device
automatically syncs to the others.
 You don’t have to ‘do’ anything
 It’s reliable – secure – automatic
 It is less intuitive than it seems

6.  Dropbox uses modern encryption methods to both transfer
and store your data.
 Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and AES-256 bit encryption.
 Dropbox website and client software are constantly being
hardened to enhance security and protect against attacks.
 Two-step verification is available for an extra layer of
security at login. You can choose to receive security codes
by text message or via any Time-Based One-Time Password
(TOTP) apps, such as those listed here.
 Public files are only viewable by those with a link to the
file(s).
 Boxcryptor: extra super encryption for all your cloud
storage: https://www.boxcryptor.com/ $48 year

9.  … is – er – public

10.  Think carefully which files you are putting there and why.
 I only use Dropbox for sharing files or for work/teaching
files to replace a usb drive when traveling
 Some people just share with themselves (multiple
computers)
 The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Rule goes into effect very quickly
if you copy files from your hard-drive rather than moving
them.
 Files proliferate – files with the same name
 It become difficult (impossible) to manage them, to work
out or remember which is the current/latest one
 Don’t COPY files into Dropbox – move them there.
 Use Dropbox as a mini My Documents

11.  You are invited or told in many tutorials to upload files to
dropbox via the web.

But why bother when you can drag and drop in Finder?
 Some people suggest using Dropbox as a hard drive backup.

That’s fine if you have a small-ish hard drive.
 My Docs is 63 GB …
 Some suggest using Dropbox for Photo albums

They’ll quickly gobble up 2 gigs of free space

Dropbox is just a photo viewer – that’s it – share ‘n’ view

Picasa has way more (free) functionality and space

12.  Make sure you have enabled Dropbox to start up each time
you start your computer.
 Don’t use Dropbox in your Browser (online) unless you
have to – it’s slow and it can cause confusion more easily.
 I only use Dropbox in my browser if I have to
 I’m at someone else’s computer
 I’m at Kinko’s.
 Think of Dropbox as a smart hard drive.
 Don’t download files from Dropbox from the internet
 They are already on your hard drive.
 If they are not then you have a file sharing PROBLEM

13.  Sharing a folder and sharing a link are NOT the same thing
 They should be called different things but they are not so it’s
up to you to get smart.

14.  Go to
Finder/Dropbox
 Right click on a
folder
 Share Dropbox Link
 This copies a Dropbox link for this Folder to your
Clipboard.
 Paste into an email or wherever to share a folder
 Think of this as a ONE TIME deal
 Think of this as SHOWING not sharing

15.  If you Share a LINK and that person downloads the
folder to their Dropbox folder they will now have a
folder with the same name and all the same files BUT it
won’t be shared

Docs they work on, docs they add or delete – all that
work occurs in their Dropbox alone.

Docs you work on, docs you add or delete – all that
work occurs in your Dropbox alone.
 Nothing is synced

17.  http://simonhackett.com/2013/04/05/dropbox-sharing-doesnt-wor
/
 If you get an email invitation to access a Dropbox link, then
your sender has got it wrong – don’t click on the link, all
you’ll wind up with is a moment-in-time copy.
 Ask the sender to delete that link at their end (via the
‘Links’ menu on their Dropbox.com home page).
 Ask them to try again by using the ‘Sharing’ icon on their
Dropbox home page.
 If your Dropbox client pops up on screen and tells you
someone has shared a folder with you, then – hurray! –
you are now sharing and syncing together.

19.  Go to Finder/Dropbox
 Right click on a folder
 Share Dropbox
FOLDER
 This takes you to your
browser.
 Think of this as A BIG
DEAL.

21.  Open Dropbox in your browser and sign in
 Highlight a folder you want to share and a menu appears
 Do not click on the name of the folder as that will open the
folder
 Click Shared folder options (folder with rainbow) to see

All sharing options – who is sharing, to leave the folder or
unshare it, to invite people to share etc.

23.  Name shared folders carefully
 Don’t rename folders
 Don’t move folders
 Don’t rename files - yours or anyone else’s
 Don’t move files
 Try to avoid working in a file at the same time as someone
else – one of you will lose all your work. Temporarily.
 Try not to leave a shared file open thinking you’ll work on it
later. Open – work – close.
 Or advise your collaborator to Keep Out until further
notice!

24.  If you collaborate with others on documents it’s good to see
exactly which changes were made.
 Don’t panic if a file gets deleted

Your deleted files are saved for just 30 days (unless you
have the full/paid version in which case they are saved
forever)
 Don’t panic if someone writes over what you have done

Your versions have been saved – you just need to know
where to find them – and you need to find them within the
30-day period (unless you have the full/paid version)

27.  Everyone starts out with 2 GB

30.  Automatically back up your photos from your smartphone
 If you want to.

Beware doing this without thinking when asked

When you connect a camera or smartphone to your
computer you are prompted to save your photos to
Dropbox.

All your photos will transfer to your Dropbox account.

It depends how many photos you have …

31. If you select ‘Start Import’ by mistake all
your photos will load into your Dropbox
Folder. Try to avoid this mistake.

32.  iPhone
 Go to Settings
 >Camera
Upload
 >Off
iPad
 Go to Dropbox
 >Settings icon (bottom
left)
 >Camera Upload
 >Off

33.  There are a number of advanced features and they are
developing all the time.
 Here are a few …

34.  Send and receive large files using DROPitTOme (Beta)
 With DROPitTOme, you can easily send and receive larger
files through your DropBox account. Basically, you setup a
unique upload address and can add password protection.

35.  Uploading music to your Dropbox is simple.
 Drag and drop songs into a Music folder in Dropbox.

They will appear on your phone, tablet, and connected
computers instantly.
 After you have added music to your Dropbox you can easily
share it with friends.
 Apparently, some people are ditching iTunes in favor of
Dropbox. Not sure why especially since audio files are space
hogs.

36.  IF you have the space and just in case you are curious…

Open iTunes and select 'Preferences'

Click on 'Advanced' at the top of the menu

Click 'Change...'

Select your Dropbox folder

37.  Wordpress Backup to Dropbox is a small desktop
application that lives on your computer but backups to the
cloud.
 http://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-backup-to-dropbox/

38.  Using Pancake IO, you can simply create a text file, drop it
into the special Pancake folder, and the service will handle all
formatting and behind the scenes work that goes into
creating and publishing a website.
 Updating that site is then as easy as modifying the text file in
your Dropbox folder so you can do it from anywhere.
 Pancake also supports images, PDFs, Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, and more.

http://pancake.io/

39.  Any PDF document in your Dropbox account can be
opened in iBooks (or other apps) for easy reading.
 Add a PDF to your Dropbox account.
 Open the Dropbox app on your iPad and select the PDF file
you just added. Depending on the size of the PDF (and your
current Internet connection speed) it may take a while for
the PDF to load.
 Once your PDF has loaded, tap the “Open In” button in the
upper right corner of the Dropbox app.
 Choose an app & the PDF will automatically open in the app
and you can read it with features you did not have before.

40.  Dropbox can be hacked

http://www.businessinsider.com/researchers-provedropbox-can-be-hacked-2013-8
 TIPs for beginners, intermediates and wizards

http://mashable.com/2011/01/15/dropbox-tips/
 Keyboard shortcuts:

https://www.dropbox.com/help/207/en
 Some tips and tricks

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-dropbox-tipsand-tricks-2013-2?op=1#ixzz2kNMacHMg