Anyone here using Google Drive?

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Ed Witles

Active DJ
Nov 6, 2008
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Gang -

As I was sitting creating the agenda for upcoming weddings, I was wondering about cloud services. Then today, saw Google Drive was online and investigated. 5gb free online storage accessible by any PC and Droid device. Yay, me.

Now I have a place to stash agendas as PDFs or Word files plus upload my up coming 'client playlist & special MP3s'. And VDJ will play off Google Drive.

Now this and my 2600+ emergency library on Google Music is very cool.

Yes, Google is evil, but so is Apple.

This will help me go almost totally paperless now.
 
Ed Witles said:
Yes, Google is evil, but so is Apple.
Click to expand...

I agree, to a point, and it saddens me.... as I am an avowed Google lover and stockholder...... and their company motto used to be "Do No Evil"....... but that was when they were a small company..... It's hard to be a do-gooder when you go public.
 
Dropbox is only 2gb. SugarSync and Google are 5gb. I have to say that Google has don e great job of tying things together. You can also use Google voice and get a free phone number to use for your business.
 
Hank Davidson said:
Dropbox is only 2gb. SugarSync and Google are 5gb. I have to say that Google has don e great job of tying things together. You can also use Google voice and get a free phone number to use for your business.
Click to expand...
I do use a google number for my business and it works great. My dropbox size is up to 7.2 gigs. They had a 4 gig special when I signed and then I got a few friends to sign so I was rewarded with more space.
 
I use GV for my business number since it was cheaper (free) vs $10/month by keeping a phone line. $20 to port but well worth in long run. Google Calendar to keep my bookings straight and annotate w/ addresses and contact information. Makes very easy to launch Maps for directions. Only Google I don't use yet are Docs and +.
 
with google voice, even if you don't want to use the free number...using it for your cell's voice mail makes a lot of sense. It is MUCH better than any carrier's voice mail....no storage limit that i know of....free transcription...free text....all free
 
Well, did my first event semi paperless. It was cool having the agenda and notes on the tablet - and backup music just in case.

When done, just delete the documents. Save paper and recycle a few 0's and 1's instead. :)

A guest came up and saw my setup and was very impressed.
 
I actually bought real hard drives... ;)

Some of you may not remember this, but you can actually plug a hard drive into a computer, and access the data (yeah, it actually works). It's a wonderful concept, and nobody else can get to your data.

Some folks actually have sensitive data -- for example I have my customer lists. Thousands of folks I've done business with over the decades. Many do not want their data in "the cloud", where any decent hacker can get to it.

Perhaps I don't get it. But I can tell you that my dog sits next to the firesafe that holds all my data for about the last 30 years.

There's no way in hell, that I would put any client data in the cloud.
 
Kinda thought about that. But stuff I put ain't exactly national secrets. Just audio tracks and event agendas. I don't store contracts or financial data or other PII on line. Right now just a convenient way to enable easy access to the same document at the same time across 3 devices. My Thrive has a USB port and can connect to a flash drive or PC for easy access (something an iPad will never do).
 
The hard drive is great if you remember to bring it. The virtual drives are nice because you can access them nearly anywhere and most have the ability for multiple users to access, so you can pass files without having to forward through email systems, which sometimes choke on files larger than a certain size (sometimes as small as 1Mb).
 
SoftJock Rick said:
I actually bought real hard drives... ;)

Some of you may not remember this, but you can actually plug a hard drive into a computer, and access the data (yeah, it actually works). It's a wonderful concept, and nobody else can get to your data.

Some folks actually have sensitive data -- for example I have my customer lists. Thousands of folks I've done business with over the decades. Many do not want their data in "the cloud", where any decent hacker can get to it.

Perhaps I don't get it. But I can tell you that my dog sits next to the firesafe that holds all my data for about the last 30 years.

There's no way in hell, that I would put any client data in the cloud.
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Rick,
I think you are missing the point of what these services are for. I totally agree that it doesn't make sense to put EVERYTHING out there on the cloud.

But, for lots of files that are not super sensitive, and that are accessing data from different computers, these clouds are a great way to get access to things you need when you are at multiple places and/or using multiple devices. It's the way the world works nowadays. Evernote, dropbox and google drive are exploding. That doesn't mean it needs to be for everyone, but it's clearly very popular for a lot of people...and easy to see why.

If some hacker breaks in and steals a copy of Stairway to Heaven, along with the flyers I made for a fund raiser, then I guess he's going to get them. Having the ability to instantly have the latest music I need automatically show up on a laptop when I turn it on is worth the risk.


Just like the person who leaves his office not very secure, it's each person's responsibility to reasonably protect sensitive data.
 
Scott Hanna said:
Rick,
I think you are missing the point of what these services are for. I totally agree that it doesn't make sense to put EVERYTHING out there on the cloud.
Click to expand...

Yer probably right Scott -- I don't have a tablet, don't use a cell phone. All work I do, is conducted in my office between 9-5 on weekdays, and 9-noon on Saturdays.

Unless it's close family (that consists of 4 people), or a close friend, I will not pick up my phone after 5pm.

I learned that lesson from working out of my home office -- doing 24x7 is not healthy, reliable or fun. People will also take advantage of you. Not only do I have no use for cloud storage, it's also a security risk for me as well.

The days of working 24 hours are long past for me. I may sometimes code for 36 hours straight because I'm on a roll, but I ain't picking up the phone after 5. Hence no need for cloud, cell phone, etc.
 
For me, it's not so much working 24x7, it's about not being tied to a desk, whatever hours I choose to work. Personally, I enjoy being able to do business when i want to without having to worry about where I'll be or needing one piece of critical hardware that I need. I can easily book someone and send them an agreement right from my cell phone or tablet. I enjoy taking my nieces and nephews to my pool. While they are playing, i can have a beer, answer calls, follow up on emails, and send out agreements...all poolside. I like having that option. It's all about having options for me. I answer my phone when i want...if I don't want to, they can leave a voice mail and I can instantly read it on my phone or tablet...and decide if I want to call them back.
 
Scott Hanna said:
For me, it's not so much working 24x7, it's about not being tied to a desk, whatever hours I choose to work. Personally, I enjoy being able to do business when i want to without having to worry about where I'll be or needing one piece of critical hardware that I need. I can easily book someone and send them an agreement right from my cell phone or tablet. I enjoy taking my nieces and nephews to my pool. While they are playing, i can have a beer, answer calls, follow up on emails, and send out agreements...all poolside. I like having that option. It's all about having options for me. I answer my phone when i want...if I don't want to, they can leave a voice mail and I can instantly read it on my phone or tablet...and decide if I want to call them back.
Click to expand...


Perhaps it's a difference in occupations... :sqconfused:

I'm a programmer, you are essentially a salesman when not actually DJing. I don't do that, I can't even take a credit card over the phone for a purchase. I program and do support, everything else is outsourced.

I can't do proper support, without having all versions of my software, and the source code in front of me. So pretty much, I'm tied to a desk. I simply decided that I needed time for myself, hence the hours I keep. Once I walk out of the office, I'm done for the day :)
 
The only caveat - must *MUST* have WiFi or decent 3G/4G signal to access said services... :)
 
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