Dropbox is an extremely convenient way to move files from one computer to another. Genealogists who struggle to remember which computer they put a particular piece of information on will love Dropbox. It’s free to use, and is both PC and Mac compatible.
Genealogy requires a lot of research. The research results in a whole lot of data that needs to go somewhere. You might have a file cabinet in your home that is filled with copies of records and documents, old photographs of ancestors yet to be identified, and pages and pages of your notes. It’s a really good idea to make a second copy of all that paper, just in case a disaster occurs that destroys everything.
Or, you might be someone who does most of your genealogy research online. This brings it’s own problems. The hard drive you are storing your research on will, eventually, run out of space. It’s possible that your hard drive will crash, or die, in which case you are going to need to find some other place to store your genealogy research, fast, before you lose everything!
Do you use more than one computer when you are working on genealogy? Have you ever had difficultly trying to located a file that you know you put somewhere, but cannot recall which computer you were using when you last saw that file? If you use your laptop when you visit genealogy archives, and your desktop computer when you are at home, working on your family tree, you can quickly end up with a lot of files that are all over the place. Some genealogists will resort to sending themselves the file from one of their computers, so that they can receive the email on another computer, and download it. It’s kind of time consuming, and there is a limit to how big a file you can transfer this way.
Dropbox can make your life a whole lot easier. You can download it for free, and get two gigabytes of space. If you require more, you can get 50 gigs for $99.00 a year (or $9.99 a month). Still need more? Get 100 gigs for $199.00 a year, (or $19.99 a month). Dropbox is a file sharing system that, once you install it, you can access from all of your computers. Put a file into it while you are working on your laptop. If you keep the laptop on, you can get on your desktop computer, open Dropbox, and grab the file just like that. It’s really easy!
You can use Dropbox to save a copy of all of your important records, documents, and even photos. If you are using a genealogy software program, (like RootsMagic, Family Tree Maker, or Reunion), you can find the folder in the software where your data is stored, and put a copy of it into your Dropbox. All of your research will be safe within Dropbox. No one else can use it unless you send them an invite to access your Dropbox.
Image by Martin Lafrance on Flickr