Dropbox files won't "Lock"

Alan Browne

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Dec 14, 2019, 2:02:28 PM12/14/19

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Just found a curious thing with Dropbox files.

I saved a PDF of a text (Messages) conversation with a supplier for
future reference. To avoid losing it I used Finder|Get Info and ticked
the "Locked" tickbox.

It showed locked for a brief instant then went unlocked.

I copied the file to my desktop - from there it locked.

Unlocked it, renamed it, locked it again (Desktop copy) and moved back
to the Dropbox: Became unlocked. Moved it back to the desktop and it
was still unlocked.

Bizarre... so ...

Per the Dropbox site:
File locking is a feature available to Dropbox Business
usersthat prevents a file from being edited. This allows
teams and collaborators to coordinate who is editing a
file and avoid conflicted copies.

But non-business account holders can't lock a file even if it is not a
shared file.

Lewis

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Dec 14, 2019, 5:35:07 PM12/14/19

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In message <5c2dnZ60lJwgrGjA...@giganews.com> Alan Browne <bitb...@blackhole.com> wrote:
> Just found a curious thing with Dropbox files.

> I saved a PDF of a text (Messages) conversation with a supplier for
> future reference. To avoid losing it I used Finder|Get Info and ticked
> the "Locked" tickbox.

> It showed locked for a brief instant then went unlocked.

> I copied the file to my desktop - from there it locked.

> Unlocked it, renamed it, locked it again (Desktop copy) and moved back
> to the Dropbox: Became unlocked. Moved it back to the desktop and it
> was still unlocked.

> Bizarre...

Not even a little bizarre.

> so ...

> Per the Dropbox site:
> File locking is a feature available to Dropbox Business
> usersthat prevents a file from being edited. This allows
> teams and collaborators to coordinate who is editing a
> file and avoid conflicted copies.

That is DROPBOX file locking, not macos file locking.

> But non-business account holders can't lock a file even if it is not a
> shared file.

Nope. Dropbox has gone to shit. Best stop using it as soon as you can.

--
Words have meanings, but not here.

Alan Browne

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Dec 15, 2019, 9:39:30 AM12/15/19

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On 2019-12-14 17:35, Lewis wrote:
> In message <5c2dnZ60lJwgrGjA...@giganews.com> Alan Browne <bitb...@blackhole.com> wrote:
>> Just found a curious thing with Dropbox files.
>
>> I saved a PDF of a text (Messages) conversation with a supplier for
>> future reference. To avoid losing it I used Finder|Get Info and ticked
>> the "Locked" tickbox.
>
>> It showed locked for a brief instant then went unlocked.
>
>> I copied the file to my desktop - from there it locked.
>
>> Unlocked it, renamed it, locked it again (Desktop copy) and moved back
>> to the Dropbox: Became unlocked. Moved it back to the desktop and it
>> was still unlocked.
>
>> Bizarre...
>
> Not even a little bizarre.
>
>> so ...
>
>> Per the Dropbox site:
>> File locking is a feature available to Dropbox Business
>> usersthat prevents a file from being edited. This allows
>> teams and collaborators to coordinate who is editing a
>> file and avoid conflicted copies.
>
> That is DROPBOX file locking, not macos file locking.

From my side, it is when I check the MacOS "Locked" box (Get Info) that
gets unlocked. So the Dropbox app appears to be unlocking at the MacOS
level. (Hence this posting is in the .apps group and titled as it is).

>> But non-business account holders can't lock a file even if it is not a
>> shared file.
>
> Nope. Dropbox has gone to shit. Best stop using it as soon as you can.

Too integrated with various personal and business things I do and I
haven't suffered any real issue. I just thought the behaviour above
strange.

Lewis

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Dec 15, 2019, 11:42:50 AM12/15/19

to

In message <jeednYJCt40H2GvA...@giganews.com> Alan Browne <bitb...@blackhole.com> wrote:
> On 2019-12-14 17:35, Lewis wrote:
>> In message <5c2dnZ60lJwgrGjA...@giganews.com> Alan Browne <bitb...@blackhole.com> wrote:
>>> Just found a curious thing with Dropbox files.
>>
>>> I saved a PDF of a text (Messages) conversation with a supplier for
>>> future reference. To avoid losing it I used Finder|Get Info and ticked
>>> the "Locked" tickbox.
>>
>>> It showed locked for a brief instant then went unlocked.
>>
>>> I copied the file to my desktop - from there it locked.
>>
>>> Unlocked it, renamed it, locked it again (Desktop copy) and moved back
>>> to the Dropbox: Became unlocked. Moved it back to the desktop and it
>>> was still unlocked.
>>
>>> Bizarre...
>>
>> Not even a little bizarre.
>>
>>> so ...
>>
>>> Per the Dropbox site:
>>> File locking is a feature available to Dropbox Business
>>> usersthat prevents a file from being edited. This allows
>>> teams and collaborators to coordinate who is editing a
>>> file and avoid conflicted copies.
>>
>> That is DROPBOX file locking, not macos file locking.

> From my side, it is when I check the MacOS "Locked" box (Get Info) that
> gets unlocked. So the Dropbox app appears to be unlocking at the MacOS
> level. (Hence this posting is in the .apps group and titled as it is).

Yes, Diopbox is unlocking your files because they want you to pay them
for the privilege of locking your files. Because only "Business"
accounts should lock files.

>>> But non-business account holders can't lock a file even if it is not a
>>> shared file.
>>
>> Nope. Dropbox has gone to shit. Best stop using it as soon as you can.

> Too integrated with various personal and business things I do and I
> haven't suffered any real issue.

Don't say you weren't warned.

> I just thought the behaviour above strange.

When you understand that Dropbox doesn't want you as a customer and
doesn't want to stay in the same business they've been in, and instead
is trying to become Slack, it makes perfect sense.

--
"Are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
"Uh, I think so, Brain, but we'll never get a monkey to use dental
floss."

Alan Browne

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Dec 15, 2019, 12:16:48 PM12/15/19

to

I doubt my sleep will be troubled.

>
>> I just thought the behaviour above strange.
>
> When you understand that Dropbox doesn't want you as a customer and
> doesn't want to stay in the same business they've been in, and instead
> is trying to become Slack, it makes perfect sense.

I understand these things, but I don't have an alternative at present
that fulfills the various things that Dropbox does for me quite well.
Happily I don't need a lot of storage there (1.8 GB presently) and if it
did break there are several less convenient workarounds.

As to Dropbox it does have a profit imperative and that doesn't
prioritize my free of charge use of their servers. Currently their
stock is way down. So I won't be surprised if they go 100% fee based or
reduce the "free" size to a point that it's not useful to me.