[The Computer Kid] Why You Should Use OwnCloud

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Conrad Sykes

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Jun 26, 2013, 11:07:10 PM6/26/13

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What OwnCloud Is And How To Install It

OwnCloud is a free and open source alternative to services like DropBox and GoogleDrive. To setup your own OwnCloud you need to have a standard Linux Apache MySQL PHP (LAMP) server. As for myself, I use Dreamhost and was easily able to install OwnCloud by going to www.OwnCloud.org downloading the server Tar package and web installer. I then uploaded the tar package and web installer to the root directory of one of my domains and then pointed my browser to web installer location and simply followed the on screen instructions. I had my OwnCloud up and running within 10 minutes.

Why OwnCloud is better than DropBox, GoogleDrive, and other services

No Space Limitations
Services like DropBox give you anywhere from 2 to 15 GB for free but then charge if you want more. With OwnCloud the only limit on your storage size is the capacity of your server.
No Max File Size
Having a "max file size" is one of the things I hate most about cloud storage systems. Some services limit you to a measly max file size of 25 mb!!! With OwnCloud you can decide what the max file size limit is.
Privacy
When you give your files/data to companies you can never be sure what they are doing with that information. Some companies use your data for marketing purposes or to sell information about you to third parties. Then there is also always the concern that a company may be forced to hand over your data to the government without your consent or knowledge. With OwnCloud you control who gets the data and how it's used. Also, own cloud can be easily configured to send all client side data through a proxy.
Customization
Own cloud has a ton of features such as a Calender, Contacts, Music Streamer, Picture Viewer, and an Online Document Editor. But the best part is that there are a TON of additional plugins you can add to extend the functionality of your OwnCloud.
It Does Everything The Competition Does Plus More
Just like with other services you can share specific files or folders, but with OwnCloud you can go a step further and create accounts for your friends, family, or colleges to use. Own cloud also has client side applications for every platform. You can download client side apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and I-Phone. Own cloud also has version control so that when you modify a file it keeps a copy of the previous version in case you want to roll back. I could go on about other features but needless to say OwnCloud does it all.