Easily Collect Files via Dropbox
I was recently faced with a situation in which I needed to collect videos from all sorts of persons: some proved tech users and others not so much. An easy solution would have been to ask people to upload their video to Google drive and then share it with me, but not all of them are Google users. Another idea was to have them email the video to me, but the video files might be too large for emailing.
So, I decided I would collect the videos through my Dropbox. I have plenty of storage space, so that should work. I created a folder and generated the share folder link. Great! All I needed to do was invite people or share the link. I ran some tests. Wait! People need a Dropbox account in order to submit files to my shared folder? No way! As I mentioned before, not all have the necessary tech skills and much less the willingness to create additional accounts just to be used once.
Back to the drawing board. There has to be a better way! I kept searching and testing, and that's when I came across JotForm. It worked flawlessly, just the way I wanted! Let me tell you know it works:
1. Create an account in http://www.jotform.com
2. You can create your own forms. But I recommend for starters use the "Form Templates".
3. Search for the term "Dropbox".
4. I used the first simple form that shows in the list.
5. You can edit and customize the appearance of the form.
6. Now, the trick to make it work is to connect Dropbox to JotForm. Select the "Integrations" tab.
7. Choose "Dropbox Forms".
8. Authenticate the Dropbox account.
9. Select the "Embed Form" tab.
10. Copy the link and share with whomever you need to collect files from.
That's all! Once you download the files from your Dropbox account, you can delete them in order to make room for more. If you're worried about having your Dropbox account linked to JotForm, you can always revoke access by going to your Dropbox security settings.
I hope this solution helps you too.
Cheers!
So, I decided I would collect the videos through my Dropbox. I have plenty of storage space, so that should work. I created a folder and generated the share folder link. Great! All I needed to do was invite people or share the link. I ran some tests. Wait! People need a Dropbox account in order to submit files to my shared folder? No way! As I mentioned before, not all have the necessary tech skills and much less the willingness to create additional accounts just to be used once.
Back to the drawing board. There has to be a better way! I kept searching and testing, and that's when I came across JotForm. It worked flawlessly, just the way I wanted! Let me tell you know it works:
1. Create an account in http://www.jotform.com
2. You can create your own forms. But I recommend for starters use the "Form Templates".
3. Search for the term "Dropbox".
4. I used the first simple form that shows in the list.
5. You can edit and customize the appearance of the form.
6. Now, the trick to make it work is to connect Dropbox to JotForm. Select the "Integrations" tab.
8. Authenticate the Dropbox account.
10. Copy the link and share with whomever you need to collect files from.
That's all! Once you download the files from your Dropbox account, you can delete them in order to make room for more. If you're worried about having your Dropbox account linked to JotForm, you can always revoke access by going to your Dropbox security settings.
I hope this solution helps you too.
Cheers!
Sounds great.. I'm going to use it! Thank you for sharing!!
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