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Forum Discussion
Help - need to share files privately - group members want to be anonymous
How can I share a document with a group of people and not have each member of the group see the other members? I have a very large file I need comments on - but my group members do not want to share their email addresses with others so they prefer to remain anonymous to the group.
As it is a very large file and I have 20 members, I prefer not to set up 20 separate shared folders and use up that much space if I don't have to. Also, I cannot send a link as that link can be shared with people outside of the group I want the document to be shared with. So that is not an option. Is there anything I can do?
Can I assign each member with a unique name only I will be able to identify? will everyone in the group see everyone else's email address?
Lastly - I am on DB Pro - I do not see when a member of a group looks at a file unless they comment or edit the file. Shouldn't I be able to see each time they view the file?
- I want to clarify something...
The suggestion I made did NOT involve a share link to the file (though share links are discussed on the same help article that I referenced). When you select a file and click share you now have two options; creating a link or inviting someone to the file. I am referring to inviting someone to the file. This is done in a way that is similar to a shared folder. An invitation to view the file is sent to the person and only that person can see it.
ioa wrote:
How can I do this so the people I invite cannot download the document, they can only view the document and comment on it? Thank you again for your help!Hello, ioa...
Unfortunately you cannot prevent people from downloading files (view this Forum post).
However, you could consider protecting your sensitive documents to be read-only by assigning a password to prevent modifications. It's not a perfect solution but it can be effective (view search).
RELATED ARTICLE:No worries... you're welcome for the help.
- Rich
Super User II
ioa wrote:
How can I share a document with a group of people and not have each member of the group see the other members?
Invite each person to the file (this is not a shared folder or a share link, it's a separate function for sharing a specific file with a specific person).
Shouldn't I be able to see each time they view the file?No. You can see when they make a change within a shared folder (add , move or change a file, etc.), but it does not track when someone eimply views a file.
Thank you Rich
Rich wrote:
ioa wrote:
How can I share a document with a group of people and not have each member of the group see the other members?
Invite each person to the file (this is not a shared folder or a share link, it's a separate function for sharing a specific file with a specific person).
Thank you for your fast reply Rich - as I understand it, all of the people I share the file with will be able to see the other people and that is what I am trying to avoid as they do not want to share their email addresses with others. Also, if I use this particular share function, are the people able to comment on the file. I do not want them to edit, but I would like them to comment if they have any. Thanks again!
VickyDropbox Staff
Hi,
Unfortunately these features are not available on Dropbox.
Furthermore, there's currently no way to see if a file has been viewed, or other usage statistics for files in Dropbox.
ioa wrote:
How can I share a document with a group of people and not have each member of the group see the other members? I have a very large file I need comments on - but my group members do not want to share their email addresses with others so they prefer to remain anonymous to the group.
Hello...
To test-drive what can actually be seen by each member, please fell free to leave a comment on one of the picture files located inside my example folder.
Afterwards, I'll leave a comment as well. You may be able to see each Dropbox member's account name who leaves a comment (eg: 310EI), but I don't think that you should be able to see my email address from within the comments section. We'll find out together.
ioa wrote:
As it is a very large file and I have 20 members, I prefer not to set up 20 separate shared folders and use up that much space if I don't have to.
Hello...
In case you're interested to learn more about my preferred method to use Dropbox's sharing a LINK to a Folder/File, please refer to my old forum post to test-drive how sharing a link is viewed by your recipients.
In addition, it explains the differences between Dropbox's two sharing methods and offers a few other sharing tips.
ioa wrote:
Lastly - I am on DB Pro - I do not see when a member of a group looks at a file unless they comment or edit the file. Shouldn't I be able to see each time they view the file?
Hello...
You can read through my old forum post regarding using a URL shortening service that tracks how often your links are clicked (examples included).
It may not be what you had in mind but I figured it's worth a look just in case you're interested.
- I'm Back...
Thank you for all of the help last week! I have a one more additional question - using the same parameters as I did before, (inviting a number of people with or without dropbox accounts to view and comment on a file - trying to keep each person's participation private from the others) - my new question is, How can I do this so the people I invite cannot download the document, they can only view the document and comment on it? Thank you again for your help!
ioa wrote:
How can I do this so the people I invite cannot download the document, they can only view the document and comment on it? Thank you again for your help!Hello, ioa...
Unfortunately you cannot prevent people from downloading files (view this Forum post).
However, you could consider protecting your sensitive documents to be read-only by assigning a password to prevent modifications. It's not a perfect solution but it can be effective (view search).
RELATED ARTICLE:No worries... you're welcome for the help.
