Hi Norm

Sorry for the delayed response.

Alternate views are not available with public shares. However, collaborate shares will allow the shared user to toggle between thumbnails or list view.

After Signing In to my.pogoplug.com, the thumbnail and list icons are at the top right of the screen.

Kind Regards,
Christopher Louie
on behalf of the Pogoplug Team

Hi Norm

We recently covered Collaboration in our blog - http://blog.pogoplug.com/pogoplug-gets-social-collaborate-1449/

As well as the public or social sharing you've already been doing:
http://blog.pogoplug.com/pogoplug-gets-social-share-with-facebook-1347/

Though this blog post covers Facebook sharing, the final view at ppl.ug for the shared user is still the same.

Our KB articles also offer step by step instruction for sharing - http://support.pogoplug.com/forums/20372016-file-sharing

KR
Christopher

Norm Gregory said: Let's see if I have this straight. (I need a step by step map . .. hahaha) The user must first create an account. Then I change his/her status to Collaborator. Isn't there two levels of "Collaborator?" This new status is a more enhanced for them than they get by hitting a share link?

Hi Norm,

No problem.

There's no need to ask the user to create an account separately.

If you Collaborate with a new Pogoplug user, whether you make them an 'User' or 'Editor', they must create a password protected account by default. An 'User' can only view and download a share while an 'Editor' can upload to a shared folder. By the way, there aren't any editing privileges for single file shares.

You can still send a share without account creation or a password requirement by simply sending a public link.

Hope this makes sense,

Christopher

Hi Norm,

Thanks for the update.

We'll forward your comments to the Product Team.

Kind Regards,
Christopher

Chris Louie said: Hi Norm We recently covered Collaboration in our blog - http://blog.pogoplug.com/pogoplug-gets-social-collaborate-1449/ As well as the public or social sharing you've already been doing: http://blog.pogoplug.com/pogoplug-gets-social-share-with-facebook-1347/ Though this blog post covers Facebook sharing, the final view at ppl.ug for the shared user is still the same. Our KB articles also offer step by step instruction for sharing - http://support.pogoplug.com/forums/20372016-file-sharing KR Christopher

Chris, I read the article on Collaborate - To me, and to my friends with whom I share files to, and have files shared from, this new term "collaborate" adds nothing but confusion.

If I share a directory, I'm not collaborating, I'm just sharing. If someone shares their directory or files, they are just sharing with me. Now it's Collaborate and Link, under the tabbed page Sharing. And under Links, I can collaborate, I mean really, this is double-speak.

What was wrong with "Sharing" and then "Files I Share" and "Shared with me" -- what could be an easier concept to grasp? Collaborate is a poor choice of words for a directory of photos that I simply want to share. I'm not collaborating, I'm sharing.

Once they started down this "collaborate, link" path, they really lost the essence of what can be done. Also, the only way to list by e-mail is to list collaborated files that Others have shared with me, but I can't list by e-mail the files I've shared (collaborated?) with others, which in my view is far more important.  In fact, I'd like both - to know WHO is sharing things with me, and WHO have I shared things with, BY E-MAIL.

It makes me wonder whether or not the developers of the website speak English as their native language or whether or not they actually use a pogoplug storage device and share with, and get shared files from their friends.

Just thought I'd COLLABORATE this idea with you.

Dr. T

PS: The videos setup to help people don't use the "new and improved?" website. 

See the videos here: http://www.pogoplugged.com/article/14109/Pogoplug-Tips-and-Tricks-Videos/ posted by Peter Redner. I'd be interested in whether "sharing" and "collaborate" and "link" and "add collaborator" etc. could be explained and make more sense than Files I share, and Files Shared with me.

Norm Gregory said: Amen and ditto!!

Norm, I've been trying to explain this to the official support people since they introduced the "collaborate" idea and broke the useful features, that was at the end of October or maybe before.

I've sent numerous examples, explained the problem numerous times, and today I got an e-mail asking me to explain what the problem is and to provide screen shots and more examples.

I suggested they call me on the phone. I'm obviously dealing with front line staff people who don't know much, or very little about how these devices are actually used

When pogoplug first came out, it worked great, but it wasn't scalable. As you added more directories and shared with more people, it broke. Now they seem to make it worse on every upgrade as though nothing is ever fully tested by people like me who make use of the features.

I'd be willing to bet that the developers working on the website interface don't speak English as their native language, and that they don't have multiple devices or share with, and have shared files from associates using these devices. If they did, these problems would be solved, or never have appeared in the first place.

If they call me for help, I'd gladly cooperate, but it's been a year since I've been finding problems (some solved, some ignored). Most recently they are indicating that when a feature is broken, they intend it to be broken and don't plan to support it -- like embedding links to photos on your own pogoplug device so you can put those links in e-bay listings, for example.

Check out this link to one of my pogoplug files, which has a link to another pogoplug file.

http://goflexnet.pogoplug.com/share/dHEfCZ5boD4mBYBmPu0sEw/0OEd9M_bE_NFvM4rEAvGETirJo0/PogoShareExample.html

This capability is no longer supported by the new my.pogoplug.com site, and soon they'll probably remove it from the goflexnet.pogoplug.com site.

Jeff Towle, Ph.D.

Norm Gregory said: Jeff . . . I am with you . . . and would echo all points you made. My Pogoplug drive has become almost unusable for most of my family . . . who, granted aren't very tech savvy, but had little trouble with the old interface. They could easily sort by date to see the latest adds, etc . . . now . . . completely confusing. They should offer different levels of GUI . . . something quick and simple without any bells and/or whistles would be my suggestion.

Norm

Like "Files Shared with Me" and "Files I share" -- simple, all under the tabbed heading of Sharing.

When I asked my friend to tell me "If I share a file with you what word would best describe it, collaborate or link" -- answer "link" -- BZZZZZ  WRONG !!

Now "If you share a file with me and I want to see it, would I look under collaborate or link?  Answer: again "link" ---- BZZZZ WRONG AGAIN !!

Okay, so "If I share a file with you, and want to see a list of what I'm sharing, would I look under Collaborate or Link ?? Answer: Oh that's simple, you'd be collaborating so you look under collaborate, right" --- BZZZZ WRONG !!!

Finally, "You share a file with me, and want to see a list of what you're sharing, and you had two places to look, collaborate or link, where would you look?  Uhhh, collaborate I guess, right?" ----- BZZZZ WRONG AGAIN !!

I would guess at this point nobody has ANY idea what it means to Collaborate or Link or where to look for files I share and files shared with me.

Could they have made it less intuitive ?  You think Yes ?  I'd say BZZZZ YOU'RE RIGHT but it would take someone speaking latin or chinese to accomplish that feat.

Are you confused by Files I share and Files shared with me? Not at all.

Welcome to a cosmic bunny hole, entertained by the mad hatter, oh, that's right, welcome to the cloud. <<grin>>

Ugh.