by Bill Buchanan
I used to have a problem keeping my PAF data synchronized across multiple computers. Now I can do work on any of my computers and the changes are automatically made to all of them.
Dropbox.com offers 2 GB of free online storage, as does various other sites. The difference is that you can install Dropbox on multiple computers and Dropbox automatically synchronizes your data on each computer when that computer connects to the internet.
I have PAF installed on each of my computers, with my PAF data file (and linked photos) uploaded to Dropbox, which also stores a copy in my local DropBox folder. The rest is automatic. When I start PAF on any of my computers, it opens the file stored on the local computer and this folder is automatically synched across all of my dropbox folders.
So I can edit a PAF file on my laptop while doing research at a remote location and any changes will automatically be made to my desktop computer, my wife’s computer, and to all of the other Dropbox folders keyed to my email address and password (whether on a Windows PC, Mac, Linux, Android phone, or iPhone).
So I just use PAF as usual. There is nothing new to learn or do, but before shutting down the computer I check my Dropbox icon in the system tray to make sure that my PAF data file has a checkmark on it (showing it has been synched to my Dropbox “cloud” account). People with a faster internet connection probably don’t need to bother with that step.
I should never lose my data again or end up with multiple different versions of the same file. Dropbox also has other useful features.
Disclosure: I have no connection to Dropbox.com, except as a happy user of their free account.
(note from Peter: Thank you, Bill. I too am a happy user of Dropbox – works with Mac, Windows and Ipad – synchs all kinds of files – really good for personal history too! – and the program is free! - for up to 2 GB of storage!)
I use SugarSync instead of Dropbox because it gives me 5GB of free space. I have 5,371 files of photos, birth, marriage and death certificates, census records, cemetery headstones, etc which take 2.95GB (Dropbox only has a 2GB free account).
I should explain that all changes saved in your Dropbox folder are automatically synched across all computers that have that dropbox account. (There is no need to setup complicated synchronization rules, it just happens.)
Please note that Dropbox is only aware of the copies of your files that are in your Dropbox folder. Don’t expect it to synchronize other copies that are saved elsewhere. e.g. If you have saved a copy of your PAF database to your Dropbox folder, but update a copy saved elsewhere, Dropbox will not be aware of these updates.
Once you have moved your files to Dropbox, do not use other copies of these files, and synchronization will be automatic. It is amazing!
The simplest way I have found to create a family history website and put it online also involves Dropbox. Ask PAF to create a webpage, then move the website folder that PAF creates to your Dropbox’s “Public” folder. Then open the website’s folder and right-click on the index file and select the Dropbox menu to get a copy of the URL, and you are in business! There are no advertizing banners, and no need to install and learn FTP software, or learn HTML, or learn the webhost’s special protocols. You can have a website that is up and functioning in about 10 minutes! Here is one that I created. (I tweaked the index page slightly, but it would have worked fine in the original form that PAF created.) http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20318248/bill1847/index.htm
Richard, I am planning on checking out SugarSynch. There is no reason not to use both. I also have a free Amazon Cloud 5GB account, but find it too awkward to bother with, but maybe they will improve it if they feel a little pressure from the competition.