File sharing is the accessing or sharing of files by one or more users. It is an integral part of day-to-day work activities for many people. We participate in file sharing when we email a word document to a colleague, collaborate on a PowerPoint presentation with others or send a spreadsheet.
To get the most out of file sharing, it helps to understand some of the most frequently used terms. I have listed the 12 most common terms below:
Cloud storage:
A platform that allows you to store your files online and access them from anywhere with an Internet connection on any of your devices.
Collaborate:
To work together on a shared task like writing and editing a Word document. The Collabow workspace allows numerous team members to access and edit a file.
Comments:
Collabow’s cloud storage allows you to add and respond to comments on a shared file such as a document, deck, spreadsheet or photo.
@comments:
If you use the @ symbol with a fellow collaborator’s name when commenting on a document, the @ mentioned person receives an email containing a link to your comment. By clicking on the link, they can take part in the conversation.
Edit:
When you share a file, you can designate whether the person you are sharing with can view the file only, edit and update the file or be a super user. Someone who has permission to edit a document can make and save changes to the file.
File naming convention:
Finding your files and shared files tends to go better when we adhere to a common pattern of file naming, also known as a file naming convention. For example, if you’re working on the 2022 sales plan, you might establish a naming convention that calls the file SalesPlan2021, SalesPlan2022 etc. That way, if someone is looking for the sales plan, they will be able to find the right file just by scanning the names. It’s wise to consider using the keywords and #tags in the file name so that others can find them via search or scrolling through the timeline.
File protection:
When your work and personal files are uploaded to the cloud you can access them even if your device is lost or broken.
File versioning:
A cloud storage service can maintain numerous versions of the same file. That way, if you or a team member makes unwanted changes to a document, you can easily restore a prior version that doesn’t have those changes.
Permissions and controls:
You can establish who may access your files. and, for each person with such access permissions, you can control their level of access, e.g., read-only, edit and update or super user
This feature enables you to share files with a password-protected link. Only people who have the link and know the password can access the file.
Security:
Cloud storage security is an essential element of file-sharing. A trusted cloud storage service has many protocols in place to protect your files from loss and from cyber threats such as ransomware. In general, protecting files is known as “data security.” When selecting a cloud storage service for your business, be sure your provider offers security options.
Tags:
Tags allow you to instantly categorise and label files for hassle-free searches. Tags also allow you to find your files wherever you have saved them.
Varied permissions:
You chose who is approved to view, comment on, edit or reshare files. You can limit access to one individual, a group or all company employees.
Version history:
With this feature, you can see every draft of the document since its initial creation or since a certain time frame, such as the past 30 days. Version history also guards your document in case of unwanted edits.
