[olug] [OT] DropBox will automatically move and convert files to Google Drive or convert to MS office. Motivation for self hosting makes it very on topic.

[Rob Townley]

Last weekend when i really needed to do some serious work, Dropbox notified
me only after logging into their web site that all GoogleDocs files inside
Dropbox will be moved and converted to GoogleDocs.  A link will be created
in Dropbox to the GoogleDrive version.  My first reaction was positive
because Dropbox will integrate better with GoogleDrive.  Looked forward to
possibly searching across providers.  Would help trying to find a file that
I thought was in Dropbox, but was actually in GoogleDrive.
But then following Dropbox directions of finding what files will be
converted concerned me a great deal.  For instance, key files to open
password databases would be converted which would likely result in losing
access completely.    Their other option of converting the files to MS
Office would convert LibreOffice files to Word.
Attempted twice to post in their Forums for clarification.  Their
moderators marked my Forum posting as spam!  For the people that have no
idea, I sincerely hope they are just communicating poorly.  For a long
time, I have been meaning to self host all of it anyway... this did it.
https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Integrations/Google-Drive-Docs-Sheets-Migration-Would-move-Much-More-Such-As/m-p/682344#M9423

Google Drive Docs Sheets Migration Would move Much More Such As *.csv *.txt
*.odt *.log files.
<https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Integrations/Google-Drive-Docs-Sheets-Migration-Would-move-Much-More-Such-As/m-p/682344#M9423>

*Marked as spam.* If you believe this is an error, submit an abuse report
<https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/notifications/notifymoderatorpage/message-uid/682344>
.

   - Google
   <https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/forums/filteredbylabelpage/board-id/101001017/label-name/google>
   - Third Party Integrations
   <https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/forums/filteredbylabelpage/board-id/101001017/label-name/third%20party%20integrations>

[image: Robert T.26]
Robert T.26
<https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/182491>
Explorer | Level 4
<https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Integrations/Google-Drive-Docs-Sheets-Migration-Would-move-Much-More-Such-As/m-p/682344#>
Saturday
According to Dropbox, "How to find Google files in your Dropbox account
<https://help.dropbox.com/integrations/move-google-docs>" directions
(copied below), all our plainTextFiles.txt, LogFiles.log files,
OpenOffice.ods LibreOffice files, CommaSeparatedValues.csv files,
ankiFlashCards.apkg files, critical Firefox files,  and many other files
will be automatically moved to google drive that I would never want in
Google Drive.   Many of them will never work in using Google Drive, such as
our .key files to open our password databases because DropBox devs think
keepass.key files are Google Slides.  Now, we are talking a MAJOR SECURITY
CONCERN in terms of password database confidentiality and Availability.
   Not only is gDrive much more expensive, but I pay for dropbox for a
reason.  Their directions  are below, but it is basically find your files
that will be moved to google drive by searching for .gdoc or .gsheet or
.gslides.

Does not seem like this integration has been thought thru especially in the
following scenarios:

   1. The millions of people that use a key file to open their password
   databases.
   2. The millions that use LibreOffice or OpenOffice particularly because
   you do not want to use a slow web browser to open your docs and you do not
   want to use o365.
   3. Have a python project in DropBox for importing
   CommaSeparatedValues.csv files?  BROKEN.
   4. Depend on old versions of Firefox to manage NetGear switches and iot
   stuff?  Firefox would be destroyed!  These Firefox profiles contain
   LocalStore.rdf and MimeTypes.rdf and other .rdf files which will be
   detected as Google Sheets, thereby corrupting your Firefox profile.
   5. I had to post this rough draft in order to not lose it, so a
   moderator marked this as SPAM.  NOW, I AM EXTREMELY ANGRY.
   6. I had really wanted to get some things done today, but now am forced
   to move my files elsewhere.  TrueNAS ZFS SelfHosting would have already
   saved the time and money.  The plugins are awesome.    I believe I created
   my account in about 2008, so fifteen years as a customer is ending.

Dropbox devs, change this to search based on what the file MIME type
program returns.  Better yet, create an explicit Google Doc search.


How to find Google files in your Dropbox account
<https://help.dropbox.com/integrations/move-google-docs>

Use Dropbox search <https://help.dropbox.com/view-edit/search> to review
your Google files before uploading or converting your documents. To do this:

   1. *Sign in* <https://www.dropbox.com/login> to dropbox.com.
   2. Click the search bar at the top of the page.
   3. Search for each individual file type: .gdoc
   <https://www.dropbox.com/search/work?file_categories=document&path=%2F&query=.gdoc>,
   .gsheet
   <https://www.dropbox.com/search/work?file_categories=spreadsheet&path=%2F&query=.gsheet%20%E2%80%8B>,
and
   .gslides
   <https://www.dropbox.com/search/work?file_categories=presentation&path=%2F&query=.gslides>
   .


   - Dropbox Help Center - How to use Dropbox  <https://help.dropbox.com/>
   - Integrations <https://help.dropbox.com/integrations>
   - How to move Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides
   -