Alternative Self-Controlled File Storage

Start with a ground for people to share what they use

• Lots of dropbox

Problems

• hosting gets expensive to host so much data
• collaboration: clients/activists use gdrive alot

things we use

• dropbox
• google drive
• basecamp
• om cloud
• zimbra [locally installed]
• survey monkey

Facilitator says:

3 main open source softwares are

• om cloud [most recommended for client/production uses]
• cfile
• hydeo

Details on various softwares

OMCloud

Great to share data, not great to edit together

• great syncing app, syncs w phones, public link sharing
• can work well with large files, must configure php
• can sync only selected folders
• you can get it as a paid service or put on your own servers
• Web Dev support
  • collaboration. limited zimbra integration.
  • also has decent calendar funtionality
  • you'll need a techie to setup or $$ to pay to get it setup [fairly easy but not the hardest, need linux literacy]

Zimbra

• invented by yahoo, dropin replacement for microsoft exchange
• can live in a web browser
• briefcase is the file management system
• installs in one folder, can be moved via servers
• local v web [lots of files, server space
• calendars work well

alfresco

• US govt written
• drop-in replacement for sharepoint
• there is a community version with no tech support
• its "overkill" to replace gdrive

etherpad / piratepad

• realtime collaboration
• must keep the URL in order to keep the document
• no GUI file directory

Q&A

why are we on dropbox/gdrive?

• not knowing alternatives
• even though we know its "bad", the least secure is the most user friendly, we have to choose getting what we need over the "right" option
• "we just want it to work"

why get off dropbox/gdrive?

• they will hand over your data to the gov't real quick
• its not like you know where the backup is. perhaps you're not even backing this up.
• what u gonna do when the web goes down HUH?
• weirdness about copies, moving, ownership
• we can defend our servers more easily
• if there was a google data breach would we hear about it?
• so you can

what are the issues in setting up your own? - paying for posting space or per user - where is the backup? are we thinking about the redundancy - you'll need an IT person to setup and or help you and or deal w IT yourself - security. YO!

other thing to know

• when you login at a random coffeeshop anything could be happening interstitially to your data
• microsoft windows 10 logs keystrokes

Toolkit options

Do you have a local server in your office?

• setup omcloud on your local server ands et it up so you can access your data when youre out of the office
• backup service - getting cheaper,

• for a "faxe dropbox" see vultr [large VPS] ex 5gb server, $20/mo, setup omcloud on VPserver, then do data migration. the migration is hard but once youre on the system you at least have shell access
• setup backup service

Who provides omcloud service?

• kumbit, mayfirst, palante

Some core shifts

• orgs less and less have internal servers, mailservers now the free options "seems free" but also have their own costs

Backups/Syncing

luckybackup

for linux [kinda like time machine, for linux

• "search for a GUI for rsync"
• still have ?s about how to backup our servers

One organizational use case, bittorrent protocol:

• bitsync, peer to peer, filesharing, neorouter

Another point:

• test your backups! just in case you're making them badly, that would be sad to find out at the time you need it.

ending thoughts

• what u gonna do when the web goes down HUH???!! well if you can access your server via ssh or ftp, you can still get to your server
• the right IT help is worth putting time or $$ into. Mayfirst? Better than dropbox!!!