Q: Sharing documents
We have a need to share some documents among many people - all MIT people - but I don't want to give them access to a folder on our service. Does MIT have any sort of service that will allow sharing of files easily?
Option 1: Dropbox
Dropbox is a cloud-storage company founded by two MIT students. IS&T has licensed the Dropbox for Business service for the entire MIT community. Dropbox for Business provides the MIT community with large storage capacity and convenient access to data via Windows, MacOS, Linux and mobile native clients as well as via any web browser. With the Dropbox client, you can access your cloud data as though it was a folder on your local disk. Dropbox also lets you share portions of your cloud storage, with a number of different protection/authentication schemes. You can also provide both read and write access to other Dropbox users.
Option 2: Google Drive
With Google Drive, you can open your files from your computers Drive folder on the desktop or from your browser. Files you create with Google Docs open in your browser or mobile app. Other files in your Drive folder will open in their regular applications (like Adobe Reader for PDF files) on your computer. Files in Google Drive can be shared with other users, with various adjustable permissions.
Option 3: One Drive
With the OneDrive client, you can access your cloud data as though it was a folder on your local disk. OneDrive also lets you share portions of your cloud storage, with a number of different protection/authentication schemes including integration with Moira lists for granting group access. You can also provide both read and write access to other OneDrive users, and share links to OneDrive files or folders with unauthenticated users who you provide a special link.
Option 4: Set up a directory in AFS
You can set up a directory in an AFS (Athena) locker to be viewable via http://web.mit.edu, only to particular people (either via a list of usernames or a moira group), authenticating via their MIT Certificates.
- Instructions:Web Publishing - Access privileges on web.mit.edu
Option 5: Set up a wiki
A wiki, on http://wikis.mit.edu, has permissions that can be configured to give permissions to a list of email addresses (including non-MIT users, via Touchstone) or a moira group.
Have Questions or Still Need Help?
- Contact the IS&T Service Desk
- Email accounts@mit.edu