I mainly started using cloud storage at the beginning of university but have been aware of it for years (since it was an option really). I first saw the cloud as a secondary storage option for the PC but it turns out, anything that is put online that doesn’t require storage from my device, uses the cloud. The organisations that run the cloud, swear that our information is safe and promise to encrypt our data so it may not fall into the wrong hands.
I have (in terms of document storage clouds) used Google Drive, OneDrive (Microsoft) and Dropbox. All three are very easy to use. The software or websites tend to have an upload icon in the corner and then it is just a case of finding what you want to add to the drive.
I thought I would revisit my Google Drive which I have uploaded childhood MS Paint drawings to. It appears I uploaded quite a lot when I was younger because I see this as a good option for backing-up files. I uploaded some of my precious university assignments because I thought it wouldn’t hurt to back-up my work again (although I own an external drive now). It is just as easy as I remembered. It was as simple as clicking the plus icon and then pressing upload document.
The cloud is really easy to use and as demonstrated by my experience with university group assignments, it is great for team projects as everyone has the same amount of access. This is done through joint cloud accounts. You can either create a new account everyone has access to or you could simply make a group. It would also be good for my workplace but we do not really need to share documents at this moment in time. This knowledge, however, could prove useful in the future.
It is worth noting though. This is not a platform for confidential information. You need to ensure the security of these documents and the cloud, I feel, is not secure enough and you should not be able to access these unless you are at work or using a work device. Be very careful.
It would be very good for sharing posters, leaflets or letters to send out to parents as everyone would have a copy to print a duplicate if a parent was not there on the day or you simply need another one.
It’s a very useful tool but like many online resources, you have to cautious of what you upload.