Dropbox users can now add comments to their files in order to communicate with other users who are working on the same files. From Tuesday onwards the new commenting feature will allow users to have conversations on their own files, as well as files which other users have shared with you.
Web comments enabled, mobile coming soon
The feature is already available on the Web for those using Dropbox.com, and will soon be added for mobile users.
“Whether you’re collaborating on a business proposal or putting together a vacation itinerary, working with multiple people can be difficult,” read a blog post from Dropbox. “It can involve lots of back and forth conversations, scattered across email threads and chat windows. And in the process, feedback can get lost and it can take ages to get everyone on the same page.”
Conversations will now be stored in one place thanks to the new feature.
Dropbox: Add users to conversations using “@”
Users of Facebook and Twitter will be familiar with the ability to involve someone else in the conversation using mentions. The feature works in the same way as on social media, where adding the @ symbol followed by a name or email address will bring that person into the conversation. Mentioned users will receive an email notification, even if they do not currently use Dropbox, containing a link to the file being shared.
“It’s a one-step process to both share a file and gather input about it,” Dropbox said. Comments left on a file will trigger email notifications, which can be switched off by clicking “Unsubscribe to notifications.”
Default settings mean everyone with access to a file can leave a comment, but file owners can block them by selecting “Turn off comments” in the Options menu.
The feature follows got on the heels of the recent collaboration between Dropbox and Microsoft, which means you can now edit your Office documents online. Word, PowerPoint and Excel documents can now be edited in Dropbox using Microsoft Office Online. As a consequence it is no longer necessary to have the desktop versions of Microsoft Office programs, and edits can be made from someone else’s computer.
