Sick of having a full inbox?

When it comes to sharing documents online many of us still opt for the digitally medieval practice of sending email attachments.

File-sharing tools are quicker, easier and there's plenty of them.

First, identify the type of files you need to share. Some sites are specifically for photos and video, such as Flickr and YouTube. Others tend more towards documents and spreadsheets for collaborative working. Things to consider are storage limits, ease of document upload and price.

Google Docs is a good option if you share files occasionally and want something free and simple. Sign up for a Google account to get started.

The system is browser-based with no need to download anything. You can either create new documents within Google Docs, or upload existing documents, up to 25MB. The document toolbar is reassuringly familiar with options for text formatting, editing and so forth. To share a document, click on Share on the right of the screen. You can send out invitations to any email address or generate a link to your document.

I prefer the invitation option, as you can change the permission levels. Viewers can only see the document, while editors can make changes and share it with others.

Be aware that editors are required to sign in when you share a document with them. This means they will have to have a Google account. It's not difficult but it can be confusing and irritating for first-time users.

Alternatively Dropbox.com is more polished than Google Docs and gives you 2Gb of free online storage, or up to 100Gb if you pay.

To get started, download Dropbox which creates a Dropbox folder on your PC. You can then click and drag files into the folder and they are automatically synched with the Dropbox server, allowing you to access them from anywhere online. You can upload most file types from videos to presentations, with the added bonus that your files are backed up. A great feature for collaborative working is that it keeps every version of your document for the past 30 days. So if somebody has made changes and you wish they hadn't, you can revert to an earlier version.

Initially, I wasn't a big fan of Dropbox. It's not immediately obvious how it all works and I'm impatient when it comes to online things. However, it's a great solution and definitely worth getting to know if you are a frequent file sharer.

Windows users may want to take a look at officelive.com, Microsoft's solution. It offers free online file storage up to 5Gb. You create Workspaces (folders), add documents to these and share them with your colleagues. It is both functional and free.

The key to choosing a good sharing system is simplicity. There's something out there to suit all file-sharing needs, so shop around before making a decision.

- © Fairfax NZ News