The purpose of a drop-box is to provide a place for people to upload files, but not be able to see any of the files that have been uploaded there.  A good example of this would be a place for students to turn in assignments for a class.  Think of it as a folder that someone else can put a file in, but aren't able to see the contents of.

In this example, we will create a generic drop-box that any student can upload a file to.  Once a file has been uploaded, it will disappear from their view, and only you will be able to access it.

Create a Folder

The folder you add will be created in the location you are currently in. If you want the new folder inside an existing folder, you need to navigate to that folder. To create the folder:

• Click the New Folder button in the upper right corner.
• Type in a name for the folder, such as THTR-126-XX (XX being your initials).
• Click Next.

Choose Users

• In the provided box, begin typing the group name, like Students, and select it from the yellow drop down list. NetFiles is linked to the Whitman directory so you can type part of a name or username and, given a couple seconds, netFiles will list users or groups that match what you typed.
• Click Finish when you are done choosing users.

Grant Permissions

You should see your newly created folder.

• Select the folder and go to Manage > Permissions.
• Go to the Advanced Permissions tab.
• In the screen that appears, check the Read box and the Write box and uncheck the Inherit Read and Inherit Write boxes for the users of this dropbox.
• Click Apply.
• Verify the settings on the confirmation screen and click OK.

Providing Access to the Drop-Box

All that is needed for someone to upload a file to your new drop-box is a web browser and the web address (also known as the URL) of the dropbox folder.  You can send this URL via e-mail, post it on your class website, or publicize it any way you want.  To find the URL:

• Select the created class folder.
• Go to Manage > Summary.
• In the Summary page, you will see two full web addresses. The Full URL and the Intellilink URL. The Full URL should look something like https://netfiles.whitman.edu/username/dropboxname.

Both URLs will take someone to your class folders.  The Full URL is simple and easy to remember, but requires that someone click on the "Launch WFS Web View" link in order to enter the Web UI and upload something, making the "Full URL" ideal for printed text and handouts.  The Intellilink URL is best for providing a clickable link since it will take you directly into the Web UI.

Notes about Drop-Boxes

• Be sure to test the drop-box before you publicize its location.
• If during your testing, you find that something didn't come out right, delete the folder and try again.  It's much easier than trying to troubleshoot permissions issues.
• If you have a number of discreet groups that will be using your drop-box (such as multiple classes), consider using multiple drop-boxes.  Consider a normal folder called "dropbox" with a set of folders for each class inside it.  Repeat the Setting Permissions steps for each class' folder, but not for the parent folder, "dropbox."  This way, each class will have their own separate drop-box, with a URL https://netfiles.whitman.edu/username/dropbox/classfolder .