Group file sharing is as old as the Internet itself. Remember when people used group emails to share files online? Okay, maybe we still do that, sometimes. Recently (as in the last few years) we’ve seen social networking explode with MySpace rising to fame and then falling to the likes of Facebook. Many people have used social networking as a means of sharing files, notes and events with friends.
The difficult task to tackle is how to share with just a specific group of people. For instance, maybe you want to plan a reunion with a group of college friends but you don’t want to share the plans with the whole universe (or all of your Facebook friends). Perhaps you are part of an organization, club, or church and you want just a private community to share pertinent information within that group. Many sites like Facebook can be cumbersome and don’t provide the tools that you might need. While Facebook and other social networking sites like it are designed for sharing with your whole network, Zwiggo fits the “group file sharing” niche.
Use Zwiggo for all your group file sharing needs
Zwiggo is a new group file sharing tool designed specifically for sharing in the context of groups. It makes designing a space for your group very easy and is equipped with tools (called apps) that are specifically made for group interaction. With Zwiggo, you can make a space for any group in your life and keep them totally separate and organized. Let us walk you through setting up and using Zwiggo so you can see for yourself how easy it is.
Set up group file sharing with Zwiggo
If you go to Zwiggo.com, you can easily sign up for an account right on the front page. How simple is that?
As soon as you click the Sign Up button, you are immediately asked to set up your profile.
Your profile is simple to fill out and the information it lists is basic. Notice that you can choose to have your birth date invisible to the public eye (probably a good idea).
Share files in a group by creating a space
The next step to set up group file sharing is to initiate a space. This will become the the online portal for your specific group to come and communicate in. Begin by clicking the “Create New Space” button.
Here you will have to enter the name, description, and privacy settings for the space.
Add some apps
Zwiggo allows you to add tools for the purpose of group file sharing and collaborating. There are several of these “apps” that you can add: Chat, Photos, FileBox, Todo, Date Planner and Calendar.
Calendar
The calendar is very simple to read and use. Clicking on a date will give you a form to fill out an event.
Live chat
It’s nice to be able to chat live with your group while planning or just catching up.
FileBox
Group file sharingis very easy with this app. Now you don’t have to mess around with emailing files or passing around thumb drives. Just upload them for everyone.
Invite others
Once you have your space set up with privacy settings and apps, it’s time to start inviting people into the space. Just click the blue “Invite Others” button.
Now all that’s left to do is add your friends’ email addresses belonging to include them as members of the group.
Zwiggo is a brand new tool and it seems to be going in a great direction. Setting up and using it is a breeze, the design is beautiful and for the most part it works smoothly.
There are two negatives, however. First, there’s an app called “Photos” where your group can upload photos to share with each other. This app froze on every attempt to upload a photo. Just a kink to work out but until then, the FileBox app can be used to share photos as well; just not in a graphical manner.
The second negative is a privacy hole. If an invite is sent, the recipient will receive a link in their email to check out the space. They can then see everything within that space without having to join. They can’t interact but they can view your space. This means that this link can be shared with anyone and then anyone can view this space even if it is private. I think this too is a kink that will be worked on but it’s something to be warned about for now.
Overall, Zwiggo is a real up-and-coming sharing tool and one to be watched for sure. Try it out for yourself: it’s free!
How do you share files with friends? Let us know if there’s a better group file sharing service that you’d like us to cover.
