I have the same use as @DLev for DTP, and was going to post the same question.
However, I don’t understand why using Dropbox wouldn’t be safe. With Dropbox, you have a local copy of your DTP file, so in the event that Dropbox services fail, wouldn’t you be able to retrieve that database anyway?
The possible drawback I can see from using Dropbox, is not closing properly a database before opening the same database in another computer, or not having your changes synchronized from one computer before opening it in another. It is a small inconvenient, but can be under control if you have a good protocol of work.
So, do the arguments against using Dropbox for DTP on several computers really stand? Which arguments are the most convincing?
IMO, having experienced this myself, Dropbox destroying a database convinced me. Plus - why trust anyone with your private and valuable stuff when the promise is “Dropbox will have no responsibility for any harm to your computer system, loss or corruption of data, or other harm that results from your access to or use of the Services or Software.”
But, others are not convinced, and the debate has carried on here for years, so a quick of the read the 600+ threads already posted here about “Dropbox” might help.
It’s not the security of the data in terms of not losing it, a cloud service provides an extra location for the data that is useful in the event of a natural or computer disaster. It’s data security, as in my personal and private data are not under my control, subject to interception, hacking and release and pose significant problems if made public. I want full and total control of all servers and other systems where my data reside. I do not want to allow any potential access to it for any outsider. I am very careful about what is public, i.e. on the net about my business and personal life and what is protected.
Dropbox (Evernote, Google Docs, Amazon Cloud, iCloud et al) all have the same problem of data security. Encryption is one possible solution that can mitigate the risks but not eliminate them.
All was well with my database being moved from desktop to laptop to desktop for my trip.
I am now doing some major clean up on files that are scattered in computer and dropbox folders to import them all to the DTP database. I was not sure I wanted to commit to the DTP import and so some are imported and some are not. Question: If I import folder with many subfolders and files, will DTP find and isolate the duplicates? I don’t think there are too many, but there will be some. Or, should I do this manually to avoid importing duplicates?
DEVONthink will indicate what it evaluates as duplicates – but it can’t really know what is truly a duplicate. (Some users have posted here that DEVONthink gets it wrong at times when guessing what’s a duplicate.)
DEVONthink will not automatically isolate duplicates, though you can make smart groups that find duplicates and use the smart groups to work through the cleanup.
If you have a good idea where the duplicates are, then doing a step-wise manual import might go faster.