Messages

1

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

« on: January 12, 2014, 03:49 PM »

Thank you so much to IainB who helped me get wuala working for my tiny business. I spent the past week getting my team connected to our business data and so far looks good. IainB, I will now remove your testing company. If you post a review somewhere, I'd love to see it. Thank you. Erica

Just FYI, the last email I sent to Wuala requesting support was sent on 3 Jan 2014. Here is their reply, which was not sent to me until 9 Jan 2014.

Dear Erica,

Thank you for your patience.

Unfortunately we can not offer your remote support but I will all I can to help you. As I was informed, it looks like you're experiencing some sort of permission issue. Permission in Wuala are handled on folder level. Just right-click the folder and choose "Manage Group". The permissions are handled in the "Roles" tab.

We hope Wuala suits your needs. If you have any further question, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best regards,

Gianluca Pirrera
Wuala Support Team

So I have to say that support is really poor. I even have, supposedly, premium support and that consists of emails taking a week or more.

Also, it was not a permissions problem.

Thank you again.

Erica

2

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

« on: January 06, 2014, 06:08 AM »

Thanks, I will do that. Erica

3

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

« on: January 06, 2014, 04:54 AM »

IainB:

After all this exciting success, my team still cannot see or use the company files. I explained about the Notifications. They all had been sent invites previously. However, no one can see the invite. So I deleted everyone from the group and resent the invites. They still have nothing. I must be doing something incorrectly, but I don't know what. Do you have any suggestions?

Wuala also looks different (different options) depending on where I access it from. There are three ways to access it: from out of the program, from Windows Explorer, and online.

I also found wuala to be slow. I assume that is because the encryption part has to do its thing.

I will try to invite them to the safe harbor testing company and see if that works.

I am happy to know this exchange has had some benefit for you. You have been generous in your time.

Erica

4

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

« on: January 05, 2014, 10:52 AM »

I can't access wuala files without internet connection. I can see the directory and all the folders in it, and I can see the files in the folder, but when I try to open a file it doesn't open.

I know that when I got on vpn, I can't open a file in wuala and I can't save one to wuala. For example, when I am on the vpn and I need to download a document, I want to save it to a wuala folder, but it won't let me. Vpn shuts down all my other internet access on the computer I am using.

Thanks again. I will now try to find my team mates who seem to be enjoying their weekends outside and not at the computer like me. 
Erica

5

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

« on: January 05, 2014, 10:38 AM »

Hi IainB:

I can see the changes you made in the files in your company! I can also see in the Trash for your company! Hurray!

I set up a dummy group in my Safe Harbor company called "Safe Harbor-Testing."  I have sent you an invite to this group. You should be able to see my Forms folder and open and edit anything in there.

I knew you weren't supposed to be able to see files that were not shared with you, but just wanted to make sure.

That is such great news about opening from within Windows! Wow!

So, you can sort files on the drive W: by the modified date field, and add comments - comments go into the NTFS ADS (Alternate Data Stream) for that file. I am unsure as to whether the ADS gets synced to the Wuala cloud-based version of the file. I suspect that it might not, and thus would only exist on the PC's hard drive. The implication of this would be that collaborators may be unable to access anything put into the ADS.

I am not sure exactly what this means. You are saying that if I make any change when working with files on through windows explorer that these changes might not be synced to the cloud? There is a sync function that maybe can be used in those cases. I don't need to access files often when not connected to the internet, but it does happen. We can have power outages (I live way out in the rural areas) or I might be in a client home with no internet. It must be amazing to you, but most of my clients do not have internet. For most areas, I can pull out my iphone if necessary, but that is pretty slow and there are still areas I work in that have no internet and no cell signals! So I want to be able to access my files even if the internet is off.

I will now try disconnecting the internet and seeing if I can find the wuala files.

Thank you again for your kind instruction.

Erica

6

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

« on: January 05, 2014, 07:34 AM »

IainB,

Thank you so much! I am making way more progress with your assistance than I did with wuala tech support.

I can get in and see your company, your group with me in it, and your files. I did manage to edit the wp file and it saved. (There is not an option to save, until you click to close out the document, then you can save.) I have added files to your company...some blank forms...and they show up there. This is really amazing. I have spent many hours over the last 4-5 weeks trying to get this to work.

Question: just to be sure...when you look in your business account, can you see any of my folders/files? I have not shared them, I just want to make sure I have the file sharing system working.

Also, do you see any way to sort files in wuala by last date modified? And I don't see anyway to have the documents available on my hard drive (ie, without internet access.) Dropbox does this automatically and Box.com offers it as an option. And, the search function in wuala doesn't seem very "smart." I can search, but without the exactly correct file name, it doesn't look for it. Windows search function doesn't see it, presumably because it isn't on the hard drive, but instead in the cloud.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Erica

7

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

« on: January 04, 2014, 04:08 PM »

IainB: I can now see your name in my wuala account as a contact. But I can't find the company, or if there are any shared documents. Except at one point, when I had a "groups" tab open, I suddenly saw the NJ.Dawood Enterprises as a group under my personal wuala account...BUT I can't find it again? Can you see that I have joined your company? Do you have some sample documents that I could try to edit to see if it works? I so appreciate your help.

Tomos, thanks for offering. I have to use Java for everything here. I appreciate your concern.

40hz: I agree with you. In my business, the Hipaa laws do not state specifics, so each institution or monitoring group sets different standards and it drives us all nuts.

The NSF fiasco is truly embarrassing.

Erica

8

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

« on: January 04, 2014, 10:35 AM »

I found the invitation. It was in a wuala folder. Under "Notifications." This definitely solves at least one problem!

Once I accepted your invitation, the invitation disappeared. I accepted two invitations from IainB. But once I clicked out of notifications, I can no longer see IainB;s company and files. I saw them briefly as I accepted the invitation. Can't find them now.

If we can figure out how to get me to see IainB's files, then I may get this working after all.
Thanks! Erica

9

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

« on: January 04, 2014, 08:07 AM »

IainB - I do not see an invitation in my email. This is what my team members said too. I would send out invites per wuala instructions and they do not receive them.

40hz, I am mostly just trying to get my business records functionally secure and all team members to see and work on documentation for the same clients so we all know what is going on. We are in the US, where the Hipaa laws wreak havoc with ordinary communication and electronic storage. I actually argue with the people who monitor my security. It is OK to send information by snail mail, but anyone can steal a letter, copy a letter, send it to someone else. A letter can get lost in the US postal service. Same for faxes. Who knows who else is in the office with the fax machine? So to me, the fact that someone can "break into" the data and steal it, it just more of the same. However, no one asks my opinion. 

Erica

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General Software Discussion / Re: Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

« on: January 03, 2014, 06:58 PM »

This "Erica" is ericawsc in wuala. So you can invite me now. What a nifty idea! Thank you!

11

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

« on: January 03, 2014, 12:26 PM »

Thank you for the support, Tomos.

I usually start by asking nicely. My emails to wuala started out nicely, progressed to polite, but firm and in the last one I told them they had to provide more support or I was taking my business elsewhere. Still have not gotten a response.

Erica

12

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

« on: January 03, 2014, 08:47 AM »

Here is the acknowledgement from Wuala. The XXs are mine, there is a real code there. On the Wuala Drive, it shows my company. But your point is a good one. In looking over the chart you sent, with the business model, I am supposed to get "prioritized support" and I surely am not getting that. In reviewing the email below, it also mention the sales team, so I guess I can contact them. Thanks again. Erica


Dear Safe Harbor Support Coordination,

Thank you for your purchase! Your Wuala Business Code:

XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

By redeeming this code you will receive the following:

Storage: 100 GB
Users: 5
Valid: One year starting from the date of activation

Please follow the quick reference on how to redeem your code (http://cdn.wuala.com...roups__redeem_en.pdf) and review our user manual for further information (http://manuals.lacie...wuala-business/start).

Contact our sales team for any question you may have. We look forward to bringing Wuala to your company and appreciate your feedback.

Best regards,
Your Wuala Team

13

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

« on: January 02, 2014, 06:51 PM »

I did do a business trial, but did not try to connecting to others part. I read the instructions and it looks so easy! I follow the instructions to invite and bring in the other members of the team and they don't get the invitations. I can send them the "secret" weblink and then they can view the files, but they cannot edit. Which is critical. I have read through the manuals, but it has not helped me with this problem. I am the owner, manager, coordinator, HR, chief bottle washer, and yes, I do all the computer stuff, such as it is. My team members know less about computers than I do. I have had to hold their hands through dropbox, skype, join.me, electronic storage, etc. I am pretty much self-taught.

Actually, now that you mention it, I didn't do the "business" trial. I thought I was doing the business trial, but it turns out all I was using was the personal part. It took several days and emails and screen shots to figure out that part. We had that part working, sort of, and then I moved the files over into the business section and set up the company and the groups and that is what isn't working.

My plan is to set up my secondary computer with its own personal wuala account and then try to work out the connectivity issues when I can see the recipient computer and fiddle with the different combinations and methods of connecting. If I learn anything new, I will try wuala tech support and wuala forum again.

I do appreciate your help.
Erica

14

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

« on: January 02, 2014, 02:41 PM »

Thank you for your response. The first thing I did was work with dropbox technical support.

I did work with Dropbox support and they were fairly unhelpful. I was able to restore the files deleted, but it was an ongoing problem. I also learned how to use Recuva. In order to "solve" the problem, I had to pay dropbox $750 per year, which seemed excessive.

All these services for one individual are either free or very cheap.

However, if you have a team of people (we are six) it suddenly becomes very expensive. (We are a very small group that works with people with developmental disabilities. Not a big money-maker.)

Erica

15

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

« on: January 02, 2014, 09:52 AM »

Hi IainB,

Thank you for responding.

I have posted questions on the wuala forum and I get referred back to the help topics. I have the feeling there is some basic institutionalized pattern of  software developers or more highly trained users that I don't have. Dropbox was easy and intuitive. The reviews I read of wuala said it was hard to get to learn and that is certainly been the case for me.

Erica

16

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

« on: January 02, 2014, 06:57 AM »

I am trying to use Wuala for my microbusiness. It has the encryption and file sharing I need for Hipaa rules. I was using dropbox, but dropbox starting randomly deleting files. I could restore them, but it made me worry. Wuala is cheaper and better than dropbox and syncplicity...BUT I can't seem to get Wuala set up so that it works with my team mates who are distant from me.

I have read the Wuala forum, the Wuala instructions, the Wuala help and have requested assistance from business product support several times, but my team cannot see and edit the files I have stored in wuala. I have done the sharing, the groups, the invitations, etc. and nothing seems to work. I have requested assistance from wuala, but the email answers are very slow (days) and don't answer my questions, mostly they just refer to the instructions I didn't understand in the first place.

I have spent a full month trying to get this to work without success. I can use wuala myself. It is set up and working on my computer...even syncs between my laptop and desktop. One team member can see the files, but cannot edit. The other three can't even see the files. We have already wasted a month on this system and I am almost ready to give up, even though I have already given them a year's fee.

Can anyone help me get set up? I am reasonably competent computer user, (not a developer.)

Erica