Changes to GSuite Drive (Drive Shortcuts)

[Eclipse]

https://gsuiteupdates.googleblog.com/2020/03/shortcuts-for-google-drive.html 

1 - Lots of wings use GSuite.

2 - Gsuite Drives, especially in a CAP context, tend to look something like this:


"Starting September 30, 2020, it will no longer be possible to place a file in multiple folders in My Drive, including via the Drive API. Going forward, every file will live in a single location.

After September 30, 2020, all files already living in multiple locations in My Drive will gradually be migrated to shortcuts."

Looks like this pushed live in late May for my domains, and it's starting to cause
confusion and related issues for users I support.

I'm still trying to figure out the full ramifications for mature file systems
(10-15 years old), how to delete the shortcuts when they are created in error, and
whether this "feature" can be turned off.

A NOTGKS to be aware of this before the next time you need to wade into an ICS directory structure
to find it doesn't work how you thought (etc.).

[jeders]

I honestly don't understand this; why would anyone put the same file in multiple locations? Isn't that just asking for data reconciliation problems?

[Eclipse]

^Yes, but you learn the Zen of it and then just don't do things that cause issues.
I have about 8 domains I live and work in, so I know what to watch for, casual users
don't and that is where the trouble comes in.

Up until now, GDrive directories have been a subjective view to the logged-in user.

A file shared to someone else might be in your "DIR1", while they decide to put it in "DIRQ/DIRX/DIR7".
If you live like a millennial and just always use the search function, it's less of an issue than if you
try to replicate (and refer to), a more typical local drive-type structure.

With the latter, as long as a file is created / uploaded where it belongs to start with (i.e. a properly shared file structure) then no shortcuts are necessary.

With the former, a file can be in 50 different directories for 50 different users.

Now, apparently, what you'll see is shortcuts to a single location, and then
the file has to actually live somewhere that a given user has rights.
I see that causing issue in all sorts of ways, but mostly just confusion.

I also can't find a way to delete these shortcuts, which to a casual user
appear to be duplicate files.

Another unintended consequence I'm seeing is that if the files are created or shared
from an iDevice, instead of the browser interface, not all the same options are available,
which has always been somewhat of an issue, but seems moreso now.

[Spam]

Millennial user slam, there... the non deterministic behavior of a generation of users... now perchance discovering that some things actually do need to be stable, defined, and grounded with revision control?

Eclipse this is a good week, you've got me laughing yet again!

V/r
Spam

[UWONGO2]

Google's approach to file hierarchy was probably the most Google-ly thing they've done. Took the desktop/folder hierarchy that nearly every computer user understood (even if they just kept everything on the desktop).

Google then shows up and turns that all on its head. The idea a file could live in multiple places makes great sense to your average software engineer or even most nerdy folks. The user base never really got the hang of it. They even punted slightly when the stood up the "shared drives" but even those acted more like a shared folder, not a drive.

The transition will stink because Google has never been great at migrating between big feature changes. In the long run though, hopefully it will make more sense to end users.