| If this problem hasn't hit you yet... it will. | | | | register as a user; it's totally anonymous. |
| With the ever-increasing popularity of sharing | | | | Second, it allows you to send up to a 1 gigabyte file. |
| home-videos, mp3 audios, and other large files online, | | | | This enables you to send virtually anything you can |
| actually transferring those files to your customers, | | | | think of to anyone with an email address and Internet |
| friends, and family presents a problem. | | | | connection. |
| Most email systems limit the size of the files you can | | | | The site appears to make its money from advertising |
| send, and often completely restrict some file types, | | | | revenue generated by popup ads and Google |
| such as .exe, from passing through their email servers. | | | | AdSense (where they earn a commission every time |
| Most computer geeks say, "Just ftp it to your server | | | | someone clicks a link). |
| and I'll download it from the Web." | | | | Third, like did when first starting out, encourages |
| Unfortunately, that solution often proves too much of a | | | | message recipients to turn around and use the service |
| hassle, and actually rates impossible for those without | | | | to send files to their friends. |
| ftp access to a website and the knowledge to use it. | | | | This "viral marketing" effect should help them spread |
| To solve this problem, a new breed of website file | | | | the word quickly without a huge marketing budget. |
| transfer service has emerged to help the technically or | | | | ** ** |
| time-challenged masses share their huge files online. | | | | also enables users to send large files, though they |
| ** ** | | | | restrict file sizes to 100 MB. |
| I discovered this website as most people discover | | | | However, offers one extra feature lacking in |
| new sites, I saw someone else using it. | | | | YouSendIt: delivery confirmation. |
| A friend wanted to send me a 10MB "zip" file while he | | | | Dropload enables you to know when the person you |
| traveled from San Francisco to Boise. | | | | sent the file to actually clicks the link to download the |
| He couldn't use his ftp program to upload it to the | | | | file. |
| Web, and his ISP wouldn't let him send such a huge file. | | | | This cuts down on the "I never got the file" claims and |
| So, he logged on to and completed a 4-step process. | | | | acts like the Post Office making them sign for |
| (1) He entered my email address, (2) chose the file he | | | | registered mail. |
| wanted to send by browsing his hard drive, (3) entered | | | | You can't prove they read it, but you can prove they |
| his email and typed in a brief message, and (4) clicked | | | | received it. |
| the "send" button. | | | | does require you to register for a username and |
| The service uploaded the file to the web and sent me | | | | password, but the service is free. |
| an email message with a link to download the file from | | | | Overall, both services do an excellent job of solving a |
| their website. | | | | growing problem for a huge audience worldwide. |
| After I downloaded the file, I clicked a link to delete the | | | | Also, if you sell information products customers |
| file from their server. | | | | download from the Internet, the link expiration and |
| If I didn't bother to click that link, the server would | | | | confirmation features can come in handy (such as |
| automatically delete the file after 7 days. | | | | giving out free samples or preview copies to potential |
| A few things make this service unique. | | | | joint venture partners). |
| First, it allows you to send files without forcing you to | | | | |