From an admistrator's perspective, it's important to understand the uses for a particular file download area. File downloads are organized in File Groups, within each file group are individual File Folders. Inside these folders are the actual files. Only someone with Adminstrator privileges can do this. To share the work, the System Administrator can designate one or more people as File Administrators. These admistrators can organize and maintain the digitial collection of downloads.
As any visit to a hard drive will tell you, some are very good at organizing, others not so much. Some advance thought about the relationship between File Groups > File Folders > individual files improves the ability to users to find what they need. Questions to consider
- Who are the intended users of our file downloads area? public, online members, staff, collaborators, individual projects?
- Do they need file sharing areas open to the public? Areas restricted to their members? Both?
- Do we already have a file organizing system that is working internally and can use on the web?
Here are two different organizing schemes to consider.
1 - Organize by access
- FileGroup: Public Access Files
- Folder: Topic A public files
- Folder: Topic B public files
- Folder: Topic C public files
- FileGroup: Restricted Access Files
- Folder: Topic A restricted files
- Folder: Topic B restricted files
- Folder: Topic C restricted files
2 - Organize by Topic
- FileGroup: Topic A
- Folder: Topic A public files
- Folder: Topic A restricted files
- FileGroup: Topic B
- Folder: Topic B public files
- Folder: Topic B restricted files
The first approach is usually easier for the person administering the files. The second is easier for the person actually using the files. These are only two general approaches. Feel free to use the ones that work for your situation.
ITS Co-operative Inc.