Purging storage does affect group's collaborators?

If I purge my zotero storage on zotero server, would my collaborators lose their data ? I'm the owner of the group.

Thanks!

Christian
  • Sorry to insist, but is there anybody who could answer me on that.
  • Or maybe I should be clearer.

    If I purge my sotrage on zotero server (as the group owner) and my collaborators (admin or members) sync their library with the group I own, would they loose their data in that group.

    AND (other subject, maybe I should start a discussion on that)

    If I uncheck "sync attachment files in group library" in my prefs, Are the other admin able to sync their attachment files with the server. If it is possible would it goes on my storage or their storage?

    Thanks and sorry for my Frenchglish writing,

  • If I uncheck "sync attachment files in group library" in my prefs, Are the other admin able to sync their attachment files with the server.
    no. If you own the group and down allow attachment syncing, attachments aren't synced.

    On the other question I'm not sure - I know that "purge" would definitely only affect files, not the data stored with the files. but I'm not sure if it would delete files stored in the group. I'd suspect it would, but I don't know.
  • Thanks (again)!
  • If I uncheck "sync attachment files in group library" in my prefs, Are the other admin able to sync their attachment files with the server
    Actually, yes. That's just a client setting. You would have to turn off file syncing in the group settings on zotero.org to prevent others from syncing files.

    Purging storage files from the website does not clear files in groups you own. Currently, at least, disabling file syncing for the group doesn't remove existing files either.

    As adamsmith says, data is not affected in any case.
  • edited April 13, 2011
    "" Purging storage files from the website does not clear files in groups you own. Currently, at least, disabling file syncing for the group doesn't remove existing files either. ""

    Is that said that the only way of removing files on the server would be to delete it locally and syncing after the deletion?

    AND

    Is taht said that purging files does only affect my main library?

    (just to make sur I well understood)

    Thanks!

    christian
  • Is that said that the only way of removing files on the server would be to delete it locally and syncing after the deletion?
    You'd have to delete the attachment item itself in Zotero and then sync.

    We could consider adding the ability to purge group files without removing the attachments, but I'm not sure it makes sense. When file editing is disabled, you can't create an attachment. If just the files were purged, the attachment items would all just break.
    Is taht said that purging files does only affect my main library?
    Yes. If we add an option to purge group files, it would be separate and explicit.
  • From your previous post Dan Stillman (I don't know how to make the boxes when you want to cite part of a post... ):

    ""You would have to turn off file syncing in the group settings on zotero.org to prevent others from syncing files.""

    Is it possible to turn off file syncing in group setting (I don't see it) Would it makes sense anyway? If the group is not on the server it is not a group anymore, no?

    Where you talking about the option "No group file storage" in "File editing". By the way Can you "edit" file? Maybe the option should be file downloading or file reading.

    From your last post:
    ""We could consider adding the ability to purge group files without removing the attachments""

    Maybe it would make more sense to remove the attachment with the file (if possible) so people could attached what they want locally without syncing those attachment and/or file.

    Thanks!
  • So if I understand this correctly, there is no way to purge attachments from a group folder. I accidentally sync'ed the attachments to a group folder when reinstalling Zotero. Now my online storage is largely taken up by these unneeded attachments. I'd really like to get them off the server without killing my group folder.
  • edited July 15, 2011
    Then delete the attachments in the group and sync. Purging is really just meant for people who have switched from Zotero File Storage to WebDAV, which is why it applies only to personal libraries.

    As noted above, if attached files on Zotero File Storage were purged, the attachments would all just break. There's no reason for them to be there if the files aren't accessible.
  • What I would do is backing up your Zotero folder as it is now. After I would "delete the attachments in the group and sync". And after I would restore the Zotero folder and make sure "Sync attachment files in groupo libraries using Zotero storage is uncheck" (maybe unplug your Internet connection before restoring your precedent Zotero folder).

    (Sorry for my bad English)
  • Budizz: I think you're misunderstanding something. I'm saying to delete the attachment items in the Zotero database. Restoring from a backup would just restore the database to its previous state.

    Attachment items shouldn't be in the group if the files can't be synced.
  • Dan - I think Budizz is right on. It makes perfect sense to me that a user would want her/his attachments to remain in the local group library on the harddisk, but not sync to the server (e.g. if you're working on a co-authored paper or so). Once you've synced group item attachments there is no straightforward way to return to that stage (local attachments, but not synced attachments).
    The workaround Budizz describes gives you exactly that - you first get rid of the attachments online and then restore them locally after you've turned off attachment syncing for groups.

    "Attachment items shouldn't be in the group if the files can't be synced."
    People may very well disagree with that, especially as you can't effectively link items in my library and in a group library.
  • It makes perfect sense to me that a user would want her/his attachments to remain in the local group library on the harddisk, but not sync to the server (e.g. if you're working on a co-authored paper or so).
    People may want to do that, but that's not how Zotero is designed to work right now. To me, if there's an attachment item, the attached file should be accessible for all members. Otherwise the attachment is broken.
    The workaround Budizz describes gives you exactly that - you first get rid of the attachments online and then restore them locally after you've turned off attachment syncing for groups.
    But what is Budizz's workaround, exactly? What does "restore the Zotero folder" mean? I'm saying that—unless I'm missing something—whatever Budizz is suggesting won't work.

    There's no way to purge attachment files from the server, for the reason explained above. And when the pref is unchecked, attachments with files aren't copied to the group to begin with.
  • edited July 15, 2011
    OK, by "folder" I guess Budizz meant the group library itself? So the workaround would be to delete the attachment items, sync to clear them from the server, and then actually recreate the group library with the file editing setting on the website enabled and the group file syncing preference in the client disabled.

    That would work, I suppose, but I don't think it's a very good practice, since, again, it would just create broken attachments for other users.
  • In my case, I have all my PDF's in a single folder on my hard drive. I do not (or do not intentionally) save them to Zotero. So I just want a link to the attachment. This just makes it easy for me to see the PDF's that I have on my computer. But I don't want to sync them to the server. I don't have enough space on the server and syncing would slow considerably if I did. I especially don't want to sync them to a group. Unfortunately, there is no way I can set this at the group level for a group that I own. Thinking about this, this is more of a problem than I thought. Others can sync attached PDFs into my space (both intentionally and accidentally) if they are able to add items to the group library.
  • No - by "Folder" Budizz means the entire Zotero data folder (that's at least what I got). You're essentially restoring from a backup after deleting the attachments and syncing that change to the server.
    Since you first actually delete the items on the server they wouldn't show up as attachments in the group library anymore or would they? And if they would, how is that different from syncing with the preference for group file syncing turned off in the first place?
  • cmbarton: Can't you turn off file editing for the group on the website? That will prevent people from syncing files to your group and using up your storage.
  • No - by "Folder" Budizz means the entire Zotero data folder (that's at least what I got). You're essentially restoring from a backup after deleting the attachments and syncing that change to the server.
    Then your local client will just pull down the deletions from the server when you restore from the backup, as if it were any other computer that hadn't synced since before that change.
  • I'd like people to be able to add citations but not attachments. File editing (I think) affects whether or not they can add anything, including citations and attachments.
  • File editing affects whether they can add files.
  • OK. Then I'll turn that off. Others can still create and edit citations though?
  • Umm. I don't see anywhere on my manage group settings where I can turn off file editing. I can enable comments, change membership categories, add information, change the name and description of the group, but not change file editing privileges.
  • ADAMSMITH wrote: "No - by "Folder" Budizz means the entire Zotero data folder (that's at least what I got). You're essentially restoring from a backup after deleting the attachments and syncing that change to the server." (How you do the boxes??? please)

    That's what I was saying... Not the best practice... but it would work as a workaround ( Iguess).

    ADAMSMITH wrote: "Since you first actually delete the items on the server they wouldn't show up as attachments in the group library anymore or would they?"

    I guess they would not show as attachments after delete the files, but what I was suggesting is to delete the file locally and sync after (I don't even know, myself, if you can delete directly on the server)

    ADAMSMITH wrote agtain (I need the boxes...):"And if they would, how is that different from syncing with the preference for group file syncing turned off in the first place?"

    The difference is that if you turn that preference off AFTER the files were synced, the files will remain on the server (Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so) and that'S the problem anda that's why I suggested the workaround.

    CMBARTON:
    You need to go at Zotero.org:
    Home > Groups > NAME OF TEH GROUP > Settings }>Library> File editing
  • Thanks Mark! (It would make my posts clearer)
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