# How do YOU send information from one computer to another?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [September 20, 2009, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822 "2009-09-20T14:10:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Never\_Say\_Dice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Never_Say_Dice)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2009, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/1 "2009-09-20T14:10:07Z")
Dozens of ways, I suppose. What do you choose?
Sometimes interesting things are found when I’m on the computer at work, the library, or on my relative’s computer that I want back home.
I suppose I should carry a memory stick, but I don’t.
I used to use Yahoo Briefcase, but they dropped the feature. Now I mostly email things to myself as attachments.
If just a handful of image files I use Photobucket, but that’s no good on other file types.
If there’s a whole lot, I “back up” and “restore” with [Mozy.com](http://Mozy.com), but that’s not really attractive.
So, what’s your routine?
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/2 "2009-09-20T14:36:25Z")
Depends, if both computers are physically close I’ll use a stick (for a lot of stuff, an external HD or several trips of the stick, I transferred my whole WoW folder using several trips of the stick one time, as I didn’t have a HD handy); if not, well, the last time I wasn’t able to transfer a file through gmail was… because gmail hadn’t been invented yet.
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### Author:  [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/3 "2009-09-20T14:42:19Z")
I carry a memory stick on my keyring - it means I always have it with me when I need it, and often my files are just too big for anything else. Oh, I also sometimes copy stuff onto my ipod - using it as a (very expensine!) portable hard drive
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### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/4 "2009-09-20T15:04:54Z")
In descending order of preference:
sftp
ftp
(the original tools for the job. it’s what they exist for. sftp is secure)
Timbuktu or Apple Remote Desktop
mount SMB or AFS volume on local desktop, drag file in.
email attachment
sendspace or rapidshare
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/5 "2009-09-20T16:10:00Z")
If it’s an interesting webpage - email link.
If it’s an interesting file - usb key (or email, if it’s small enough)
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/6 "2009-09-20T19:52:10Z")
scp
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### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/7 "2009-09-20T20:03:49Z")
I just e-mail myself an attachment.
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### Author:  [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/8 "2009-09-20T20:03:57Z")
Dictation. One computer speaks and the others listen through voice recognition. It’s rather calming, actually, and makes for a great meditation exercise at work. 6F 6D 20 6F 6D 20 6F 6D… much better than progress bars.
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### Author:  [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/9 "2009-09-20T21:35:02Z")
I use scp, samba (that’s windows file sharing for you non-unix types) and usb sticks.
ETA: I also have a light-weight 300 Gb usb drive that I can take with me when needed, but I rarely use it for that.
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### Author:  [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/10 "2009-09-21T02:41:30Z")
memory stick.
if it’s too small, dvd.
also i have a LAN set up at home to move files between computers.
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### Author:  [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/11 "2009-09-21T14:35:40Z")
Anyone remember [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneaker\_net](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneaker_net)
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### Author:  [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/12 "2009-09-21T15:22:50Z")
scp, mostly. Gmail for the rare cases where I’m on a computer that’s not networked to my other computers.
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### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/13 "2009-09-21T16:20:23Z")
what is “scp” ?? 😕
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/14 "2009-09-21T16:23:21Z")
I’ve been wondering that myself.
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### Author:  [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/15 "2009-09-21T16:29:27Z")
[Dropbox](http://www.getdropbox.com/) to sync things like music, homework, or pictures between my multiple computers (home desktop, laptop, work computer, etc.), sftp, or smb/samba (windows file shares).
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### Author:  [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/16 "2009-09-21T20:16:12Z")
[scp](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_copy) is a \*nix command-line secure copy utility. It lets you copy files between computers over an encrypted connection.
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### Author:  [@the\_first\_supraliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_first_supraliminal)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/17 "2009-09-22T15:49:56Z")
> [@troub](#):
>
> [Dropbox](http://www.getdropbox.com/) to sync things like music, homework, or pictures between my multiple computers (home desktop, laptop, work computer, etc.), sftp, or smb/samba (windows file shares).
That looks good. Now I need to get my son to load it for me. I can’t deal with Ubuntu operating system and never want to learn.
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### Author:  [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2009, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/18 "2009-09-23T17:59:40Z")
ftp to my office computer then ftp from it. My home network is so flaky and unpredictable that this is the surest way to move something from one to another.
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### Author:  [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/19 "2009-09-23T18:01:51Z")
scp
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-send-information-from-one-computer-to-another/510822/20 "2009-09-23T18:24:44Z")
I have an 8GB memory stick on my keyring, and a 100GB slimline usb hard drive in my bag.
VPN (and DFS to some degree) for work \<–\> home, and an FTP server at home for contingencies.