Link documents in groups with documents of "my library"
When a group member adds a document to a group, I see the PDF of the document greyed out, indicating that I do not have access to it (i.e. not on my computer). However, somtimes the newly added document is in my library, with exactly the same parameters but still I can not access it. Is there a way to link both easily?
Klaas
shared this idea
10 comments
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Christian
commented
Well, I just started testing Mendeley and so far was amazed. If it is however not possible to create a private group were the members can contribute (including files) one of the most important features is missing :-((
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MJ
commented
Here is a related feedback that has already gathered a large number of votes, if you want to add the votes:
http://feedback.mendeley.com/forums/4941-mendeley-feedback/suggestions/309306-reason-for-differentiation-in-shared-and-my-col -
Ed
commented
Problem solved. We actually created an invite-only group instead of a private group. Didn't realize it does not have the same feature.
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Ed
commented
Hi,
I have the same problem. I can't view any document uploaded by other group member in my private group.
"Unfortunately we do not have permission to make this file downloadable"
How can I change the permission setting?
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Robert Knight
commented
Hi Klaas,
I don't have an official answer to give you but my personal understanding is that what we do with PDFs that are uploaded in public groups is analogous to the way that a search engine processes web pages in order to be able to provide an interface to search and rank them and provide other services without giving the user a copy of the original page directly.
To clarify, we don't provide copies of PDFs uploaded to public groups to other users but we may provide "fingerprints" of the PDF to other clients which can be used to link a locally available file to the document in the public group.
To repeat again, this is not an official view, just my personal understanding of the situation.
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Klaas
commented
any comment on this?
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Klaas
commented
Hi robert,
As I just think of it. In some public groups I created, I have place various articles and references to books which might be interesting to the topic. As I have most of the articles in pdf, they are automatically added to the group documents when I 'drag-drop' them from my library.
As you say that mendeley automatically uploads the files, disregarding public or private to, and I quote :
"Making it easier to match the content with files that you do have, so if you join a group where a user has annotated a document which you do have locally then you should be able to view the file in that group. If we have a copy of the file uploaded by the original user, it is easier to determine whether you have the same file locally or not."Then, in theory, I am performing an illegal activity as I am uploading, i.e. sharing, documents not written by me with the mendeley server.
I strongly would not prefer to do this!
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Klaas
commented
Hi robert,
As you always upload files added to groups, I was wondering where they are going. Do they end up on a server, or are they just going to /dev/null?
Is there a way I can see which files have been uploaded, and where they are stored on the server?
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Robert Knight
commented
Hi Klaas,
In private groups you can share files. It is only in public ('Invite only' and 'open') groups that other users cannot download the files, although if they already have a copy in their library, Mendeley should detect that.
We always upload files to Groups for a number of reasons:
- Simplicity. It eliminates the need for file sharing settings and rules on who can or cannot change them. This applies only to private groups at the moment.
- Making it easier to match the content with files that you do have, so if you join a group where a user has annotated a document which you do have locally then you should be able to view the file in that group. If we have a copy of the file uploaded by the original user, it is easier to determine whether you have the same file locally or not.
- We eventually want to allow sharing of some files in public groups where the copyright permits us to redistribute the file. Getting the files uploaded now saves us having to ask Mendeley Desktop users to upload them later.
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Klaas
commented
A suggestion here would be comparing, arXiv, doi, ISBN, ... numbers. When that is done, the articles could be linked.
Furthermore, why are group articles actually uploaded, if they are not available. When adding a new article to a group, the upload process starts, but seems to be useless.
