Overview
There are several terms and icons that appear throughout U-M Dropbox and U-M Google that can be confusing when trying to understand the ins and outs of these services. This article will define common terminology and icons used in both U-M Dropbox and U-M Google. It will also define terms that are not in U-M Dropbox and U-M Google.
Glossary
Account types
Personal account
A personal account is most commonly used to refer to an account that is outside the University of Michigan (i.e., personally managed and owned). These accounts typically fall in the consumer domain but could also be personal paid accounts. They are external to U-M.
Individual account
An individual account is most commonly used to refer to an account that is inside the University of Michigan (i.e., managed by U-M) and is owned by an individual at the university. These accounts fall in the Education and/or Enterprise domains.
In both U-M Dropbox and U-M Google, an individual account is only associated with your @umich.edu email address. (@med.umich.edu email addresses are not tied to these accounts.)
Shared Account
A Shared Account is a group account that is owned and managed by an MCommunity group in U-M Google. It allows teams to use a Google account for shared email and calendar access. The account is owned by the team instead of an individual. Individuals log in to and manage the Shared Account through their own U-M Google accounts and can transfer access to it as needed. Designated people can send and receive emails, post events, and share calendars, all acting as the Shared Account. Refer to Shared Accounts in U-M Google for more information
Shared Accounts are not available in U-M Dropbox, but Team Folders are similar. If you are interested in how Shared Accounts compare to Team Folders, refer to Shared Document Repository Comparison (Dropbox and Google).
Folder types
Shared folder
A shared folder is a folder owned by an individual (in their individual account) that is shared with others. This folder is not owned by a Team Folder or shared drive.
In U-M Google, they appear as a gray folder with a person icon.
In U-M Dropbox, they appear as a blue folder with a people icon.
Private folder
A private (or individual) folder is a folder owned by an individual (in their individual account) that is not shared with others.
In U-M Google, they appear as a dark gray folder by default. However, you have the ability to change your folder colors, so it may appear as a different color to you.
In U-M Dropbox, they appear as a blue folder.
External folder
An external folder is a folder that is owned by someone who is not at the University of Michigan. U-M Dropbox and Google do not have separate colors/icons for external folders vs. shared folders.
In U-M Google, they appear as a gray folder with a person icon.
In U-M Dropbox, they appear the same as a shared folder. (Blue folder with a people icon.)
Team Folder
A Team Folder is a group folder owned and managed by an MCommunity group in U-M Dropbox. It allows units and organizations to use U-M Dropbox to share access to centrally owned files. All files within the Team Folder are owned by the Team Folder. Membership and permissions are managed by the MCommunity group. Refer to our documentation for more information on U-M Dropbox Team Folders. If you are interested in how Team Folders compare to Shared Accounts, refer to Shared Document Repository Comparison (Dropbox and Google).
Dropbox Team Folders appear as a blue folder with a building icon.
Shared drives
Google shared drives (formerly called "Team Drives") are a feature in U-M Google. They offer a shared space in Google Drive where teams can store and collaborate on their team-owned files. The difference between a shared drive and My Drive is that all data (files, folders, spreadsheets, forms, presentations, etc.) are owned by the team/group and not an individual. The best practice for managing membership is to use an MCommunity group. Refer to Shared Drives in U-M Google for more information.
Miscellaneous terms
Google My Drive
Google My Drive offers the ability to store, share, and collaborate in real time on files from your individual U-M Google account. Note that Michigan Medicine users access U-M Google (except Gmail and Calendar) using your @umich.edu email address and UMICH password.
Google Workspace for Education
Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals is the official account type for the University of Michigan's Google Workspace instance (known as U-M Google).
Dropbox Team
A Dropbox Team is a paid Dropbox Business account that creates a domain for users to collaborate and interact. U-M Dropbox is considered the "University of Michigan Team." (The Dropbox Team is not the same as Team Folders.)
Groups
A group means an MCommunity group. In U-M Dropbox, MCommunity groups are considered "groups" by Dropbox.
Terms That Do Not Apply to U-M Dropbox or Google
There are several terms you may hear frequently that are not associated with U-M Dropbox or Google.
- Shared network drive
A shared network drive is a shared space that supports the storage of files that a department/team may need to collaborate on or routinely access. Shared network drives are those designated with an S:\ or other drive letter in Windows environments or labeled as "Shared1" and "Shared2" in macOS environments. These have no relation to the cloud storage and collaboration services offered by UM-ITS (i.e., Dropbox, Google, and Microsoft 365).
- Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a communication and collaboration platform developed by Microsoft as part of the Microsoft 365 family of products. It incorporates a feature set similar to that of U-M Zoom, Google Meet, and other products offering workspace chat, videoconferencing, and file collaboration.