Min.us: Share Simply

Min.us is a new file sharing web app that aims to makes file sharing as simple as dragging and dropping. And if you have Chrome or Firefox, it is. When you visit Min.us, all you have to do is drag and drop a file--any file, be it PDF, a picture, a photo, a video or an MP3--onto the Min.us homepage and it’ll instantly upload. You’ll get two links: an edit link and a share link, which come pre-shortened for easy sharing on Twitter, Facebook and via email.

Min.us is far from the first file sharing / URL shortening service to hit the web. But there are some features about it that are unique. This review will take a look at some of the pros and cons.

Pro: No Registration Required

Free web apps and other web services today often feel like ploys for harvesting your information. In fact, this is why many users are reluctant to switch to a new web app or sign up for a new service. Each time you give out your email, it invites another agency and possibly their buddies to send you pointless, uninteresting newsletters, notifications and, let’s not mince words, opt-in spam.

The beauty of Min.us is that registration is 100% optional. You can upload files for sharing without a username or password. The main limitation is that you can’t create public galleries. But you can go back and edit and/or delete your anonymous uploads by using the edit link. Just make sure you don’t lose it--otherwise you are out of luck.

Even if you do choose to register, you don’t have to give them your email address. Very nice.

Pro: Hotlinking Allowed

There are gobs of image sharing services, but very few allow you to hotlink. That is, take the image that’s hosted on their server and display it on a forum or webpage by embedding it. The ban on hotlinking exists because, for the image sharing service, it’s a complete drain. You use their bandwidth, but nobody sees their ads. Min.us lets you hotlink, but they do throttle hotlinked images, so they may download more slowly than if you were viewing them directly on Min.us.

Con: File Size Limit of 50 MB

A 59 MB file size limit is actually pretty generous. But it means you won’t be distributing any long HD videos or software. For that, you’ll have to fall back on Megaupload or Dropbox.

Con: No Encryption

For the time being, there are no known encryption methods--either during transmission or at rest--that keep your data safe from hackers. That being said, Min.us was probably never intended to be a place for you to store your secure documents.

Pro: Cross-platform Support

Min.us has an iPhone and Android app and desktop clients for Mac and Windows. Of course, all you really need is a web browser to use Min.us, but it’s nice to have options.

Conclusion

Min.us’s strength is in its simplicity, but depending on what kind of user you are, it’s also its weakness. But for casual users who are looking for an easy way to share one or more photos or files in a jiffy, Min.us does the trick. It’s great for emailing photos and documents as well as sharing on social media.