Microsoft has mastered the art of making understanding cloud storage a sysyphean task.
SharePoint: hi! Im a repo for sharing documents to other people in your office! I live in the cloud and you can access me in your browser!
Me: oh like Google drive, that's nice-
OneDrive: Hi!!! Im a service that backs up your files from your computer! I live in the cloud and you can access me in your browser!
Me: Isn't that the same as SharePoint?
SharePoint: I don't back up your files, you choose what you want me to store, and you share those with other people! Hence the name, silly!
Me: okay well that's. Makes sorta sense
OneDrive: I can also share files to other people!
Me: you do the same thing then?
Both programs: No.
Me: so what's the difference
OneDrive: I make shortcuts in your local file explorer so it's easier to see what I have! SharePoint lives in the browser!
Me: but you also live in the browser
OneDrive: both! It's kinda this new quantum thing we've got going on
SharePoint: I also make shortcuts to your computer!
Me: what?
SharePoint: yeah! You can make a shortcut to my files using one drive! You don't have to use the browser! Accessibility!
OneDrive: yep! And they'll also go to your file explorer!
Me: but labelled as a SharePoint file, right?
SharePoint: well technically it's a SharePoint shortcut...
OneDrive: -but saved under OneDrive, because you saved the file-
SharePoint: *cough* -shortcut
OneDrive: sorry, shortcut, to me! So it's now mine! Just not the real file, I don't want to get confused.
Me: ...
OneDrive: but don't worry, the real file is still in SharePoint! But *dynamically linked* in your file browser, so you can just search for whatever you need!
Me: okay... So OneDrive, you make copies of what's on my computer. SharePoint, you only make shortcuts and everything lives in the cloud with you, not on my computer?
SharePoint: well unless you enable syncing...
Me: huh??
SharePoint: my buddy OneDrive here can sync all my files to your desktop so you can use them offline! Accessibility!
OneDrive: yep! Just remember to remove the shortcuts first!
Me: ...why
OneDrive: oh because if you sync a shortcut it wrecks my shit.
Me: why can't SharePoint handle its own syncing then???
SharePoint: because I'm not meant to be on your computer, I'm a repo for sharing files to other people!
Me: then why the hell can you sync then?
OneDrive: synergy
SharePoint: accessibilty
Me: ....
Me: yeah okay, what if I just use Google drive then. Seems easier, it has a desktop client, I'll just transfer the files to SharePoint that need to go to my org-
SharePoint: ohhh, you shouldnt do that
Me: why not
OneDrive: syncing to us and Google drive at the same time wrecks my shit
Me: ...
SharePoint: Office365 is 40$ a month.




















