One of the frequent criticisms of Dropbox is that it requires you to store your synced data in a particular location--the Dropbox folder. You can place that folder anywhere you like, but anything you want Dropbox to sync must be placed inside that folder. Compare this with , which lets you choose particular folders to sync, no matter where those folders are located. (The downside is that, whereas Dropbox integrates directly with the Finder and just works, with little to no setup, SugarSync's folder-picking feature requires you to use a not-so-simple screen in a separate utility to configure those folders.)

It turns out that Dropbox can sync folders located outside your Dropbox folder, but doing so (similar to, but not exactly the same as, Mac aliases). If you create a symbolic link to a folder you want to sync, and then place that link in the Dropbox folder, Dropbox will sync the original folder wherever it resides.

Unfortunately, creating symbolic links isn't as simple as making an alias in the Finder. The "official" way is to use the ln -s command in Terminal; alternatively, I've . But when it comes to Dropbox, the easiest way I've found to perform this procedure is to use the free utility .

MacDropAny gives you two Mac-friendly ways of creating a symbolic link for a folder you want Dropbox to sync. The first is to launch the utility and then use the file-navigation dialog that appears to choose the folder you want to sync; you then get a second dialog that lets you choose where in your Dropbox folder you want the symbolic link to be located. MacDropAny also asks you for a name for the symbolic link--the link can have a different name than the actual folder you're syncing--and then gives you the option of seeing the newly created link in the Finder.

The second method is even easier: Just grab the folder you want to sync and drag it onto the MacDropAny application icon. You then just choose the destination for the symbolic link and, if desired, its name.