Google-drive – Who has accessed a GDrive folder via link share

The solution you describe is the best solution.

I personally have "email@address.com" as my top level in my different Google Apps accounts, and I bookmark that page (where I have browsed into that folder) in my toolbar.

This seems to be the best solution for me, and at a glance it is very obvious which folder I want in my other drives.

On a day to day basis, just clicking on that bookmark is enough to get me into the folder that I treat as "root"

You can also use a URL shortener to create links like blah.blah/persdrive that you can then use on public/shared computers where you don't have your bookmarks. I do that for my Google Apps for domains to avoid typing the whole google.com/a/domain.com every time

For Google drive files (docs, sheets, slides etc.) you can select file>Published to the web... This will create a PUBLIC dynamically linked url that can be directly shared on facebook etc. or embedded. Note as this is dynamic if you change the file these changes will also be posted to the internet.

For other files in Google drive you need to go to the advanced button on the bottom right of the share screen (accessed from the little man's head with a plus beside it that appears when you select the file). From here you can choose the access link beside the owners name and make public with link.

For both cases there is a risk that others may view the file.