Keeping Track of All Your Info

How do you keep all your email, bookmarks, websites, etc. organized?

[AlbinoRhyno]

I am sufferring from a severe case of information chaos... My bookmarks are overflowing, Outlook is getting testy, and I can't come up with a good folder structure to keep everything organized... What do you do to keep all of your information organized?

[Jonathan]

Every week or so, I go through my bookmarks, and sort them into different folders.

While sorting, if I can't remember what a certain site in my Favorites is, then it must not be important. So I delete it. :-)

This helps me get rid of a lot of sites, that I'd probably never visit again. There have been a few times, when I've deleted something that I wish I hadn't. But I've always been able to turn to Google and find that same site.

[Brett_Tabke]

>Every week or so, I go through my bookmarks

You have too. It's amazing the stuff you find in there and wonder how it ever got there. I didn't bookmark *that* site did I?

Email is tricky. The same thing needs to be done. I run 3 inboxes.

- active inbox "all mail dumped here"
-- current inbox - "need to do's" (stuff that takes action or reply on your part).
--- bulk holding inbox. I stuff everything in here after it passes through the first two. At some point, I go through and move it to it's final resting place below:

Break it down via some logical lines:

- business:
-- clients
---- current

- site:
-- site mail a,b,c,d

Personal:
- friends & family
- professional friends

- Newsletters
- lists and logins (signup emails)
- special projects.

[Woz]

Another way to deal with Email is to export to a database.

For example, email lists are a great way of collecting information that will be of use, but I simply don't have the time available to read every line every day. And then finding that one email that had the programming trick you need NOW can be slow in an email program. Finding them in a database is easier and quicker.

I use Outlook to Access, a collegue uses Eudora to Filemaker Pro via Applescript. Whatever you use, it take the pressure off the email program and yet the information is but a search away.

Onya
Woz

[brotherhood of LAN]

Minimalism is definetely good when sorting info. I have the same sort of bookmark layout as Brett...

As for my PC, only 500Mb is used. Program files, Web sites, saved pages etc. I try to keep my working area as clean as possible and keep information strictly on a need to know basis to rid of the clutter!

As for email, its mostly junk, or I read something i need to know and delete it. If its worth keeping, ill save it as .txt