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My filing system

FilingI have a filing system which works well on computers, but is hopeless for real life. Everything goes into a big pile.

It’s the GMail principle. In GMail you archive everything in a big “pile”, then search for it later when you need to find it again.

On my work email, I now do the same thing. Once actioned, everything goes into an Inbox Archive in Outlook, then I use Windows Desktop Search to find things later. (My work email is where this has worked best; I’ve actually got my Inbox down to less than 15 items.)

In my home email, I do that too, but the email is in Thunderbird, and searching is using Google Desktop Search.

For my home paper correspondence, everything once actioned goes in a big pile. Uhhh okay, it’s not easy to find again. So about once a year I sort through it all and it gets filed (into smaller piles) or chucked in the recycling.

Even my laundry now goes into a big pile when dry. Once a week I sort through it all and file it. Finding stuff in there when it’s overdue for sorting isn’t easy, I must admit. There’s no Google Laundry Search available, dammit.

By Daniel Bowen

Transport blogger / campaigner and spokesperson for the Public Transport Users Association / professional geek.
Bunurong land, Melbourne, Australia.
Opinions on this blog are all mine.

6 replies on “My filing system”

Yeah, that’s one thing I’m not good at – keeping on top of the cycle of dirty laundry, clean laundry, stuff to be put away. The cycle seems to stop at “needs to be put away” LOL! Then I end up in a frantic, early morning search for my girls “favourite” top or pants. It really does pay to a) keep the stuff put away in its proper spot, and b) plan ahead the night before about what they want to wear. Takes a lot of the pressure off me.

As far as email goes, yeah, I use T-bird and love it. Made categories for my frequent ones, then basically chuck out any from Inbox that aren’t otherwise filed. Also, got retention policies in most of the categories so that I’m not left with a lot of unnecessary emails. Great program, I must say. Really glad I switched away from Outlook. For meeting/appts I use the Google Calendar, and keep that synched with my mobile by hand. Not hard, really.

Washing basket filing? Hah! It’s a constant around here. I refuse to buy more baskets, as otherwise it will never get done. However, I’ve currently got 4 basket loads sitting in my 2 baskets waiting for folding…

Wait till everything has rfid tags. Then get youself and rfid scanner to search your laundry.
Sounds silly now and can’t see it really working, but if it did I’m sure i’d do it. If it helps me clean up my kids toys, then i’d jump at it.

nonono … c’mon, think about the potential little more … the cool thing will be to ask Google where your missing socks are … and it will be able to tell you!

I bought two plastic rubbish bins which, coincidentally, seem to hold exactly one laundry load each. One is for colours, one is whites, so on laundry day I just tip one of them into the machine – easy-peasy :)

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