Any advice on organizing digital files?

[Goldmund]

I am something of a digital packrat, I tend to keep a lot of things, maybe too much. Which partly explains why my computers are all a mess, files and folders flying around, with very little structure to them.

One of the main changes GTD has brought about in my life is how I handle paper. My filing system for that works very well. I haven't found much advice on how to handle digital files, however.

I've been meaning to clean up my "digital archive" for a while now. Does anyone know of some good advice for this process – i.e. for creating a good folder structure, for what to throw away and what to keep, etc. etc.? Or maybe a link to a good webpage that has some?

(I am on a Mac, and I use GMail, so mail isn't an issue for me. It's all the other stuff –*documents, thesis drafts etc. that bogs me down.)

[TesTeq]

You can try to follow some advice from Bit Literacy: Productivity in the Age of Information and E-mail Overload by Mark Hurst (http://bitliteracy.com/)

[Zagazoo]

You can spend alot of valuable time purging these files and worrying about how to organise folders etc. If these are reference digital files then try using Google desktop which indexes all the files on your pc (just make sure the file has a good name with appropriate key terms)

I also use Evernote which has fantanstic search abilities - including text in photos scans etc

[jason.verly]

I am something of a digital packrat, I tend to keep a lot of things, maybe too much. Which partly explains why my computers are all a mess, files and folders flying around, with very little structure to them.

Can you expand on what kind of files and what size? If they are mostly document, spreadsheets, smaller media files, then Evernote may be exactly what you're looking for. For $5/month you get the ability to upload 500MB/month. So in the course of 2-3 months, you could get quite a bit of information stored into Evernote. This way you have a local copy within the Evernote app and a cloud copy of the data as a back-up.

Best of both worlds.

[Oogiem]

My filing system for that works very well. I haven't found much advice on how to handle digital files, however.

I'm in the same boat, Mac based, paper filing working, digital files a bit of a mess. What I am doing is creating an A-Z folder structure on my machine in a single folder called General Filing. I am also trying to flatten out my folder structure. My goal is no more than 2 levels deep in the folders.

Whenever I am really bored I move and sort a few of the electronic files. I also have started re-naming files so the contents are more easily known from looking at the name. For some archive data I've been scanning I have a good naming scheme that is working. Scanned files are in a separate set of folders.

My data structure looks like this: the ... represent a folder and ....... a nested folder :to represent a file name

Documents
General Reference
...Clothing Ideas
:Wardrobe Basics
...Equip. - Canon 940is
:Powershot User Guide
:Printing Guide
...Equip. - iPod Touch
:iPod Touch User Guide
...Equip - Loom 8 Harness Leclerc
:voyager8s
...Fiber Stuff
:knitting chartorial
...Food - Recipes
:bolillo rolls
...Genetics Papers from Harvey Blackburn
:Molecular Analysis of Sheep
:History of Sheep Domestication
...Knitting Patterns
......My Patterns
:Growler Cozy
......Lace patterns
: Dragon Scales Shawl
:Chain Mail
......Sock Patterns
:1817 School Socks
:Gunnister Man
:1655 socks
......Sweater Patterns
:Basic Black
Scanned Personal
: DW Sheep Inspection 2008
:P Sprint Bill 2010 01

and so on.

I keep out in a top level finder window the individual files I reference all the time, my sheep inventory, my list of books owned on paper and on kindle, my Quicken data files for personal and both businesses and so on. Sort of like my working project files next to my tickler file.

And I am exploring evernote for some files as well.

[jason.verly]

The beauty I've found with using Evernote is I no longer have to worry about the file/folder structure needed to organize my files. By adding tags to the files you could almost drop notebooks (folder equivalent in Evernote). I know MSFT is supposed to release a version of OneNote that will synchonize as part of Office 2010. I'm interested to see if OneNote will allow syncing on a local server.

[Oogiem]

The beauty I've found with using Evernote is I no longer have to worry about the file/folder structure needed to organize my files. By adding tags to the files you could almost drop notebooks (folder equivalent in Evernote).

2 things about that. Evernote has a maximum number of notebooks as they feel tagging is the best way to structure stuff.

But if you are like me and tagging makes absolutely no sense, folders are important.
That's one reason I don't use Evernote for major digital filing. The other is the security issue with cloud services.

[harringg]

Prior to stumbling onto GTD, I used DevonThink Pro Office (still do). Now that I've got a better grasp on the GTD concept, it's a great tool in conjunction with GTD.

[dschaffner]

My system has become flatter over time, with fewer branches (folders) and more files per folder. The key for me is sorting the files in reverse date in the folders to the freshest items are at the top.

The other key is using quicksilver for keyboard navigation.

[photodiva]

I picked up this tip in this forum somewhere along the line, I think. I have created 5 folders that sit on my desktop:

0. Inbox
1. Actions
2. Review
3. Current Projects
4. Archive

I use the inbox to collect email attachments that come in, etc. From there, I can process/clarify by moving things to either Actions or Review or Current Projects (which is a collection of folders for projects I'm working on now). Archive is an A-Z set of folders - like a big digital filing cabinet.

Periodically all of these folders require purging if I don't stay on top of them, but at least the digital mess is contained in 5 folders :)

I also use Evernote to store notes and reference items.

[Goldmund]

Thanks for all your helpful answers!

TesTeq: Looks like an interesting book, I'll consider buying it. In the meantime, are there any good summaries of his advice online? (Or maybe you can give us the elevator pitch on his take on folder structures? ;))

Zagazoo: One can indeed waste a lot of time on organising. I'm wasting quite a bit already, though, when I don't find stuff. Usually that's related to it being on different hard drives, though, so this is a lot about just getting everything in one place. In the process I thought I might as well introduce some structure…

I'm not sure that Google desktop is all that much better than the spotlight feature on Macs, though. Is it?

Re Evernote: I love it! But so far I only use it for text notes that I create in the app. Would I really want to put all my files into it? Especially considering that you can't really link to things in Evernote?

BTW, the files are mostly of the kind you describe, jason.verly.

Oogiem: Thanks for sharing your system. I'm curious, though: Why exactly do you want to flatten out your folder structure?

photodiva: That sounds like a good system. With GMail, I often just leave email attachments where they are, though (I'm way beyond my quota there). Dividing into Current projects and Archive is a good idea. I'm thinking I would need more structure in the archive than just A-Z, though…

One thing I am struggling with that none of you have mentioned, are all the different drafts and versions of things I have written. I guess I should just chuck everything but the final version out, but for some reason I'm reluctant to do so.

[Oogiem]

Oogiem: Thanks for sharing your system. I'm curious, though: Why exactly do you want to flatten out your folder structure?
....
One thing I am struggling with that none of you have mentioned, are all the different drafts and versions of things I have written. I guess I should just chuck everything but the final version out, but for some reason I'm reluctant to do so.

Flatter structures are easier to find things in because you don't have to remember that folder X is a child of folder W. Fastest filing is a single layer of folders, it is what I have in my paper system but for electronic items it does make sense to have a few children of folders.

Your second item is exactly why.

For example I have a folder Water Law and within that is a child folder of Water Case with XXX. Within that are all the various versions of the documents and e-mails and everything to and from the various water lawyers & judges and the various negotiations before we settled as well as the final case report and judgement. I also keep many versions of critical items and they do tend to be in their own folder.

Another example I have a folder Sheep Inventory History and a file Sheep Inventory 2010 both in my top level file system. The past years inventory goes into the folder the current is the one out on top. I have to keep them for 5 years by federal law but I save them all.

[TesTeq]

TesTeq: Looks like an interesting book, I'll consider buying it. In the meantime, are there any good summaries of his advice online? (Or maybe you can give us the elevator pitch on his take on folder structures? ;))

Bit Literacy folder structure:
-- Parent folder (top level folder for files not handled by another tools like iPhoto, iTunes or e-mail program)
---- Project or category (reference) folder (this level must not contain any files - folders only)
------ Properly named files and optional subfolders (file naming scheme is: initials-date-topic.ext) (*)

For manually managed photos:
-- Photos parent folder
---- Year folder
------ month-event folders

(*) I prefer datetime-initials-topic.ext file naming scheme.

[Goldmund]

Flatter structures are easier to find things in because you don't have to remember that folder X is a child of folder W.

Makes sense, I guess ;)


Bit Literacy folder structure:
-- Parent folder (top level folder for files not handled by another tools like iPhoto, iTunes or e-mail program)
---- Project or category (reference) folder (this level must not contain any files - folders only)
------ Properly named files and optional subfolders (file naming scheme is: initials-date-topic.ext) (*)


Cool! Thanks. Some questions, though:

How many parent folders are there typically? Not only one?

What are the initials? Those of the author?

Why include the date/time in the file name when you have that info in a separate column you can sort by?

[TesTeq]

How many parent folders are there typically? Not only one?

As few as possible for easy backup strategy. For example I think one should have separate parent folders for personal and work stuff.


What are the initials? Those of the author?

Yes, author's initials. In my naming scheme I use "source id" which may be author's initials or organization id.


Why include the date/time in the file name when you have that info in a separate column you can sort by?

I don't remember Mark Hurst's explanation but here is mine: file date/time stamp is lost when you send a file via e-mail.

[jason.verly]

But if you are like me and tagging makes absolutely no sense, folders are important. That's one reason I don't use Evernote for major digital filing. The other is the security issue with cloud services.

For every reason I could say Evernote is a great tool, @Oogiem could come up with an equally valid reason to use something else. Try not to get distracted with the tool, but focus on the method.

If you stick with a digital folder structure, you may want to start with a brand new external hard drive to start collecting into. You can then play with a new/updated folder structure to move things over. It will also give you a clean edge on where things stand with your files. If it's still on your laptop/desktop, then you know it still needs to be processed.

[annewalsh]

Hi
Interesting discussion about folders. I got advice from a techie a long time ago. He recommended putting all documents etc into a folder called Data (makes it easier for backing up). What I do once or twice a year is create an Archive folder and move all stuff that is now redundant into it. It means I still have it...but only the stuff I need is in the system...It's a bit like the wardrobe idea...if you haven't worn it for a year...you probably won't.
I like the labels in Gmail but prefer a system of folders with lots of sub-folders.

[chipjoyce]

My opinion is that you can keep EVERYTHING you possibly want in digital format. Just have a good system for it.

I keep everything digital in an A-Z list, in one folder/directory. I name things in the David Allen way: the way something makes sense so I can find it easily.

Spotlight in Mac works great to find anything. But I use DevonThink Office Pro for my digital files.

[productivity]

Thanks for all the inputs. I'm definitely struggling with the same kind of problem. I hope I get to find the best solution once I tried something that you guys are using now.

[tm_meier]

I've probably tried every filing program available for the Mac, including:

DevonTHINK
Evernote
Eagle Filer
TagBot
Leap
Yelp
Yojimbo

...and probably many other's that I've forgotten. I finally came to the conclusion that they all (with the exception of Yojimbo: more on that later) overly complicated things. I settled on a simple system with two elements:

The Finder
Spotlight

I store all of my documents in a single folder. Yes, all, with no subfolders. That folder currently has close to 6000 documents in it. My rallying cry and mantra:

Search, Don't File

I give all of my files meaningful names as long as necessary to tell me everything I need to know about the file. I also put tags at the end of the file name in []. For example:

In The Beginning Was the Command Line - Neal Stephenson - [ebook][operatingsystems][usability].txt

98% of the time I can find what I want by simply searching on the file name in Spotlight.

I put the tags in the file name after a couple of disastrous experiences with apps that save tags in Spotlight metadata. Since Apple doesn't support tagging in Spotlight, these programs have to come up with creative hacks. The hacks work most of the time, but I've lost too much tag data to say they're worth the trouble. Tags in file names don't mysteriously disappear, and they're preserved when you copy a file to a different system running a different OS.

For storing software serial numbers and non-web passwords, I use Yojimbo (http://www.barebones.com/products/yojimbo/). It's a simple program with a clean interface, and getting data into it is a snap. I used to use Yojimbo for other documents as well. It supports PDF, Text, RTF, Web Archives, and Web Links. The problem I ran into was that I had so many documents that the Yojimbo database got too big to backup efficently with Time Machine. TM has to backup the whole Yojimbo file, not just he parts that changed since the last backup. My Yojimbo database was over 6 GB, so backing that file up every time I added something filled up my TM disk very quickly. If you have fewer documents, Yojimbo may work for you for more than just serial numbers and passwords.

For storing my web logins/passwords, I use LastPass (http://lastpass.com/), a web based password manager.

You also might want to check out this recent book: Getting Organized in the Google Era: How to Get Stuff out of Your Head, Find It When You Need It, and Get It Done Right (http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Organized-Google-Era-Stuff/dp/0385528175/). The author recommends a lot of things that I discovered on my own over years of trial and error. I wish I'd have had this book 5 years ago; it would have saved me a lot of work.

Good luck!

[pnevin]

Prior to stumbling onto GTD, I used DevonThink Pro Office (still do). Now that I've got a better grasp on the GTD concept, it's a great tool in conjunction with GTD.

This. The software has excellent OCR capabilities, and makes a superb digital filing cabinet.

[smithshn]

There is a thing that an evernote has a maximum number of notebooks as they tagging into the structure stuff.
But I preferred tagging to the folders are very useful and important for it.

[Noel]

There is a fundamental difference between organizing physical items vs digital ones, for physical ones you are the one doing the searching. Electronic ones should be searched by the computer. Having said that, this distinction breaks down when the computer isn't very good at finding files. On the Mac I find that Spotlight is pretty good at finding files. You can also improve the quality of the searches by doing Get Info on a file and adding a comment in the Spotlight comments. When I save the files I tend to put them in an appropriately named folder but this is more of a habit instead of something that helps me find the file later. As for Evernote, I tend to use that to store text notes at I create and not for storing files.
So in short I would say don't spend your time organizing files into folders, instead invest that time looking for something that does a decent jobs of finding files for you, such as Spotlight or Google Desktop.

[mmoorhouse]

Although I still have not found the ideal product for organizing my digital files....I have found a great tool for e-mail - XOBNI. I use the professional version.

[jpm]

I put the tags in the file name after a couple of disastrous experiences with apps that save tags in Spotlight metadata. Since Apple doesn't support tagging in Spotlight, these programs have to come up with creative hacks. The hacks work most of the time, but I've lost too much tag data to say they're worth the trouble. Tags in file names don't mysteriously disappear, and they're preserved when you copy a file to a different system running a different OS.

I've been experimenting with tags and Smart folders and so far have had pretty good luck. What tagging software were you using and what sort of problems have you had?

[GTDerEvan]

I've used a nested folder system on my Macbook Pro, and within the last six months have had that file system within my Dropbox folder. Now all of these files and folders are accessible on any computer I use regularly, on the web, and even on my iPhone - all automatically synced, but still with the simplicity of plain folders on my primary computer.

If you need a tagging system due to the overwhelming mass of digital "stuff", I too would recommend Evernote. I'm looking to learn to take better advantage of it as well.

Cheers,

[steveinbristol]

I picked up this tip in this forum somewhere along the line, I think. I have created 5 folders that sit on my desktop:

0. Inbox
1. Actions
2. Review
3. Current Projects
4. Archive

I use the inbox to collect email attachments that come in, etc. From there, I can process/clarify by moving things to either Actions or Review or Current Projects (which is a collection of folders for projects I'm working on now). Archive is an A-Z set of folders - like a big digital filing cabinet.

Periodically all of these folders require purging if I don't stay on top of them, but at least the digital mess is contained in 5 folders :)

I also use Evernote to store notes and reference items.

That is so cool! I've now adopted it in my system with a slight amendment. I like to keep all data files under my data directory for back-up, so I've made those folders in my data folder and place short-cuts on my desk-top. Thanks!

[jpm]

I name things in the David Allen way: the way something makes sense so I can find it easily.

Strangely this never works for me... Every time I can't find something, I think where did I file that, and I recall that I remember consciously filing it in a place that made sense so that I wouldn't lose it... but I can't remember where that place was....

I think next time, I'll try to find a place to file important things in a location I'll never be able to remember, maybe that will work...

[Oogiem]

Every time I can't find something, I think where did I file that, and I recall that I remember consciously filing it in a place that made sense so that I wouldn't lose it... but I can't remember where that place was....

What I've done in those cases is when I do finally find the item, often by a sequential search through the files, I make a new file with the name the place I first looked for it but I also leave the old file in the place where it was with a single note inside that points to the new location. Once a year I clean out my pointer files. Now at any given time I only have 3-4 pointer files in my physical filing system.

[JohnV474]

I have a few hundred thousand files that I need to keep for various reasons.

The most useful tool I have found is to have a folder structure that you can trust. It must be fast, intuitive, consistent, and current.

The second most useful tool I have found is to use consistent file names. The worst is when a person has multiple half-attempted file naming schemes all mixed together.

I find it helpful to separate Inbox items from Project-related and Reference items. I find it helpful to separate Projects from Reference, so Reference information doesn't throw everything off.

Desktop searches work pretty well, but if it does not work, then you are stuck. If you have a good file folder setup and a good file naming setup, then the desktop searches will make you lightning fast.

I think Bit Literacy's file naming scheme (or some variant) is as good as I've found.

JohnV474

[richardtgray]

We all have a lot lost files. It's really very hard to organize specially when there are a lot of them already and I can relate to that much. :-(
All I do now is slowly organize them by folders and group them according to their function or category.
So far so good... :D

[fivefingers]

I also use Evernote to store notes and reference items.

[tsalley]

I am in the process of taming my digital file monster. I've got 1.5 TB of "stuff".

In a lot of ways you can deal with digital stuff the same way you did physical stuff when you started GTD.

1. DUMP IT ALL IN A PILE. Now you could literally put everything in one big file to sort from. I just decided to go through everything systematically. When I complete a folder now, I mark it (i) for inventoried.

2. THROW THINGS AWAY. Seriously, most of us are connected to the web 24/7. Most things are available to us when we want it. I used to save all kinds of garbage that I never use. There also needs to be a plan to review items on a regular basis.

3. Establish some kind of mental system that works for you. Spend enough time thinking this through that you don't realize halfway through that it is not going to work.

. Establish a digital inbox to park documents until you can review them and put the required thought into where they go and how they are labeled.

Some people consider nested folders the enemy. I don't much mind them , I just got tired of clicking 10 folders (no lie) to get to a file. I established a naming system to help with that.

Search is your friend. When I trained myself to use this it was a miracle. Why not let the PC do the work for you?

If you use multiple PCs (or Macs), Dropbox is awesome. It has changed my life. I've been able to ditch my USB I used to leave everywhere.

[Johnhds]

I go through my files at the end of each week. Check each folder and purge non-useful files. Non-usefu files are the ones I have not used or opened in several weeks. I check the file and delete it. I will then make new folders if necessary and title them "Read-Important".

I also use CC cleaner to get rid of unwanted files and registries to keep the computer clean and running.

[Oogiem]

Non-usefu files are the ones I have not used or opened in several weeks.

I'm really curious about this. If I used the criteria of only things I've references in a few weeks I'd be deleting huge amounts of critical info!

I have many files that I only use or reference once a year or so but they are critical when I do need them. I also use digital storage for many archive file things like scanned tax returns and statements.

How do you handle archive items like tax returns and broker statements that may be digital but must be kept for 7-10 years? I rarely need them but if I do I will really need them.

[bardamu]

Hi all,

Just thought as jumped in as I'm in the latest and so far most agreeable (to me) incarnation of my e-filing system. I have a regular GTD physical folder system + tickler (must get back to using the latter) otherwise.

I'm on a MacBook Pro + iPhone + iPad (wifi), and sometimes PC access on the net from school (aka work).

Main GTD system: OmniFocus Mac + iPhone (expecting iPad soon!). After going back and forth, it now seems like the most solid (trusted!) option for my needs.

Being a software hog, I complement OF with:

- TaskPaper Mac + iPhone/iPad for my higher horizons of focus (anything above runway/projects). Syncs beautifully. Recently switched to completely flat setup on OF with only projects and actions, and I love the clean separation.

- The forum's own Todd's Ready-Set-Do! scripts (which allowed a while back my first complete electronic implementation of a true GTD system). I use them selectively, they're linked in my OF tasks for weekly/daily reviews, e.g. the "Empty (files) inbox" script. I'm thus mostly keeping the folder structure of the Finder established by RSD - which itself follows a simple GTD hierarchy. I haven't misplaced anything stored locally since I've introduced that. My email setup mirrors this hierarchy, while implementing the best practices from DA's WhitePaper on GTD in Entourage (although I've migrated back to Apple Mail since).

- RSD scripts also manage most of my PDF/powerpoints "read/review" on the Mac: I haven't found a better option for this (and I have lots of such reading to do).

- Following good advice from the folks over on the Omni forums, I've recently switched my pure text notes to Notational Velocity (free) on the Mac syncing with SimpleNote on iPad and iPhone (also free). Syncs as swiftly as TaskPaper and WriteRoom. Search capacity is beautifully simple.

- Anything that's more than just text and needs to be accessible across platform (which is pretty much everything), I throw in Evernote.

- I've recently started experimenting with Shoeboxed... Haven't seen how their scanning looks yet, but if it's good, that's going to make me happy: there's great satisfaction in throwing all business cards, receipts, etc. into one big enveloppe when emptying one's physical inbox, and knowing that it's just going to go over to an electronic format where it can be tagged for easy retrieval while not taking up useless space (Shoeboxed also links to Evernote).

Oh, and I keep my checklists in OmniFocus, although not the most pleasing experience yet (it should be easier with version 2.0), it's still very workable and convenient.

Cheers!