PC File Reference System

[jonnydarko]

Hi

Does anyone have any advice or tips on setting up a PC file reference system?

Thanks

Jon

[Jamie Elis]

For documents you create-- I think the most important for me is to put in the date you created the document, even down to the minute you saved it so you know what is the most current, also, create conventions that you like and use them in capitals:LETTER, NOTES, REPORT, OUTLINE, and a simple name. Also, if you print something out, print the file name and date on the document itself.

I am at a total loss for stuff that I get from websites other than to create word files, if I can from them, or book mark the websites.

I don't know what people do with photos, recipes, music, recorded interviews.When the projects are easy to conceptualize, require few resources, and the n/a are simple and discrete, they processing and organizing go well.etc


Stuff one ha son paper nut is scanning to archive or further develop paper--I cant help you, except that I think you should know if you want to save these things so you cannot change them ever or so you can, like take your college term paper and revise it to turn it into a publication. When, I get to the point that I have a bulk scanner and can start to get rid of some of my paper, I want to create an organizational structure first so can easily retrieve. I will have to find out what system the scanner works with or has built into it.

One distinction I make in paper files that I would want to continue is to keep lin PC is to keep back-to-back but in separate "folders" general information versus something I created, or own, or is about me or a friend or family member (I don't know the word for this). So, while I might have a folder about brain scans, I will have a second folder containing my brain scan and the doctors report, I might have a folder about canoeing the Danube but a separate one for my trip. If Charlie took the trip, I might put in the folder about him...and a note in the Danube fodler saying "see Charlie"/

If you search this forum, maybe 3 or 4 weeks ago, someone post a link to his system -- It was very comprehensive and a bit too much for me to digest but it might be what you want.

[matsuru]

decide if the information is for:
--> REFERENCE?
--> PROJECTS?

then in the 2 folders, organise them in separate folder based on the categories.
REFERENCE> PICTURES - REFERENCE
REFERENCE> GENERAL REFERENCE
REFERENCE> VIDEO
REFERENCE> AUDIO

as for project, they will have difference status such as:
PROJECT - ACTIVE
PROJECT - WAITING FOR
PROJECT - SOMEDAY MAYBE
PROJECT - DONE/ARCHIVE

inside these project folders, each project will follow the naming such as this:
CATEGORY - PROJECT NAME - DATE STARTED - DUE DATE - DATE END
example:
WORK(COMPANY NAME) - WRITE REPORT - 20110501 - DUE 20110505 - DONE 20110503

most of my files goes into 1 of these folders.
of course, i have more folders to differentiate different items. for example, i can 1 folder called "COLLECTIONS" where i keep all my videos, mp3, installers, ....etc. This folder actually acts as my REFERENCE folder.

I have another Folder to keep all my own sensitive files such as my resume, portfolio, receipts, tax documents...etc.

Hope this helps.

[pxt]

Firstly, software-wise, I just use a simple file structure - no special tools.

I have a folder called 'GTD' that holds all my GTD stuff:
GTD
- 10K Project Support Material
- 20K Areas of Focus
- 30K Goals
- 40K Visions
- 50K Purpose and Principles
- Collector
- Reference

Under reference I have a folder called General Reference, plus shortcuts to my commonly referenced documents:
Reference
- @General Reference (folder)
- BUDGETING (shortcut)
- GYM TIMETABLE (shortcut)
- JOURNAL (shortcut)
- WEEKLY REVIEW (shortcut)

So I put all my reference documents under General Reference, but then create a shortcut to the most common ones and put the shortcut one level up.

Then I have a quick link to the Reference folder on my short cuts bar at the bottom on the screen. When I click it i can choose one of my common-access documents, or drill a level down to find the rest.

[ellobogrande]

I recommend you keep it as simple as a paper filing system and don't nest things too deep. Choose a root folder for your filing system (could be your "My Documents" folder). As you add documents to the filing system, create folders by theme, topic, person or project and put the files in there.

The one-minute rule applies for the electronic filling system as well as the paper filing system. It must be effortless and simple or you won't file things.

[Oogiem]

I am at a total loss for stuff that I get from websites other than to create word files, if I can from them, or book mark the websites.
...
I don't know what people do with photos, recipes, music, recorded interviews.

For web sites I either save as webarchives in DEVONThink, or save as paginated PDF's also in DEVONThink. For small things I import the files into DT, for longer ones I just index them but they live in my regular electronic filing reference system. Way too many times the web site changes and the Wayback machine isn't always good enough. If it's worth saving I need it on my own machine.

For photos I do several things. My digital camera automatically puts each day's pictures into a separate folder when I download them off the camera. I have a folder for each year. The files are backed up onto our server and I also back them up to CDs and store in my fireproof safe. The shots I want for my scrapbooks I print out and put into scrapbooks by area, I have books for the sheep, the farm, our family book arranged by year, for the poultry and separate books for major projects (rebuilding the house or barns and so on) My scrapbooks are chronological and for the major ones I have an Open Office file that is a printed table of contents so when we are looking for something we can check the TOC first and figure out which scrapbook it is in. Since I currently have something over 60 scrapbooks the TOC is necessary. Printed pictures I haven't yet used are filed in a storage box by date as I am slowly going back and using them up. Slides, negatives and prints are slowly being scanned to archival standards and integrated in with the digital pictures and the historical scrapbooks.

Videos are also included in that same system as my camera takes both stills and video.

Recipes are filed in paper files by major ingredient (chicken, pasta, beef, lamb, pork, sides, desserts, etc.) all located in my paper filing cabinets.

Music is in 2 places, all of our music is in my iTunes library and is backed up hourly to the server using Time Machine. We also have all the music on the main music server in folders by artist and that is on a different server and backed up regularly. The music server can be controlled by any computer in the house to play anything we have over our stereo system. I also have a subset of music on my iPod.

Recorded interviews are in with music in folders by the speaker. So my Uncle's interviews about his time as a POW in WW II are under his name and so on.

[pxt]

I recommend you keep it as simple as a paper filing system and don't nest things too deep. Choose a root folder for your filing system (could be your "My Documents" folder). As you add documents to the filing system, create folders by theme, topic, person or project and put the files in there.

The one-minute rule applies for the electronic filling system as well as the paper filing system. It must be effortless and simple or you won't file things.

I agree with what you say about nesting, for electronic reference too.

So in my general reference folder I may have a folder called 'Car'.
It will contain files named like Car - Mazda - 2011 - Insurance - Terms and Conditions.pdf.
I would not create a folder structure like Car > Mazda > 2011.
One click displays all the relevant documents for the Car topic.

[JohnV474]

Thanks to the above posters for their suggestions. I have wanted to restructure my digital files and I found some exciting ideas here.

JV474

[jonnydarko]

Thanks for all your responses guys. They have been very helpful!