I’ve seen many software apps come down the pike since the Internet has been around, and even before, that want you to adopt a complete system that manages all your data in one interface. It completely changes your desktop, and prompts you during the installation to scan everything on your hard drive, and has you creating categories so that you know where everything is from now on. Even though I’ve been very saavy with PC’s, my curiousity always took hold to try out the ambitious attempt, but I always dumped it when I realized there are simpler less invasive ways to organize your data.
I like the “meanwhile” approach. While waiting for some perfect nirvana solution to being the master of all of your incoming data, I just create a “box” for information here or there in various applicatoins, that works with the way that I particuarly work.
For instance, on email:
What do you do with these emails that come in, that confirm your order has been processed and also lists the items, the cost, maybe a customer service number. I get a lot of these for Amazon, so I don’t bother saving these, because I already have an entry in my Palmpilot for Amazon, with customer service emails, etc..
But when I order, say a motivation CD from a website I don’t frequent very often, I have a folder in Outlook Express simply called Maintanence. This word just sound right to me, to me. It might not to you. I also use this folder for emails that arrive, telling me how to unsubscribe toa a newsletter that I just joined.
As soon as an email comes in, I immediately process it by putting it into a folder. So, until that perfect data management system comes, I create my own un-glamourous solution.