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The "How You Organize" Your Files Thread
- Thread starter HappyDude20
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I hate having loose files on the Desktop or in the Documents folder since I do a lot of navigation via Terminal. It just makes it simpler since I write a lot of scripts, and I don't like wasting processor time by mucking through a list of 100 scripts and possibly telling the wrong one to run due to a typo.
Thanks so much. As of now I'm just considering ridding all those folders suchs as "college" & "Reads" and instead just having the documents pane/tab/folder just simple hold ALL of my folders, and i'll switch to column view so everything will be in alpha order. I guess this method would also include all the folders from my desktop and projects tab, ridding them and adding those folders to the documents area.
I am going to follow this thread closely, as it interests me.
For organization, originally I sorted my files similar to you, but recently I wanted to make use of tags so that I can sort my files automatically (after I figure out my tagging structure). Problem with this is that I want to create nested folders, and no go with the Finder (that i know of).
I moved on to using the app Together. Pretty much everything I wanted to accomplish, minus a few things. The file structure is open so that I can access my files in the database without the actual application. I create nested smart folders, and everything stays organized, allowing me to search via tags, or just click through my folders. One thing I wish to be possible, is to be able to drop a file in a smart folder, and it adopt the tags necessary to be in that folder.
Anyone have any ideas to help organize in a similar way, but without the use of extra apps? I know I can tag with quicksilver, but sorting is the issue. I like to be able to access my files from any computer at anytime, as i sync with dropbox.
Looking forward to alternative sorting methods!
For organization, originally I sorted my files similar to you, but recently I wanted to make use of tags so that I can sort my files automatically (after I figure out my tagging structure). Problem with this is that I want to create nested folders, and no go with the Finder (that i know of).
I moved on to using the app Together. Pretty much everything I wanted to accomplish, minus a few things. The file structure is open so that I can access my files in the database without the actual application. I create nested smart folders, and everything stays organized, allowing me to search via tags, or just click through my folders. One thing I wish to be possible, is to be able to drop a file in a smart folder, and it adopt the tags necessary to be in that folder.
Anyone have any ideas to help organize in a similar way, but without the use of extra apps? I know I can tag with quicksilver, but sorting is the issue. I like to be able to access my files from any computer at anytime, as i sync with dropbox.
Looking forward to alternative sorting methods!
F. So I was researching Smart Folders and am wondering if they self update? As in if I have a smart folder set to recognize all files containing "astronomy", if a newly typed up essay about that subject is automatically saved into that smart folder...
Yes they do
Effectively they are saved Spotlight searches that are run when you open the folder. You can have one document appear in several Smart Folders, they all point to the same actual document. Apple provide a couple in the Finder sidebar for recently opened files and the like. One idea I've seen is to use the File labels to manage a workflow so in your case create say three smart folders: "Astronomy - draft"; "Astronomy - working"; "Astronomy - final", And in the search criteria for the smart folder assign the colours - red, orange and green respectfully for each stage. Now when you start a new document about astronomy assign it a red file label, it will automatically go into the "Astronomy - draft" collection. Once you start working on it change the label to orange and hey presto! it automagically appears in the working folder, similarly when it has been passed by your tutor or accepted for print or whatever, change the label to green and it is "moved" to the finished smart folder. Other than you having to remember to say "this document is now in this state", the actual document doesn't move physical location.
I've moved over to Mac from Windows XP so my files are still in their "nested" or "folders within folders" state. What I'll probably do is end up with just a few "main subject" folders in the <user>/Documents folder and use Smart Folders to do the organising.
I organsie by project in seperate folders. I keep all documents on iDisk so that I can sync them between macs.
It works well.
It works well.
Type and function are the two ways I organize my files.
For the type aspect I'll have my misc. photoshop files in a folder, my office files in separate folders, pdfs etc. Then for specific projects, I'll create a specific folder for them and put all of my stuff in there.
Even though I try to keep things organized, I have about 60 - 80 objects (mixture of files and folders) in my document folder. I try to keep things tidy but it can easily get out of hand.
For the type aspect I'll have my misc. photoshop files in a folder, my office files in separate folders, pdfs etc. Then for specific projects, I'll create a specific folder for them and put all of my stuff in there.
Even though I try to keep things organized, I have about 60 - 80 objects (mixture of files and folders) in my document folder. I try to keep things tidy but it can easily get out of hand.
I keep everything in my home folder, either in the relevant pre-made folders or a few that I have made myself. My projects are loosely organised by priority and then by project.
I get little frustrated with Finder. I developed a method for organizing files back in my pc days. It involved hundreds of hierarchical folders. Now I can simply use spotlight to find things, but when I'm creating a new document, I prefer to file it away under my "old system". Pathfinder works better for navigating deep folder structures. Finder quickly runs out of horizontal space to list all the subfolders. I really should merge some of them anyway but for now pathfinder is a nice, albeit not very cheap workaround.
I also use idisk, but my mome is coming up for renewal this month and I'm very tempted to hold onto my money. The web hosting has broken several times. Perhaps I'll give it one more year, but they had better make it work better or when 2010 rolls around, Apple won't see any more of my money to renew mome. I've already moved most of my files off of mome in favor or more reliable hosting that supports php rather than merely html. The only thing I still use is the photo hosting and I make limited use of the idisk.
I also use idisk, but my mome is coming up for renewal this month and I'm very tempted to hold onto my money. The web hosting has broken several times. Perhaps I'll give it one more year, but they had better make it work better or when 2010 rolls around, Apple won't see any more of my money to renew mome. I've already moved most of my files off of mome in favor or more reliable hosting that supports php rather than merely html. The only thing I still use is the photo hosting and I make limited use of the idisk.
This is actually a very very interesting thread, I think that you can learn a lot from other people when it comes to organizing things.
i agree. i need to really work on getting all my macs organized.
I just keep all my documents in my Documents folder, with the exception of school work. that I keep in extremely organized, uber-nested folders
My wife has an interesting twist to her file organization.
She has a career in the civil service, and now non-profit sector and creating, editing, reading, commenting on, and sending out documents is her work day. She is one of the most organized people I know.
She puts the date at the front of every file, in this format - yyyymmdd. So, the document about Astronomy is called '20090415 Astronomy'. Now all the documents in the folder will sort themselves by her creation date (not always the same as the system creation date) and will maintain that sorting even if moved, copied, cloned, emailed, moved across platforms etc.
Its seems to me you could use smart folders to then sort your documents into semesters. If you physically start a paper before the start of a semester you can still date it to fall within the dates for sorting.
She uses colour labels sparingly. Its a lot work to manage colours for each and every file, but she does tag the "due imminently" files with red and uses a smart folder to sort those out.
She has folders for big projects, and then subdivides those - rarely does she go for a 3rd level.
She names things carefully, sometimes with long names, so she can find them by name. I don't know if this because she doesn't like tag words, or some other reason.
She does use spotlight alot.
I, on the other hand, tend to be terribly organized. I am a fine art photographer, run a gallery, help organize shows, sit on several volunteer boards. My files are messy.
I don't mind deeply nested folders, but I like to see less than half a dozen folders in each level. As I navigate I make a decision: Is what I'm looking for Gallery Business, or not. Is it personal, or photographic. Is it a group I belong to, or not. Until I find the folder I want. The problem I still have is how to organize a project. I like to have all my pictures in the Pictures Folder, and I like having all my documents in my Documents Folder. So I still struggle with Project Folders that include pictures, and documents potentially from several folders. I try to remember to use alias in this case.
IBM, way back in the days of mammoths, had an OS called OS/2 which had a brilliant folder. They created a type of folder called a Work Space. Essentially, anything and everything you dragged into the folder became an alias. Any application icons you dragged in were aliases as well, and .... if you had several documents open you could close the Work Space folder, and all the documents would close too. Re-open the Work Space folder, and all the previously open documents and applications would re-open as well. You could close and open projects instantly. I would pay good money for the same feature in OS X.
I am looking forward to seeing where this thread goes. Thanks to the OP for starting it.
She has a career in the civil service, and now non-profit sector and creating, editing, reading, commenting on, and sending out documents is her work day. She is one of the most organized people I know.
She puts the date at the front of every file, in this format - yyyymmdd. So, the document about Astronomy is called '20090415 Astronomy'. Now all the documents in the folder will sort themselves by her creation date (not always the same as the system creation date) and will maintain that sorting even if moved, copied, cloned, emailed, moved across platforms etc.
Its seems to me you could use smart folders to then sort your documents into semesters. If you physically start a paper before the start of a semester you can still date it to fall within the dates for sorting.
She uses colour labels sparingly. Its a lot work to manage colours for each and every file, but she does tag the "due imminently" files with red and uses a smart folder to sort those out.
She has folders for big projects, and then subdivides those - rarely does she go for a 3rd level.
She names things carefully, sometimes with long names, so she can find them by name. I don't know if this because she doesn't like tag words, or some other reason.
She does use spotlight alot.
I, on the other hand, tend to be terribly organized. I am a fine art photographer, run a gallery, help organize shows, sit on several volunteer boards. My files are messy.
I don't mind deeply nested folders, but I like to see less than half a dozen folders in each level. As I navigate I make a decision: Is what I'm looking for Gallery Business, or not. Is it personal, or photographic. Is it a group I belong to, or not. Until I find the folder I want. The problem I still have is how to organize a project. I like to have all my pictures in the Pictures Folder, and I like having all my documents in my Documents Folder. So I still struggle with Project Folders that include pictures, and documents potentially from several folders. I try to remember to use alias in this case.
IBM, way back in the days of mammoths, had an OS called OS/2 which had a brilliant folder. They created a type of folder called a Work Space. Essentially, anything and everything you dragged into the folder became an alias. Any application icons you dragged in were aliases as well, and .... if you had several documents open you could close the Work Space folder, and all the documents would close too. Re-open the Work Space folder, and all the previously open documents and applications would re-open as well. You could close and open projects instantly. I would pay good money for the same feature in OS X.
I am looking forward to seeing where this thread goes. Thanks to the OP for starting it.
HOLD-BIN on separate drive for program backup and updates storage
&
Applications Subfolders
so in each of the above to match:
Utilities
Photo
Video
Multimedia
Zips
Internet
On the dock from above:
Applications
Photo
Multimedia
Utilities
Shortcuts (to most used folders)
&
Applications Subfolders
so in each of the above to match:
Utilities
Photo
Video
Multimedia
Zips
Internet
On the dock from above:
Applications
Photo
Multimedia
Utilities
Shortcuts (to most used folders)
Smart Folders are very cool, and I don't use them nearly as much as I should.
A Smart Folder has a search criteria (or several, including criteria to exclude certain items). The actual file never moves from where you put it. The Smart Folder merely shows you file, but it is not a copy.... it is in effect a short cut (or alias in Mac speak). You can have the same file show up in a dozen Smart Folders, but there is only one copy. You can tuck Smart Folders anywhere you like, as far as know, including into the Finder sidebar. This this becomes an alias to the Smart Folder full of Alias.
That is another cool trick.... you can place folders in the Finder sidebar. Again, the folder is still where ever its supposed to be - the icon in the sidebar is merely an alias. I use it for temporary uses - say I have a project and I want to navigate to a dozen different folders to pick the bits and bobs it will need. I can open single Finder window, navigate to the folder with the bit and drag that bit (or a copy, or an alias) into the folder on the Finder sidebar. To remove the folder from the sidebar, drag it off. The alias is deleted, not the folder. Incidentally, this works for folders located on servers as well - at least the ones that I use.
A Smart Folder has a search criteria (or several, including criteria to exclude certain items). The actual file never moves from where you put it. The Smart Folder merely shows you file, but it is not a copy.... it is in effect a short cut (or alias in Mac speak). You can have the same file show up in a dozen Smart Folders, but there is only one copy. You can tuck Smart Folders anywhere you like, as far as know, including into the Finder sidebar. This this becomes an alias to the Smart Folder full of Alias.
That is another cool trick.... you can place folders in the Finder sidebar. Again, the folder is still where ever its supposed to be - the icon in the sidebar is merely an alias. I use it for temporary uses - say I have a project and I want to navigate to a dozen different folders to pick the bits and bobs it will need. I can open single Finder window, navigate to the folder with the bit and drag that bit (or a copy, or an alias) into the folder on the Finder sidebar. To remove the folder from the sidebar, drag it off. The alias is deleted, not the folder. Incidentally, this works for folders located on servers as well - at least the ones that I use.