Comments on: Filing systems that failed http://unclutterer.com/2008/07/30/filing-systems-that-failed/ Daily tips on how to organize your home and office. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:04:26 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Maryann http://unclutterer.com/2008/07/30/filing-systems-that-failed/comment-page-1/#comment-40175 Maryann Sun, 02 Aug 2009 16:28:32 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=1756#comment-40175 I must admit that I think this Wooten Desk is absolutely beautiful (& would solve a lot of my home office clutter problems...) http://www.wootondesks.com/ And here is a visual of the filing systems that Erin describes above: http://www.officemuseum.com/filing_equipment_cabinets.htm I had a temp job in the 80's in a file room. They had a sliding seat on a "beam" and another long beam with alphabetical slots . You straddled the beam and moved up and back with your stack of papers and sorted them accordingly. And you used a Rubber Thumb. :) I must admit that I think this Wooten Desk is absolutely beautiful (& would solve a lot of my home office clutter problems…)
http://www.wootondesks.com/

And here is a visual of the filing systems that Erin describes above:
http://www.officemuseum.com/fi.....binets.htm

I had a temp job in the 80’s in a file room. They had a sliding seat on a “beam” and another long beam with alphabetical slots . You straddled the beam and moved up and back with your stack of papers and sorted them accordingly. And you used a Rubber Thumb. :)

]]> By: The Great Filing System Debate: Why Mine Sucks And How I Want To Change It. Plus, What Is Your Filing System Setup? - Practical advice on personal development, productivity and GTD http://unclutterer.com/2008/07/30/filing-systems-that-failed/comment-page-1/#comment-33325 The Great Filing System Debate: Why Mine Sucks And How I Want To Change It. Plus, What Is Your Filing System Setup? - Practical advice on personal development, productivity and GTD Sat, 16 May 2009 17:21:13 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=1756#comment-33325 [...] my last two posts I’ve repeatedly used my filing system as an example of productivity (epic) failure. As the end of the year is coming up I thought now would be a good time to shake things up a [...] [...] my last two posts I’ve repeatedly used my filing system as an example of productivity (epic) failure. As the end of the year is coming up I thought now would be a good time to shake things up a [...]

]]> By: Kathleen http://unclutterer.com/2008/07/30/filing-systems-that-failed/comment-page-1/#comment-17065 Kathleen Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:52:44 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=1756#comment-17065 Would dearly love the Sectional Cabinet for my craft room. Would dearly love the Sectional Cabinet for my craft room.

]]> By: Rae http://unclutterer.com/2008/07/30/filing-systems-that-failed/comment-page-1/#comment-16934 Rae Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:54:00 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=1756#comment-16934 Great article, Erin. Thanks! I'll have to kindly disagree with the broad, sweeping generalization that any paper-based filing system is a failure. It depends greatly on the system as well as those (or the one) who is keeping it up. Great article, Erin. Thanks!
I’ll have to kindly disagree with the broad, sweeping generalization that any paper-based filing system is a failure. It depends greatly on the system as well as those (or the one) who is keeping it up.

]]> By: Marina Martin http://unclutterer.com/2008/07/30/filing-systems-that-failed/comment-page-1/#comment-16918 Marina Martin Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:04:37 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=1756#comment-16918 I have a sneaky suspicion I am also "odd duck" enough to really enjoy that book. Thanks for bringing it up! That said, any filing system that's paper-based today is still a failure. You can't search it. Since buying my ScanSnap S510M, I can't even fathom going back to manila folders ever again. I have a sneaky suspicion I am also “odd duck” enough to really enjoy that book. Thanks for bringing it up!

That said, any filing system that’s paper-based today is still a failure. You can’t search it. Since buying my ScanSnap S510M, I can’t even fathom going back to manila folders ever again.

]]> By: Lori http://unclutterer.com/2008/07/30/filing-systems-that-failed/comment-page-1/#comment-16910 Lori Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:46:16 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=1756#comment-16910 I think I might kill for one of those sectional cabinets for organizing my art supplies... I think I might kill for one of those sectional cabinets for organizing my art supplies…

]]> By: lana http://unclutterer.com/2008/07/30/filing-systems-that-failed/comment-page-1/#comment-16887 lana Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:53:15 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=1756#comment-16887 This article perfectly illustrates why so many so-called "organizational systems", office furniture, and all-in-one products fail: the person (or company) who designs the system is utterly clueless about the needs of the person who will be using it. This article perfectly illustrates why so many so-called “organizational systems”, office furniture, and all-in-one products fail: the person (or company) who designs the system is utterly clueless about the needs of the person who will be using it.

]]> By: Heather http://unclutterer.com/2008/07/30/filing-systems-that-failed/comment-page-1/#comment-16852 Heather Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:15:50 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=1756#comment-16852 My maiden name is Wooten, so you could say I have a connection to pigeon holes! Haha. Seriously though, wouldn't this desk be kind of awesome for scrapbooking? My maiden name is Wooten, so you could say I have a connection to pigeon holes! Haha. Seriously though, wouldn’t this desk be kind of awesome for scrapbooking?

]]> By: Cindy Marsch http://unclutterer.com/2008/07/30/filing-systems-that-failed/comment-page-1/#comment-16848 Cindy Marsch Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:29:15 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=1756#comment-16848 The office in the photo is so beautiful, though....:-) The office in the photo is so beautiful, though….:-)

]]> By: Erin Doland http://unclutterer.com/2008/07/30/filing-systems-that-failed/comment-page-1/#comment-16847 Erin Doland Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:15:58 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=1756#comment-16847 @Tom -- The "modern" desk you link to reminds me of the desk Hugh Jackman uses in the film _Swordfish_. Great link! @Tom — The “modern” desk you link to reminds me of the desk Hugh Jackman uses in the film _Swordfish_. Great link!

]]> By: Cubicle Hacker http://unclutterer.com/2008/07/30/filing-systems-that-failed/comment-page-1/#comment-16846 Cubicle Hacker Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:08:43 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=1756#comment-16846 Nowadays we find ourselves trying to organize our electronic filing systems; internet explorer anyone? Files, folders, and subdirectories with redundant docs, excel spreadsheets and images. To organize my electronic file I use a pretagging system combined with project oriented approach. This is; pretagging files such as rsm_something.doc, or pps_something.doc. In this previous example I pretag resume related documents with rsm_ . In the same fashion I pretag project proposals with pps_ . The second approach is to never create a document unless I can assign it to a project that I'm currently taking action on. If there is information I find valuable I digg it or completely forget about it. Yes!, forget about information you are not going to use right away. You can always find it later with the power of google. www.cubiclehacks.com Nowadays we find ourselves trying to organize our electronic filing systems; internet explorer anyone? Files, folders, and subdirectories with redundant docs, excel spreadsheets and images.

To organize my electronic file I use a pretagging system combined with project oriented approach. This is; pretagging files such as rsm_something.doc, or pps_something.doc. In this previous example I pretag resume related documents with rsm_ . In the same fashion I pretag project proposals with pps_ .

The second approach is to never create a document unless I can assign it to a project that I’m currently taking action on. If there is information I find valuable I digg it or completely forget about it. Yes!, forget about information you are not going to use right away. You can always find it later with the power of google.

http://www.cubiclehacks.com

]]> By: Tom http://unclutterer.com/2008/07/30/filing-systems-that-failed/comment-page-1/#comment-16843 Tom Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:24:06 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=1756#comment-16843 Interesting article. Thought I'd take a look at the Wooten desk on Google Patent search. The drawing of it is here: http://tinyurl.com/5wb5en But before I found the original patent I found a patent of a "modern" version of the Wooten desk. I think I like the original better. http://tinyurl.com/6fdrr2 Interesting article. Thought I’d take a look at the Wooten desk on Google Patent search. The drawing of it is here:
http://tinyurl.com/5wb5en

But before I found the original patent I found a patent of a “modern” version of the Wooten desk. I think I like the original better. http://tinyurl.com/6fdrr2

]]> By: Zach http://unclutterer.com/2008/07/30/filing-systems-that-failed/comment-page-1/#comment-16842 Zach Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:18:23 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=1756#comment-16842 Makes me want to take a look at Vannevar Bush's "As We May Think", from 1945... http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/194507/bush -Z Makes me want to take a look at Vannevar Bush’s “As We May Think”, from 1945…

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/194507/bush

-Z

]]> By: Peter http://unclutterer.com/2008/07/30/filing-systems-that-failed/comment-page-1/#comment-16837 Peter Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:36:53 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=1756#comment-16837 Thank God for the being able to live in the age of the Computer!!! www.YinVsYang.com Thank God for the being able to live in the age of the Computer!!!

http://www.YinVsYang.com

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