I've tried a lot of organization schemes since I got my first personal computer in 1983. Lately, I've been using the following approach:
| Short term storage: the Desktop. It can hold a lot of folders and you can do a lot with it. |
| Long term storage: My Documents. You can nest folders from here until your eyes cross. |
First, I want to suggest that you not use your desktop as a substitute for the start menu and the task bar. In all of the versions of Windows since Win98, you can put your most frequently used programs on the Task bar, and organize the rest of them on the Start Menu. Windows leaves a few icons on the desktop and I generally leave them alone. I delete Online Services, and any shortcuts that show up after installing programs.
Imagine the metaphor of a desktop and a filing cabinet in your regular office. You might put a few folders on your desk, for varying amounts of time. Then later you would put them back into the filing cabinet. I'm suggesting the same simple approach to computer data.
One rule of thumb I've heard for whether something belongs on your desk or not is whether you use it each day. I'd revise that somewhat and just say that its something you use frequently.
Let's say that you make a folder named GENEALOGY on your desktop. You could create subfolders by family or project, such as MANSON, and within that, MARILYNS BIRTH CERTIFICATE. You could keep frequently used genealogy reference materials in GENEALOGY. I would be inclined to put everything into desktop folders, and then file them in MY DOCUMENTS later.
When you get more than 10 or 12 folders on your desktop or in any particular folder, you might consider consolidating them into a some new grouping and drilling down another level.
However you choose to organize yourself, do it your way, and be consistent.
Come to the RootsWorks Discussion Board, go to the ROOTSWORKS GENERAL COMPUTING category, and talk about your preferred organization tips.
Last updated: 03/02/2003