How do you manage your email?

[Armando]

superboyac : I edited the post where I explained how I manage my emails... Your post reminded me of 3 categories/folders I almost  never use. 
The fact is : I don't have much to delegate, not much to refer to (I use x1)... I do use the "waiting for..." one quite a bit though.
For important emails that I need to respond to but need to defer I'll often just create a special task/todo. I like to have all important stuff in ONE and only ONE place... OK, maybe 2 : Task-todo list (containing next actions, really), and calendar.

-Armando (September 08, 2008, 11:35 PM)

Yes, it seems like you and I think alike about a lot of things!  But I thought you were a big fan of Archivarius?  How come you are using X1?  I haven't used X1 in over a year, but I totally preferred Archivarius over it.  Let me know, because I totally forgot that I can use an indexer, so I'm probably going to set one up soon to use with Outlook.

-superboyac (September 09, 2008, 12:47 PM)

Missed that post....
I use Archivarius mostly for deeper searches/research, if I may say so. I don't find it as well thought off in terms of filtering and work flow. I like it because it's fairly fast, nice with my CPU and RAM and pretty thorough. But, In general, I prefer X1 : Outlook indexing is much much better, its UI allows more flexibility (the filtering through columns is actually very SQLNotes like), and you can organize your different searches into virtual/search folders -- and that is great. The only aspects I dislike about X1 : consumes more resources than Archivarius, is slower to appear when you invoke it, misses some data (like the notes-comments in Word documents... and the end of Huge documents don't even get indexed!!).

I find that setting filters in X1 for OUtlook or whatever stuff you need daily is quite handy. You can even create one grid per filter if you wish. And with AHK, I got all my keyboard shortcuts working nicely...

Aram and Armando - either you misunderstood 40hz or I did!

-Darwin (September 11, 2008, 08:20 AM)

no no... I understood perfectly well.  And I also understood why one would not trust HDD and computers 100% . I don't either.  That's why I have, multiple backups, DVD archives of incremental backups, etc. I mean, if I'm going to loose something, I'd have to be so unlucky that paper wouldn't save me anyway. I mean... paper can get burnt, soaked, lost, or whatever, too... right? It's also harder to encrypt and protect.... unless you put it in a safe.

(E.g. : A PST file might not be the most robust database in the world, but I actually don't really care if my PST becomes corrupt. I'll just start a new one, or bring back to life one of my backups. No? And if I'm dealing with something so important -- right now -- that I can't afford to loose, I'll back it up right away, on 3-4 different HDD.)

Who heard stories about 4 HDD in different places (eg : the one in my laptop, the one on my desk, the one in my bag, and the one at my parent's place) getting corrupt or broken bad all at once? I'm not saying it's not possible... but...

[jdd]

I forgot to mention one very, very big advantage of X1.  IT COMPLETELY ELIMINATES THE NEED TO DO SEARCHES OF ANY KIND FROM WITHIN OUTLOOK.    All searches can be performed from X1.

If the X1 index is restricted to Outlook pst and or ost files only, it is extremely powerful.  It eliminates the need to categorize or save email into different bins in Outlook. 

The only Outlook folders I have for mail are "Inbox" and "Delete Items" (which is set to not be automatically emptied).  Any message that can be deleted, unquestionably, is permanently deleted with  Shift/Delete.  Everything else goes in the "Deleted" folder and is permanently saved until such time in the future when I decide to permanently delete them.

One could have additional folders for categories but in its simplest form this system works perfectly well.

There are many other good tools for searching all other types of non-email files but it is worth keep them separate from the X1 index if it involves large quantities/sizes of files.

[PPLandry]

This is my point of view too. I believe that if you've got sufficient redundancy (good backup system), these things (loose all emails/files etc.) should absolutely not happen.

-Armando (September 11, 2008, 12:13 AM)

One reason for not trusting electronic means of storage is for long term stuff, as the medium may no longer be supported. I've got some 5" disks still, but nothing to read it (one of them is my Masters thesis  ). I've got audio and video tapes too. It won't be long before they'll be unusable.

In practice, I just don't care, since if I haven't used the info in 10-15 years, I don't need it anymore

Technology evolves rapidly...

That said, I'll print Travel related information (plane tickets, etc.), other than that, never. I'd print out more if I didn't have a portable.

[superboyac]

Didn't x1 become free a short while ago?  What happened?

[jdd]

X1 Professional Client was free but it now cost $50, and worth every cent (and I am in no way affiliated with that company).

[Darwin]

X1 Professional Client was free but it now cost $50, and worth every cent (and I am in no way affiliated with that company).

-jdd (September 11, 2008, 04:07 PM)

Agreed

[Armando]

This is my point of view too. I believe that if you've got sufficient redundancy (good backup system), these things (loose all emails/files etc.) should absolutely not happen.

-Armando (September 11, 2008, 12:13 AM)

One reason for not trusting electronic means of storage is for long term stuff, as the medium may no longer be supported.

-PPLandry (September 11, 2008, 03:23 PM)

My guess is that, in a few years... paper won't be supported anymore.

I agree with some your points, of course. That would be a great subject for another entire huge thread... Preservation and transmission of digital info is a fairly active field of research ; in arts, for instance, it poses a significant challenges (some work of art depend on obsolete media...). (I studied that, a bit...)

To simplify the matter extremely, my take is that in general, for the typical computer user, overcoming this problem is mostly a question of keeping up with technology (as much as possible -- feasible nowadays as technology tends to be cheaper and cheaper), and transfer data as soon as another medium becomes mainstream and cheap (that's usually referred as "refreshing/copying" in the preservation/transmission of digital info research field) and as the previous one starts to become obsolete. (Some past formats are not that easy to transfer : analog recordings, video tapes (VHS...), etc.. This is in part due to the fact that "we" -- human beings -- were a bit less sensitive and aware of that transmission problem 20 years ago than what we are now, and mostly also because digital coding was not yet mainstream.)

One has to keep track of what data is where and centralize it as much as possible to facilitate backup and migration. Then he/she shouldn't loose anything significant. I never did (well... nowadays there's the metadata problems, etc. But if one is careful, it shouldn't be to much of a problem). Well... i think so...

(5" disks... yeah...  Aren't there any readers still around)

Migration poses challenge, certainly. But what's worse? slightly different formatting of a (very readable) word document, or a letter you forgot you had because, well, it's in a box, buried under other boxes -- it's basically lost. Inaccessible info is lost info, right? With a computer , it takes maybe a few seconds to find it, even if the format is not perfect. And your hands are not even dirty.

There are so many different articles on that matter : here's one that I remembered reading a while ago. Interesting.

[Darwin]

Migration poses challenge, certainly. But what's worse? slightly different formatting of a (very readable) word document, or a letter you forgot you had because, well, it's in a box, buried under other boxes -- it's basically lost. Inaccessible info is lost info, right? With a computer , it takes maybe a few seconds to find it, even if the format is not perfect. And your hands are not even dirty.

-Armando (September 11, 2008, 06:17 PM)

For 99.9% of my e-mail and other files this is exactly how I handle things. I don't archive anything onto paper unless it is something that I can't afford to lose. The hardcopy is just another layer of protection against loss, on top of the myriad other ways in which everything is backed up - on my harddrive, in indices, on external harddrives, on a thumbdrive or two, on CD, on DVD...). The paper just insures whatever it is that I would be put out if I didn't have access to immediately and these copies go into folders and are filed. Like I said, in my case it amounts to three e-mails...

[Armando]

I understand why you'd do that, Darwin. I think it's a perfectly valid/legitimate way of trying to bring more safety to the whole preservation/backup issue. Only... I don't do it.
Check it out : tomorrow I'll lose everything and I'll cry and wish some of it was printed... or maybe I'll just seize the occasion and make a fresh existential start.  what would I become...?

[40hz]

My guess is that, in a few years... paper won't be supported anymore.

-Armando (September 11, 2008, 06:17 PM)

Got a specific date in mind by any chance?

They've been taking about the Paperless Office of the Future since the early 1970's.

Personally, I think that's about as likely as a Paperless Bathroom. 

Check it out : tomorrow I'll lose everything and I'll cry and wish some of it was printed... or maybe I'll just seize the occasion and make a fresh existential start.  smiley what would I become...?

Possibly incarcerated if it's tax information. Definitely something to cry about should that happen.

[Armando]

My guess is that, in a few years... paper won't be supported anymore.

-Armando (September 11, 2008, 06:17 PM)

Got a specific date in mind by any chance?

-40hz (September 11, 2008, 09:49 PM)

Of course : Nostradamus talked about December 12, 2012. When we'll hit that day, you won't be able to find a single post-it.

Personally, I think that's about as likely as a Paperless Bathroom. 

-40hz (September 11, 2008, 09:49 PM)

In many countries and regions the paperless bathroom is very real, my friend. 

Possibly incarcerated if it's tax information. Definitely something to cry about should that happen.

-40hz (September 11, 2008, 09:49 PM)

Really...? don't think that Canadians are that crazy... yet. We're getting there though, slowly but surely. 

[40hz]

Personally, I think that's about as likely as a Paperless Bathroom. 

-40hz (September 11, 2008, 09:49 PM)

In many countries and regions the paperless bathroom is very real, my friend. 

-Armando (September 11, 2008, 10:46 PM)

Perhaps. But I very much doubt that was by design.

[xtabber]

They've been taking about the Paperless Office of the Future since the early 1970's.

Personally, I think that's about as likely as a Paperless Bathroom. 

-40hz (September 11, 2008, 09:49 PM)

That joke takes me back, if not to the early 1970's, at least to 1981, when I heard a DEC engineer use it in a speech at a CP/M-86 conference. I've been using it ever since.

[40hz]

They've been taking about the Paperless Office of the Future since the early 1970's.

Personally, I think that's about as likely as a Paperless Bathroom. 

-40hz (September 11, 2008, 09:49 PM)

That joke takes me back, if not to the early 1970's, at least to 1981, when I heard a DEC engineer use it in a speech at a CP/M-86 conference. I've been using it ever since.

-xtabber (September 12, 2008, 02:32 PM)

Does anybody know who first came up with that phrase? I've used it many times and I'd love to be able to give credit where credit's due.

[Antonimo]

I use The Bat! because I have to manage multiple account (currently about thirty accounts).

I have a number of sub-folder beneath the in-boxes that receive the message based on rules and filters. The original poster mentioned that he uses The bat! at home so he is aware of the extremely powerful filtering.

The most important part of my e-mail system is that The Bat! allows one to create a global rules and "share them" with whichever accounts one likes.

I have a global rule that BCCs every message that I send to my Gmail account.

Added to a second global rule that "redirects" a copy of every in-coming message to my Gmail account and I find that I can search and find e-mails considerably quicker through Gmail than I can using the Bat!'s own search feature.

Furthermore, Gmail also offers very useful filters and sorting facilities.

If you are only using one POP e-mail account, you can set up Gmail to send out e-mail and make it appear to have come from your POP account. You can further recieve you POP e-mail via G-mail so everything is backed up on Gmail with the added advantage of Gmail's e-mail servers will not likely be blacklisted for spam.

One final point about The Bat!. I use it in combination with ABC Amber The Bat Converter which lets me archive old e-mails in PDF, CHM, HTML and a number of other formats. Excellent for storage and retrieval.

The Bat! and ABC Amber are two of only three programs that I have gladly paid for. I believe they are worth a total of $30. Otherwise, I strongly advocate donating to and using open source software wherever possible.

[azza]

I use Popfile and Outclass with Outlook 2007.  Popfile is a bayesian filter, but unlike most will classify more than just spam.  You can create any number of classifications and being bayesian it learns what incoming email should be classified as.  Outclass is just a hook into Outlook for popfile that allows easy reclassification etc.
In terms of the actual sorting of me email, I have a pretty simple structure.  Work, personal, mailing list, and spam. 

[iphigenie]

popfile is awesome - the only bayesian filter I ever used that could not only learn about spam, but i taught it to recognise
- newsletters & automated letters
- professional email
- personal email
Once trained it could tell the difference between a colleague sending me an email about work or about going clubbing thursday night!

[mwang]

The Bat! and ABC Amber are two of only three programs that I have gladly paid for. I believe they are worth a total of $30. Otherwise, I strongly advocate donating to and using open source software wherever possible.

-Antonimo (September 14, 2008, 02:14 PM)

<gripe>
As a long time user and an active member on both TBUDL/TBBETA before giving up, I have to say I liked The Bat! a lot, too. I would still be using it if RITLabs delivered on its promise to support Chinese/Japanese/Korean mail properly. It never did. Still doesn't with the latest v4. (Tried v.4.0.18 a while back.)
</gripe>