Believers in copyright keep dreaming about building a digital simulation of a 20th-century copyright economy, based on scarcity and with distinct limits between broadcasting and unit sales. This vision of copyright utopia is triggering an escalation of technology regulations running out of control and ruining civil liberties.

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Yesterday morning, I had finally had it.

Staring me directly in the face was my very own disheveled Desktop.

The ironic part of this is the fact that I speak to many folks about the importance of keeping a tidy Desktop and computer in general in order to find information quickly and easily.

I think my Desktop was starting to reflect how busy I’d become. Even more ironic is the fact that when we become busy, we should be more mindful of keeping things in order, as out of order items make our work more tedious, more time consuming. Clearly a factor that goes against supporting our efforts of getting more done.

So, it was time to clear the technology clutter and get back into the groove.

Organizing files on our computer is just as straightforward an organizing information in your physical workspace. Important documents (files) go in labeled folders, folders go in cabinets.

Note: For those of you who have a filing system of “piles” in your physical workspace, the clean up may take some time. But the basic tips that I provide below will actually help you in both areas of your organizational life — virtual, as well as physical.

Looking at everything at once, the entire pile of information or the numerous files randomly spread throughout your Desktop and other areas on your computer, and wondering where to begin, can be overwhelming. So, don’t do that. Take small steps. Bite off what you can handle and move forward. In order to that, I’ve listed some basic tips to help jump start your effort of becoming a virtual neat freak.

1. Regardless of what space your dealing with, whether it be the Desktop, My Documents or any other folder that has become the “junk closet” of your computer, start by creating two New Folders and titling one To File (for files that you need to keep, but don’t need to refer to at the moment for any work related effort) and the other Action (files associated with something that you have to do within the next few days).
2. To start the clean up, sort all files and folders into one of the three areas (To File (folder), Action (folder), or Trash Bin).
3. For those of you who are hoarders and afraid to actually delete files or folders by putting them in the Trash Bin, ask yourself the following to assist you in this effort:
   

   • Is this a file that I need to keep for future reference? (if you can only answer, “well, I might need it someday” but can’t identify a real reason why, then that isn’t really answering Yes to this question)
   • Does the file contain information that I cannot find somewhere else?
   • Is information in this file used as a reference document or resource for creating other documents?

   
   If you can’t immediately say “Yes” to any of the following questions, then it’s time to get rid of the file or folder in question.

This is just a start to getting you on the right track to cleaning up your virtual space. A series of posts following this will cover what to do with each of the folders, how to organize within the folders, and habits for maintaining an organized environment, as well as tips and tricks for effective productivity.

After a brief conversation with a colleague of mine, I’m off and running using the latest (well, latest to me) technology he suggested…

ScribeFire

I’m one that likes to share ideas, but have been hampered by the time and steps it takes to put great information on my blog. His suggestion…start using ScribeFire to log your comments to information you find online. The program connects you to your blog and posts instantly within a few button clicks.

Watch out, I may just be blogging daily now.