My Filing System

Here is a description of the filing system I have come up with 

Nothing Added 
If you have a Mac running OSX you have everything you need to do this part. 

Directory Layout: 

1. create ~/Documents/files - main location
2. create ~/Documents/files/inbox - untagged files
3. create ~/Documents/files/personal - not work related files
4. create ~/Documents/files/work - work related files
5. create ~/Documents/files/personal/data - files stored here
6. create ~/Documents/files/work/data - files stored here
7. create ~/Documents/files/personal/folders - smart folders go here
8. create ~/Documents/files/work/folders - smart folders go here

Main Rules: 

1. All files are FULLY tagged the first time you tag them.
2. All files names must be unique and very detailed.

Tag Rules: 

1. Spotlight tag words start with &. (&tag)
2. Tag words are always a single word.
3. Tag words are the simplest form of the word.
4. The first tag is always work or personal. (&work)
5. The second tag is always a date context (&2008-02)
6. Tags run from most general on the left to most detailed on the right. (&planet &island &city &building)

Smart Folder Rules: 

1. Each rule starts with "spotlight comment -> begins with -> main tag" (&work or &personal)

Process: 

1. New files get saved to the inbox and spotlight tagged starting with &work for work and &personal for personal stuff. Additional tags are added to add context.
2. move the files to work/data or personal/data for final storage.
3. create smart folders based on the tags.

Make it Brainless 

Everything with "Nothing Added" plus Hazel (http://www.noodlesoft.com/hazel.php) to automate the moving of the files. 

1. Get and install Hazel.
2. Monitor the inbox folder for the following to rules.
3. "Comment -> Starts With" the main tag then move it to the proper data directory. (2 rules one for &work and one for &personal)
4. "Comment -> is blank" and "Date Added -> is not in the last 1 Day" change the label color and send a growl notification.

Process: 
Same as "Nothing Added" without having to move the files your self and you get a reminder about un-tagged files. 


Make it Easy 

Everything with "Nothing Added" and "Make it Brainless" plus Default Folder X (http://www.stclairsoft.com/DefaultFolderX/)to tag files right when you save them. 

1. Get and install Default Folder X.
2. Set the default save folder to inbox.
3. Do all your tagging when you save the file.

Yet to work out 

The only way to convert to this system is to manually tag all your files one by one. I still want to find a way to make that process as easy as possible.