Recently a professor of art history sent me this question:

I came to one of your workshops when I was a visiting professor and found your suggestions very helpful. Now, I’ve moved into a tenure-track position and I have a BIG problem. I have lots and lots of computer-generated data. Some of the files I produce are for research, some are for teaching, some are images I use for teaching (I am an art historian). I start with what I believe is a logical system for filing and then I have a disaster. There are books out there that deal with filing paper, but how do I file computer files and find them again. Any suggestions? I cannot be the only person out there having this problem.

And she certainly isn’t! Organizing paper files presents its own challenge, but often, even when people have that handled, their digital files may be disorganized. Here are nine productivity tips to help with this situation (which is a common one):

1. Recognize that creating and maintaining an organized filing system for your digital files requires time and effort. Just as you can’t expect your physical space to organize itself (darn it!) neither can you expect your digital system to magically get itself in order (if only!)

2. Designate one of your computers as the home. Just as you wear your clothes to work and take them with you on trips (in a variety of suitcases), you know you need to eventually get your clothes back home where you can find them.

3. You need to get a plan first. Part of the reason things have gotten spread all over the place and not where they need to be is because you didn’t have a plan. Now, however, you know you need one.

4. Determine an overall file structure or scheme. Think in broad categories first. For example, for professors, their overall work life tends to be divided into three main categories so you could have the broad categories of teaching, research, and service. Each of these will be its own folder on your hard drive.

5. Create your new folders and open a window that displays these new folders. Size the window so that it is large enough to see but is not filling your entire screen.

   Note: If you don’t have two monitors, this is one of those times when you will wish that you did.

6. Open a second window with your old file structure in it. You want to be able to see these windows next to each other (or on separate monitors so that you can be dragging and dropping as you reorganize.

7. Drill down on the folders (folders within folders) that you have created in the past. If you find any folders, files, or documents, that are complete trash, toss them (delete them).

8. For the folders, files, and documents that you DECIDE to keep, start dragging and dropping them into your new file structure.

9. Acknowledge that some files and documents are used in multiple categories (e.g., as a professor, your research, teaching, and service are likely to be connected) but make a determination as you are reorganizing your files about where they most closely belong….for now. You do NOT want to have multiple copies of files and folders in the different categories because this will lead to mayhem and never knowing what is most current.

It is likely that this is going to take you several hours. I recommend NOT trying to do this all at once. It’s too exhausting. Work on it for an hour or so one day, make careful note about where you left off, and then take it up again the next day.

This is just one step toward overall peaceful productivity as a professors.

I am in the process of looking for a shopping cart and I heard mentioned that you use KickStartCart (one of the carts I was looking at). I was wondering if you like the cart, find it easy to use, etc. I am especially wondering about the affiliate program (for your products that you offer). Is the program easy to set up and is it easy to use as far as tracking and payment?

Answer:

I’ve used it for about 6 years now and have trouble imagining ever switching. I did a webinar last year – http://meggin.com/AudioAcrobat.php (free) that you are welcome to access and you can hear me say a bit more about some of the features.

Yes, the affiliate program works well and, like all of the parts of the shopping cart, once you get the big picture of how it works, it’s easy to set up.

My suggestion on this – start small with it. As I said, I’ve used it for just over 6 years and I am still learning – and I’m pretty knowledgeable about the whole thing. I have been very disappointed in many of the VAs I’ve hired who “say” they know 1ShoppingCart (KickStart) but they really don’t. If you’re going to hire someone to help you, have them tell you what kinds of things they have done, etc.

And I always recommend that the business owner knows how this piece works, even when we have a VA who does a lot of the day-to-day work on the shopping cart. Not everyone would agree with me, but I think it’s important.

Hope this helps!!

Meggin

http://vue.tufts.edu/index.cfm

All kinds of resources and places to view and share your own mindmaps and other graphic representations.

I just answered a question this morning from a Life of E’s member (today is one of our *E*mail *E*xtravaganzas) and she had written in about my recent recommendation I’d sent her about Tom Antion’s ecourse on WordPress wanting to know more about what she would learn and why I had bought it.  Here’s my answer (sort of stream of consciousness but you get the drift): 

I have had WordPress for the Life of E’s blog and for my articles blog for awhile but I paid my webhosting company to set them up and then paid my webhosting company when I need certain things and have just felt like it was pretty limited and frustrating. I know that I have just paid another pile of money to my webhosting company to set up another website (not on a blog platform).  If I had waited a week and gotten Tom’s announcement, I wouldn’t have done that, but now that I have already paid it, I’ll keep working with that site.   However….

….I really see that from now on, I’m going to figure out whether I can go with a WordPress platform. Since I own a boatload of domain names, I want to have some one-page sites or pretty minimal sites (compared to www.meggin.com) and I can do that through WP.

What Tom gives you is 65 pages of info – pretty detailed and then at least 20 or so videos that he has created (you don’t see him, just his computer) where he is showing how to do things. I like his teaching style and sure enough, I’ve watched the video and then done just what he showed. The later videos which are about how to actually post, etc., I already knew. What I really lacked was the set up, the basics that, for some reason, scared me so I kept paying someone else to do it.

You can use either of these links to access Tom’s info on the product and to order.

http://tinyurl.com/2exjdu6  – these are my affiliate links to the product.  If you’re going to go check it out, you might use one of these links since I get the “thank you dollars,” but it costs you the same.  Totally up to you, of course.

http://snipurl.com/xmmd9

I think the reason he sells it for so little ($97) is because his list is so huge that he knows he’ll make a jillion dollars either way.

I bought the program last Friday, read through the 65 pages on Saturday, thought…wow. I can do this. Then started watching the videos later on Saturday (they range from about 3 minutes to about 12 minutes or so). I have continued to watch a few videos and do a few things each day so it doesn’t feel overwhelming. I worked on the http://thirtyarticlesinjustthirtydays.com/ site yesterday for about an hour to 90” to start getting more content and also to try out adding the tabs and different things. This weekend, I’m going to start setting up another site that will be a much simpler one for right now…just a page or two.

In Search of Great Typefaces (posted with permission from the author, Pamela Wilson)

It’s easy to find typefaces on the web at low or no cost. Many, though, are low quality, and will make your business look unprofessional. A quality, full-family typeface that represents your business is a great investment, and since typeface technology doesn’t evolve as quickly as software, your typeface should still be as usable in 20 years as it is today.  Fonts.com and Myfonts.com are two good resources. 

For no cost typefaces, try these links. Remember, go for quality, readability, and a full family of weights if possible:

searchfreefonts.com | dafont.com | urbanfonts.com

These two links from Smashing magazine feature beautiful no-cost typefaces: 

Smashing magazine 40 fonts | Smashing magazine 15 fonts

Best wishes,

PAMELA WILSON - http://www.bigbrandsystem.com
Big Brand System

PS: Know someone who would be interested in this information? Send them to bigbrandsystem.com to download the “Ten Design Mistakes” report, and they’ll be automatically subscribed to this email series.

PPS: Ready to get on the Early Notification List for the Big Brand System? You’ll find out first when it’s ready to launch, and get special pricing not available to anyone else. To get on the list, visit this page. 

I need to contract with a website team.  What are the interviewing questions I need to consider?

Karyn Greenstreet had a great article recently…and here’s a link:

http://www.passionforbusiness.com/blog/who-owns-your-website/

Here is an excellent article about 10 Questions to Ask:

http://ezinearticles.com/?10-Questions-To-Ask-Your-Prospective-Web-Designer&id=548109

I agree with every single one of the ones she’s suggested here.

You need to know what their track record is, see examples, find out how easy they are to work with, what is their turn around time, are they set up to design it so YOU can make changes easily (or your VA can).  You do not want to have to go through them.  Also, ask them if they integrate with 1ShoppingCart.  If they don’t, then I would really question whether they are serious since that is the most widely used shopping cart there is.

Are you looking for someone that you can meet with locally or are you fine with doing it all via email and phone? 

And here’s one more resource that I just ordered after your question: 

http://www.herenextyear.com/pdfs/11designer.pdf

Hope this helps (and is not TOO much information!  HA!)  I think you’ll see the themes in all of these ideas…

I have taken this and other educational programs from Bea Fields and she provides useful information, presented in an easily digestible manner!  I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about blogging (and other internet-related topics; I learned MUCH more than just blogging from her classes).

Here is some more information about the class from her website:

Dates: 12 Consecutive Mondays from August 10-October 26, 2009 from 1-3 Eastern (all recorded – so no worries if you miss a week)

Cost: $97.00

Location: Delivered via telephone bridge and webinar.

Facilitator: Bea Fields

Coaching: 1 hour of private coaching with Bea Fields.

Recordings: Yes. The calls will be recorded and made available to you for download following the calls.

Resources: Yep! We’ve got them covered…everything you need to know and more about blogging, social networks and some of the inside scoop the public does not know about!

www.RackandWrite.com

I learned about this in the WordPress class I’m taking from Bea Fields (Become a Blogging Maniac).  And that was only on the first day.  She has a wealth of information on her site.  

Lots of practical information is shared – with humor.  Gotta love that combination