Re: [Orgmode] Re: How you ORGanize yourself? (aka: Why not one file to rule'em all?)

[Alan E. Davis]

   More than you want to know, I'm certain.  I would certainly
   appreciate any ideas that others might provide.  I am reluctant to
   provide much in the way of personal details, but perhaps I do have
   to provide some detail, in order to call attention to how I use
   Org-mode, in many aspects of my life.

   The pattern of my usage of org-mode has evolved through perhaps a
   year and a half, yet I am still at a very modest level of
   understanding.  All the same, I have grown into new understandings
   about how to use Org.  The ~/org directory (under git control so I
   can keep up to date on three computers) has been weighted down with
   a considerable level of cruft.  I am a scatterbrained/eclectic,
   constantly thinking of new ways to clutter these files; yet,
   Org-mode is an ideal tool for this, and I am learning more and more
   about how to use it.  The main pattern that begins to
   emerge is the usage of many files, but more and more of them are
   merging into single topical or function based files, something like
   the following.  However, I sense that some of the org functions
   (including some agenda based functionality, and especially tagging)
   are starting to slow down.

   The files
      1. Main files
          1. JOURNAL.org:: Various longer posts, from some remember
             templates with various top level headers as targets.
          2. notes.org::  target for org's tools for  firefox, as well as
             for a remember template to store notes for later filing.
          3. LetterDrafts.org:: writing correspondence
          4. Todo.org:: Various kinds of TODO notes
          5. Happenings.org:: Diary like functionality
          6. Diary.org:: Emacs diary
          7. Contacts.org:: I still haven't figured out how to do this.
      2. Project related files, general
          1. System.Journal.org:: where I log various system issues and
             try to keep on top of changes to my system, both hardware
             and operating system, as well as software.
          2. Classes.org:: Where I keep various kinds of notes on courses
             I teach. (I think I have struggled with this the most).
          3. Field.Journal.org:: I am a biologist who makes field notes.
          4. Music.org:: Becoming huge with guitar tablature, lyrics,
             notes on the Guitar, etc.
          5. Drafts.org:: Drafts of all kinds of documents.
          6. SCHOOL.org:: Notes about the school where I teach.
          7. Microscopy.org:: Notes on microscope use and hardware.
          8. Science.org:: Notes of a scientific  nature, about
             literature or research.
          9. Quotes.org:: I have a remember template for storing away
             quotes.
          10. Sweeps.org:: Hardly used, up to recently, a place to store
              "Mind Sweeps" or Brainstorms.
          11. Emacs.org:: Log and notes about use of emacs, and notes
              about the changes I've made to .emacs.el
          12. Health.Journal.org:: notes on health issues for the members
              of my family.
          13. HOWTO.org:: When I have figured out some settings or
              installation notes, I keep them in this file in a highly
              unintelligible HOWTO format.  Sometimes even I cannot read
              them.
          14. Film.org:: I keep notes on films I watch and vidoes I use
              in teaching.  Including  time-indexed notes made with the
              relative-timer facility or Org-mode.
          15. EmacsTricks.org::
      3. Project files, more specific, and more numerous.  For example:
         1. BeachHoppers.org
         2. DigitalPhotography.org
         3. LetterToJoe.org
         4. Worms.org
         5. Recipes.org
         6. MakingDo.org:: a few notes for a book about running a
            laboratory on a shoestring, using found objects, etc.
         7. Tides.org:: One of my interests.
         8. Lexicon.org:: I am saving notes here using a remember
             template that saves linguistic notes in "band format."
         9. ScientificLiterature.org:: I am trying to organize notes on
             downloaded PDFs and bibtex reference database.

    Usage notes.

      1. I am learning to use the agenda.  I have some custom agenda
         commands.  It has taken me a long time to learn how I can
         keep track of events and appointments, as well as TODO
         items.  I'll be learning for a long time yet.  SCHEDULING is
         useful, as are DEADLINES.   It's taking a while to fall into
         habits of use to make these useful to myself.
      2. I am slowly learning to use tags in a personally useful way.
         1. Context is somewhat useful.  However, I really need a
            shopping list.
         3. I am starting to use inheritance of keywords on headlines,
            as it helps clean things up.
      3. I am also gradually beginning to understand how I can use
         TODO keywords.
         1. My more unique keywords include: EVENT, LESSON, APPT,
            PROJECT, IDEA, WRITE
      4. Outlining is the most important thing I use Org-mode for.  I
         am happy to be able to export a PDF of notes taken during a
         meeting or any other times.  It surprises me how quick this
         is, and how nice, even though I've been using LaTeX for
         years.
      5. I hacked the code to provide six priority levels, #A--#F.  I
         haven't gotten around to use all the levels, but I forsee
         being able, for example, to use #F as shopping list items.