How do you handle files that don't really belong in one place?

[Wonsik]

That separation is really interesting.
DEVONthink for long-term storage, and TheBrain for active work and quick access.
It feels like you’re clearly separating where files live from how you navigate them day to day.
Do you find it easy to keep things in sync between those two layers?

[KVZ]

@Wonsik

A pattern I’m noticing is that most people keep the file in one stable location, and use another layer to represent context.

That’s a very good formulation and rule of thumb.

I think of the problem as organizing “file space”, and file space can be n-dimensional and effective with a consistent discipline. The file space dimensions are file name, folder hierarchy, tag hierarchy. (Even though tags in Finder appear to be one-dimensional, with disciplined use of prefixes and suffixes they become hierarchical.)

This sounds complicated, but really isn’t as long as the naming and filing process is disciplined. I keep a generalized image in my head of how my file space is organized.

Another approach that is focused on just filename and folder hierarchy, and works well with aliases, is the Johnny Decimal system.

Katie

[OogieM]

@Wonsik

Do you mostly accept the limits of folders and rely on search later?

Do Finder tags actually stay useful for you?

Have you found some other Mac workflow that handles this better?

Like many folks here I separate the location of a file vs the usage of the file.

Files live in a single location, a well defined set of shallow layer folders in 2 groups, Active and File Cabinet. I NEVER use tags in Finder because they are not portable to other systems and I can never count on them being the same. I also never duplicate a file unless it’s to make a working copy to test something in formatting, or content or to maintain a series of versions of that file. For me, duplicating a file in multiple places is a guarantee to ending up with a mess later that will take days or weeks to clean up. Files are frequently used or referenced in multiple places or projects.

I use Obsidian as my link. Obsidian notes contain references to files typically in a project note in a references section. I can easily reference all items in multiple places that way. In many cases for my active rapidly moving projects the working files are actually stored in Obsidian even though they are not markdown notes. The reason is that they will sync across all my systems quickly and I always know where they are. They are the digital equivalent of a paper project file where I pulled together paper documents to work on something. When the project is finished the file within will move back to the file cabinet folder on my mac in appropriately named as close to 1 layer folders as I can manage given the data. An example of a 2 layer approach making sense is a folder called X_Bank and within that folders for YYYY_Statements. In Obsidian their final resting place will be updated in the project notes just as those notes are archived in Obsidian.

Within Obsidian I have a carefully curated set of tags that I use in the properties of notes to allow the cross fertilization of ideas across major areas.

[cornchip]

@Wonsik

That’s a nice combination. Do you find yourself maintaining multiple systems for the same files, or do they naturally fall into different roles over time?

Different roles. Essentially, DEVONthink is for stuff I’m keeping, and Finder files are temporary working folders, stuff I don’t know if I’ll end up needing, etc.

Interesting discussion; thanks for starting it!

[A_R]

I follow similar method - aliases is super useful.
Though I don’t use tags in Finder - never have used this.

A file stays in Folder. If it belongs in another folder - then its alias will be added there.

[Nick_Fulgham]

For the people that advocate aliases, how do you handle mobile use, i.e. iPhone or iPad?

[A_R]

Fair question, in my case I very rarely do my work on mobile devices, so this isn’t an issue.

Having said that Hookmark now launching their Mobile app, it could be an option worth exploring

[zkarj]

@Wonsik

It sounds like Scrappy removes the idea of files having a fixed location entirely, and treats everything as items instead.

Yes, it has a ‘Library’ (developer’s term), where its sister product KeepIt is not only files, but you can even expose the folder structure to Finder.

The Library concept is like Photos. It’s probably files in there somewhere, but that’s an implementation detail. I can even have multiple items with exactly the same name, neither of which needs to belong anywhere or they could both belong to the same (multiple) lists.

@Wonsik

I’m curious though, do you ever run into friction when you need to interact with those items outside of Scrappy or across other tools?

There’s a share button, so I can send it in an email or message or anything else you can routinely do from a share button. I guess the only thing is you must initiate that from Scrappy, whereas with KeepIt, I can do File > Open from another app and simply navigate KeepIt’s folder structure right from the Finder window.

All this works from iPhone, iPad, and Mac, too. All synced via iCloud.

[LisaSpangenberg]

I’m very very careful, and I add a date to a copy of the file I work on on iPad.