Section 47. Smart Folders

47. Smart Folders

Back in my PC days, I adored highly structured filing systems: nested folders, precise titles, strict rules. Without that kind of organization, finding files on a PC could be a real challenge.

Since switching, I use Smart Folders. They're easy to create. Within Finder (the Mac's file management system), I just click File, New Smart Folder. Then, instead of moving files around, I fill out a point-and-click form defining criteria for the Smart Folder's contents, selecting, for example, all Microsoft Word files opened within the last two weeks containing the word "switch."

Without moving the actual files, Smart Folders help me keep tabs on the documents that matterwithout making me a slave to a Byzantine filing system.