CLOSED: [2016-11-27 Sun 10:20]
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:ID: tags-pim
:CREATED:  [2016-11-27 Sun 09:52]
:END:
:LOGBOOK:
- State "DONE"       from "NEXT"       [2016-11-27 Sun 10:20]
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#+BEGIN_QUOTE
Wer aufhört, besser werden zu wollen, hört auf, gut zu sein.

(Those who stop trying to advance, stop being good.)

Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach
#+END_QUOTE

[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_information_management][Personal Information Management]] (PIM) can be understood in a narrower
sense (Calendar, Todos, Contacs) or in a very broad sense which I do
prefer: it is the art of organizing yourself and your data.

I don't even limit PIM to digital data. I've started loving PIM before
I was aware of its existence: I was the one in school who was
designing and optimizing his [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filofax][Filofax]] paper sheets, who knew why the
previous twenty marks (and their average) were not optimal, when a
teacher is going to ask me to summarize the previous lecture by
maintaining statistics, and so forth.

So I am an organizer freak and I am proud of it.

For a couple of years I was lucky do be able to do [[http://karl-voit.at/tagstore/][basic research
on PIM topics]] and I wrote [[http://karl-voit.at/tagstore/downloads/Voit2012b.pdf][my PhD thesis]] I am very proud of.

In my spare time, I optimize my personal workflows, write [[https://github.com/novoid][little
helper tools]], help others to work more efficient, [[id:apps-I-am-using][look for the best
tools out there]], have more fun with the tools we have to use, [[id:2014-08-10-other-peoples-IT-setup][learn
from the experience of others]], give talks about PIM. This is what I
love, this is what I do for fun.

For a couple of years, I taught PIM in a lecture at the [[https://www.fhstp.ac.at/en][St. Pölten
University of Applied Sciences]]. My students are surprised, how
inefficient they were doing even «common» things like handling email,
[[id:2014-05-09-managing-digital-photographs][managing files like photographs on your computer]], or searching for
information. It is so rewarding to see students realizing how much
improvement is possible with some background-knowledge and a few hints
here or there. Starting with 2021, that lecture started at [[https://www.tugraz.at/][Graz
University of Technology]].

I hereby claim that I am able to save you *at least* twenty minutes of
your computer time a day just by looking over your shoulder and
suggesting [[id:2021-01-18-tool-choices][more advanced tools, better methods, and efficient
workflows]]. Multiply this with your computer-life and you get a small
glimpse what it is possible. However, it's still your decision if you
want to use this extra-time to get more stuff done or if you want to
enjoy more spare time instead. ;-)

I 2023, [[id:2023-11-05-worklab23][I gave a 44min talk on various selected topics related to PIM]]
which might be of general interest.

Most important general PIM articles:

- [[id:2021-01-18-tool-choices][How to choose a tool]]
- [[id:2022-01-29-How-to-Use-Tags][How to Use Tags]]
- [[id:2022-01-08-text-vs-video-audio-images][The Advantages of Text-Based Information Versus Videos, Audio or Images]]
- [[id:2018-08-25-deskop-metaphor][The Desktop Metaphor: Once Awesome, Now Hindrance]]
- [[id:2013-06-18-Mit-dem-Traktor-pendeln][Mit dem Traktor pendeln]] (German)
  - Über Engstirnigkeit bei der Benutzung von Computern als Werkzeug.

Most important tool-related PIM articles:

- [[id:apps-I-am-using][What software am I using for what]]
  - In case you wonder about my current software choices for my personal requirements.
- [[id:2014-05-09-managing-digital-photographs][Efficiently managing files]]
  - A cool concept and a set of tools like =filetags= I developed to manage files such as photographs via tags.
- [[id:2019-09-25-using-orgmode][My UOMF article series on how I'm using Emacs Org mode]]
  - [[id:2018-01-26-orgmode][Organize Your Life With Org-Mode]]

You might also check out my articles on [[id:tags-emacs][emacs]], [[id:tags-privacy][privacy]], [[id:tags-quantifiedself][quantified
self]], [[id:tags-security][security]], and [[id:tags-surveillance][surveillance]].