Just so my Luddite friends -- I'm looking at you, Daly -- don't feel totally teched-out in this blog, I've prepared the video montage below as a tribute to the Filofax.Well, actually, it's a bunch of "cameos" a Filofax makes as the MacGuffin in the 1990 film Taking Care of Business. Plot summary: Yuppie Charles Grodin loses his Filofax, escaped con Jim Belushi finds it and takes over this life...
Although I don't use one for data capture or PIM storage any more, I still have my trusty Filofax (four of them, actually, and lots of old filler sheets), and I keep credit cards, checkbooks, deposit slips, stamps, gift cards, membership cards, library cards, and even extra cash stored in one I keep in my desk. I even have a USB key with backups of key files hooked to it. It never leaves my desk.
Anyway, UnDigital Ones, enjoy!
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2 comments:
thanks for this hommage to Filofax.
I don't think Filofax is old stuff, neither obsolete as a tool compared to more digital ones.
I own PDAs and an iPhone & all that kind of geek tools, but I keep using my faithful (as in "no battery drain", "fast note taking", "shock, rain, dust, sun resistant", "no appointment lost after a crash or data corruption") Filofax for appointments, short note taking and the likes.
I also carry a notebook for longer writings.
I do use the 3G iPhone to have an always up to date Address Book, email & web access, an access to my files (through SugarSync) and, finaly, to pass... phone calls 8-)
I think it feels safer, for me, to use paper to keep important data on the go.
Also, I like writing with a pen (a Fisher Space Pen, amazing !) not with my thumbs ;-)
Then, as I did back in school, I review my notes at night (& on WE) & transfer what's worth into my MacBook Pro.
Reviewing helps so much to give me a good overview of what's going on.
Finaly, for archival purpose, I ScanSnap all those papers into a PDF files. In case I need it, I can retrieve any day, any (meeting, personal,...) note.
So, I am kind of un-digital & digital guy at the same time ;-)
David
Hi David,
Thanks for commenting!
I would have to take issue with you on the strength of Filofax (or any paper organizer) versus electronic devices on almost all the issues you raise (except, of course, your personal preferences).
I can make a strong case that in any objective measure, PDAs are safer and more efficient than Filofax for all of the issues you raise. (In fact, I think I will -- I'll post my "Filofax v. PDA Smackdown" later today.)
I'd curious to know your take on what drives you to be both a "digital and un-digital guy." Is it mainly how you're perceiving the safety of your data or is it more the affordances you find in using paper? My sense is that your view represents what a lot of people would agree with, and I'm always interested to know where the "tipping point" is for people being "digital" or "non-digital."
I hope Filofax doesn't go away, because I'm a big fan, even though I use it for storage, rather than data, these days. I think both Lotus Organizer and OneNote owe a debt of gratitude to the Filofax model, not to mention DayRunner and all the other paper organizers.
Thanks again -- and watch for the Smackdown!
kal
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