|
Blog: Organize This!
 Have you Organized your Cloud Technology?
I recently attended a seminar on cloud technology with the Greater Philadelphia Professional Organizers. I was fairly sure we were going to learn about the Internet and not about cumulus clouds. What I wasn’t sure about was how it all worked. Cloud technology allows the users of software and apps (Facebook, Gmail, Skype, blogs, etc.) to access data wherever it’s needed. Most of us still use some version of Microsoft Office or Quickbooks on our computers, but even those are being offered online or in the “clouds”. The transition from a “personal” computer to a world where resources are shared among the multitudes is slowly becoming the norm.
The presenter, Jocelyn Coverdale is a tech savvy organizer and productivity specialist. She explained that technology is not one size fits all. That’s probably one of the reasons there are hundreds of thousands of apps available. For the Apple iTunes stores alone there are more than 600,000 apps and about 800 added each day. When it comes to using apps to help us stay organized; the same is true â€" the eternal search for the best app out there to help people organize their lives and their work is ongoing. Many apps are free and that’s where the term eClutterers could have come from. Just because an app is free, doesn’t mean you should put it on your computer, iPad, etc.
It can be alluring to upload the latest app, but unless it contributes to your productivity, your enjoyment, or helps you live a better life, it becomes clutter â€" or as I call it, CRAP. Mitchell Kapor, pioneer of the personal computing industry (remember Lotus 1-2-3?), says that “Getting information off the Internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant.” It’s not enough that we already have too much physical stuff in our homes, now we have the potential to clutter up our technology and we hear phrases such as “digital hoarding” and “info-junkies”.
Dropbox, iCloud, and iDrive are known as Digital Chaos Tools and are basically information manager filing cabinets across all your apps and can include a search tool, calendar, task manager, tickler file, contact manager, project manager, file index, etc. You can get a minimum amount of space for free from any of these tools. Even though most identity theft still occurs from physical trash than from online sources, make sure the site you choose is a secure site (https) and change your passwords often (use upper and lower case letters and numbers). You wouldn’t go on vacation and leave your door unlocked, so lock your data.
To decide which apps are “upload worthy”, choose carefully and evaluate the value of the information you’ll be getting and how you’ll be using it. Will this new app contribute to your future goals, improve your work environment productivity, or enrich the life of your family?
Finally, BusinessInsider.com has a digital marketing graphic on its website to depict the current digital landscape. Yes, it’s confusing so make sure any new technology you add to your arsenal is worth your time and energy or it will just become CRAP.
Clutter Quote: “Technology is a way of organizing the universe so that man doesn't have to experience it.” Max Frisch, Swiss playwright and novelist
posted on: 9/22/2012 2:30:00 PM by Vali Heist
category: General Organizing Tips
Organize This!: < Previous Post - Next Post >
Blog Central: < Previous Post - Next Post >
 Discuss This Post
There are no comments.
|
|
Organize This!
by Vali Heist
View This Blog
 Subscribe To This Blog
About Vali:
Vali Heist is a Certified Professional Organizer, the owner of The Clutter Crew for homeowners, and a Certified GO System Trainer for businesses. She is the author of "Organize This! Practical Tips, Green Ideas, and Ruminations about your CRAP. CRAP stands for Clutter that Robs Anyone of Pleasure! She writes a monthly column for the Reading Eagle called "Organize This!". Vali's bachelor's degree is in Business Administration from Shippensburg University and her Master's Degree is in Higher Education from Kutztown University. Vali has an extensive background of 24 years in Higher Education including training, administration, project management, writing, and editorial production. Her passion has always been organization and how it relates to the simplification of work and personal life in order to enjoy both to the fullest. Her ultimate goal is to continue finding simple, easy to implement ideas that work in the real world and pass them on to her clients.
Vali's Website:
www.thecluttercrew.com
|
www.OnlineOrganizing.com is a service mark of Bradford, LLC.
