Alex Payne’s argument for why the catch-all, information organizing apps such as Yojimbo and Evernote are not worth their trouble — let alone their cost for a license.
A timely article. I have been storing and organizing my files and data via file structure for years and years and years, but just recently have been considering switching to a dedicated info organization app. I tried Yojimbo for a few weeks last year and it never caught on for me. Over the weekend I gave Evernote a spin, and though it’s neat that data can sync between Mac, Web and iPhone it seems too messy. Like I have to work with the app, instead of the other way around.
They say a good filing system means you can find anything you’re looking for in under 60 seconds. My issue wasn’t that my Mac’s folder structure is messy, but rather to see if a data storage app could do a better job of organizing my files and info than the system (and habit) I’ve crafted over the past two decades. I’ve decided – at least for now – that the answer is, no.