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March 15, 2007
Stay Organized, Tag It Up
My files are everywhere, despite my best efforts to keep them organized. It's just sometimes when I'm working, I can't be bothered to stop, organize and then continue working again. It just messes up workflow. One way to stay organized is by using tags.
I'm sure regular web surfers have seen, maybe even used them. Tags are keywords you assign to pictures, files, music, anything really. A well known example is Flickr's implementation of tags. For example, I've uploaded a picture of some friends playing Wii. I might tag the photo as friends, wii and video games. Now I can find that photo again and any other photos based on subject matter as opposed to trying to remember file names. Tags are also used on many web sites with the same results. People can find articles and even see which tags are most popular. So now comes the obvious, implementing tags into the desktop environment and that's where these 2 little apps shine. (Mac only)
First up is TagBot. You can tag anything by right-clicking the file and assigning a name. Any file is at you tagging whims; documents, pictures, music, contacts etc. The system is integrated into Spotlight so no need for external windows cluttering up your desktop. Just type in tag(s) and BAM, there they are. The app also has a small transparent window that lets you drag and drop files onto it, be it on already pre-existing tags or new ones. Double-clicking on any of the tags will bring up a window with all associated files. TagBot is Universal Binary and incredibly stable. Downside is it's $20.
For a free alternative, try Punakea. It does everything TagBot does with a few helpful additions. You can tag bookmarks and URL links. The interface resides in a sidebar window that slides out when you cursor over the edge of the screen. Just like TagBot you can drag and drop files, assign and create tags right in the sidebar. One additional feature is the ability to view all your tags in a cloud, which just lists them all out in a justified block of text. Each tag font size in that cloud is relative to how much content falls under its association. If a tag cloud isn't your style, you can use the sidebar or Spotlight. The downsides are no right-click contextual menus for quick tagging and it's beta software - supposedly can be unstable, but I've yet to encounter a crash or bug despite my robust use of it.
Both TagBot and Punakea have active communities that openly talk to users. I've found both to be incredible assets to my workflow and file management. It leaves me free to clutter up my desktop as I work and easily find what I need when I do have time to organize everything into proper folders.
Posted by tranism at 3:41 AM | Permalink
Comments
I've been using Punakea although TagBot does look interesting. I just refuse to pay $20 for a simple tagging app.
You're right tho, Punakea is slightly unstable. I've had it crash twice when dragging files into the sidebar. Good thing is all my previous tags were still there upon restart so no harm done.
Posted by: Sergio at March 15, 2007 11:05 AM