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Inbox Zero progress report

Apparently Merlin Mann’s talk at Google about Inbox Zero really settled in because I’ve had a successful ZERO in my inbox since then!

I’d read about the idea in March of ‘06, my interest piqued by B.L. Ochman’s post about Merlin Mann’s 43 Folders.

My challenge is my Take Action folder. When I defer an email for later (that embodies an item that needs action), I put it in a folder entitled “Take Action”. Being self-employed with a very flexible schedule, I find it takes more discipline than I often have to open up that folder and do. You know, it’s usually the non-urgent, non-sexy, non-entertaining action that ends up in this folder.

However, I’m so stoked on having a zippo inbox that I am willing to swallow the bitter pill of boring action items in order to keep that folder alive and pure (i.e. not a dumping ground for things I don’t want to deal with).

Granted it’s been two weeks time and I haven’t done any traveling since then, or long weekends, or had another sister get married. But I’ve faith it shall persist. And will let you know what happens =)

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  • 2 Responses to Inbox Zero progress report »»


    Comments

    1. Comment by Douglas Keachie | 2007/08/15 at 09:42:44

      If you use Eudora to handle your mail, and you have a website that comes with hundreds of potential email addies, you can set up individual emails for each contact of real interest, and then a bunch of general ones for contacts of passing fancy.

      If you couple this with a good set of filters, your mail will be automatically be sorted, and any addy which is generating spam can be replaced, after contacting the contact of real interest involved.

      Setting this up takes time, but maintaining it takes very little time.

      Case in point, The Nevada Chamber of Commerce maintains a website where I, as a member, have an ad. They insist on publishing my email right out in the open, instead of having it link through to the sender’s email application. This allows netbots to harvest the addy quickly and to start sending spam. I have changed the addy there three times since the beginning of the year, and will do it again today, as I am again getting up to 10 spams to that addy/day. Since their website is the only place the addy I give to them occurs in public, I know their posting are the source of the spam.

      Fortunatelly they are the only ones generating that much spam traffic.

    2. Comment by Shawn | 2007/08/15 at 10:16:40

      Hi Doug,

      If nothing else, it’s interesting to know the source of spam. Considering how many tools are available to hide from email address harvesting ‘bots, I’m amazed that high profile websites still do it.

      While I don’t use Eudora, I have experimented with the system you describe in the past. At this point, I use a different address when signing up for anything (this doesn’t let me track, but it doesn’t clog up my inbox either).

      Shawn


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