Speaking of the organization of thought (”data”), here are some select screenshots of my desktop from the last 6 months. My metaphorical space for the organization of the various aspects of my computer-related life.
(After the jump of course)
Just a thought. Or maybe a minor fragment of a thought.
Stacks, clips, binders, staples, folders, piles, trays, bins, boxes, shelves, cabinets …
From papers to DVDs, pictures to furniture, food to receipts. Most of us use some sort of organizational system or a combination of a few. Things get groups by category or size; beds in the bedroom, food-related in the kitchen, books are tossed on a shelf, 8.5 by 11 papers are put in stacks by topic, dust settles in the corners. (You can take this metaphor further, our houses/apartment are organizers, our jobs are categories, etc … ) This is how one aspect of our thinking works, we group and associate things in order to make sense of everything around us … times when something defies this categorization system is when things get interesting.
On another note, I generally make one big pile/stack of stuff on my desk, a big pile composed of notes, change, papers, cards, bills and so on. Before I sit down to work on a project I like to organize my giant pile, it helps me get my bearings and helps me collate my thoughts. It isn’t so a strange thing when you think about it … that reorganizing a physical space can reorganize thoughts and memories …