Hard drive organization. Options

[Maccabee]

My files are not well rganized and it is really bugging me. Before I go through and organize everything, I want to know how you organize your stuff.

In documents I currently have tons of random crap, but I cant make a folder for stuff like it cause I have a lot of stuff that doesnt have anything else like it if you know what I mean. And in pictures I tried to make it so I ony have a few folders including, events, vacations and stuff but I always get random stuff in their and I dont want just a huge misc folder! So tell me how you organize!

[queen]

^my advice for anything you've downloaded is to move them in the appropriate folder asap. the more it sits in your web/download folder the lazier you'll be later on and the more cluttered that folder will stay. also, refer back to my photos vs. graphics rule. if your camera didn't take it, they are not your photographs, and could therefore be placed in "stock".

keep in mind that my stock folder consists of any image i've obtained that's not from my own camera. the pictures are of things that inspire me (usually artwork, but they could also be photographs). these photos usually become references for my vectors/layouts or they could be just inspiraional pieces to me. under my stock:

- ARTIST'S NAME: if it's a collection of artwork created by the same artist, i usually create a folder. if it's just a single piece, i don't find the need to create another folder. these include photographs that are taken by the same photographer.
- CELEBRITY/MODEL NAME: if it's a collection of photographs of the same celebrity, i usually create a folder for that person. again, if it's a single piece, i don't create another folder. this differs from the other folder because i don't care to know who took the pictures of lady gaga; i just want the actual pictures. the other folder highlights the artists and the works.
- ELEPHANTS: contains photos of elephants. just using this an example 'cause there was a time that i amassed a large number of elephant photos.
- ROBOTS: pictures of robots.


i'm pretty sure your folders would be very different from mine. like i said, these folders would be more personal 'cause it would depend on the amount and variety of the pictures. plus i delete pictures i no longer find inspiring and/or necessary.