Pack Rat
I’m a pack rat. I don’t throw much away, though I do make sure everything is organized and in its place, not just thrown into some closet and forgotten about. This pack rat aspect of my personality extends to the world of computers and electronic files, too. Word documents, computer programs, pictures, videos, music and who knows what else from who knows when are frequently backed up and archived.
This also applies to emails and instant messenger transcripts/logs. It’s funny that I even store simple emails, ones that don’t have any meat to them - bodies of only “OK” or “See you then.” I’m not sure how I got into that habit, but it makes me wonder what other people’s habits are for saving emails and other electronic files. Leave me a comment and let me know if you’re the type of person who saves everything, deletes everything or falls somewhere in between.
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Jan 29th, 2006 at 21:41:59
I fall somewhere in between…I can’t seem to delete anything from David in my e-mail account and so that has piled up, but I’m good at clearing old word documents.
Jan 30th, 2006 at 08:59:45
physical items i have very little problem tossing, but for some reason i keep every electronic document i have ever written. i have every email since 2000 in a pst file, my IM logs go back 2002, and my word documents go back to 1997. someday, my biographer may get some use from it all.
Jan 30th, 2006 at 09:00:40
I’ll speak for Paul, he saves EVERYTHING. He doesn’t delete emails either. He also has this silly habit of saving boxes from things he buys just in case he needs to re-sell it someday.
Sorry Paul, had to say it!
Jan 30th, 2006 at 09:01:54
I’m the same way…I have stuff in my documents dating back to my college days 1999 i think is the oldest. I would have email going back to 98 or so but I forgot to backup my Qualcomm directory back in 2001. I do have yahoo email with emails going back to the 90’s though.
I’m also notorious about not throwing out my car and motorcycle magazines…not sure why. When we moved out of our old house, I did go and throw a bunch out, but not after re-skimming through each one first!
Jan 30th, 2006 at 09:03:35
I forgot about hte boxes! When you buy and sell your electronics after less than a year or so of owning them because something newer and greater came out…the next owner will appreciate having the packaging and manuals. I don’t think that is silly
Jan 30th, 2006 at 09:25:34
Well, I keep a lot, but not the “Ok” type of messages. I also don’t keep forwards unless I just really thought it was funny.
In other things, I’m pretty bad but I’m getting better. Now with my cards I go back through them and if they make me laugh or smile I keep it until the next time I go through them. If I have no reaction I toss it. Maybe we should use that in our e-mail filtering too.
Jan 30th, 2006 at 16:58:11
I’m in between I guess. I save boxes until I can’t return the item. If it’s a decent sized and constructed box I use it for storage. Emails I save some and toss others, just depends on what it involves.
Jan 30th, 2006 at 23:14:07
I keep boxes, too, in case of returns, selling them to someone else and just for storage purposes. Some of them came in handy when I had to build a wall to keep Smokey out of things during Christmas
I’m the same way with cards, Ashlee. I actually went through them a couple weeks ago. It’s hard letting go of ones that touch you or are from a special person.
Thankfully emails take up a lot less space
Jan 31st, 2006 at 10:34:09
I don’t save cards. They become clutter (sorry to those who read this and sent me a card). I guess I rarely get cards that aren’t for some special occasion like birthdays or christmas, so if it was a ’special’ card or a “just thinking of you” type of thing, i may keep it.