getting organized, scuba info, general info

[Schwob]

Not sure if the basic forum is the correct place for this thread, please move if so indicated. My thought was that other beginners may phase the same "problems":

In a nutshell, there is an overwhelming wealth of information here on SB as well as elsewhere on the internet. None of it necessarily permanent, but there is a lot "out there".

I seem to be struggling with finding ot again at the right time when I know I had found it at one time....

Here on SB I can watch a thread, I can like a post, but neither makes it necessarily more findable.

So how do you more organized folks do this: You find something on the internet that you want to find again down the road, maybe years doen the road. How do you "mark" it, catalog it, add search terms...?
Do you set up word documents or spreadsheets with links?
After you got oodles of those, then what how do you find stuff in there?

Please help me wrap my head around a good, expandable "system".

What do you do when you find info you really want to access again, even if say the hosting web site were to go offline or such?

Some of you (shoutout anongst many e.g. to @drrich2 ) are amazing in the wealth of info you provide. What system works for your "internet based research library"?

 

[tbone1004]

i use bookmarks for site links though I am blessed to have a great ability to remember certain key words to find things via google. Their site search function is amazing for that.

In terms of stuff that I really want to keep, I print to pdf and put it in one-drive in a folder hierarchy.
my scuba folder has
cave maps
service manuals broken down by mfg
training manuals broken down by training agency
misc stuff-things like the tahoe reports, pricelists for various mfg's that I am able to get dealer costs for, and other misc stuff

 

[Bob DBF]

I second the tbone1004 method, it has worked well for me, although occasionally I have to do some housekeeping as miscellaneous winds up getting large at times.

I use google with ScubaBoard attached to find things on the board, as the search on ScubaBoard makes me want to write complaints, but the mods are busy enough without listening to my rants.


Bob

 

[drrich2]

I use the Notes app on by iPhone and Mac. That way, whether at my computer or phone, or via logging into my Apple iCloud account via web browser, I can pull up a Note that lists descriptions with hyperlinks to content I like to keep close at hand, either to help people with common questions, or for my own info. when I want to research something.

And I, too, use Google. Yesterday I couldn't recall the name of that Observer Effect thread, but I knew it existed and that NYCNaiad started it and I posted, too. So, I Googled NYCNaiad drrich2 scuba board and a term or two like 'touch' that I thought would probably be in it. Took a little digging but it came up.

Notes work well for me because of the quick, elegant simplicity. You could try it with a Word Document in a Dropbox account, but I think that's slower to load things.

Organizing by category is helpful. Given that info. ages over time, putting the date the thread started might be nice.

Richard.

 

[GJC]

I save posts that I want for future reference as favorites or bookmarks on my browser. I gives me a direct link without having to use the forum search function.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I make mental notes of threads on SB, by keywords or who posted it, and I have found threads that way years later. I used to save links to interesting things on the Internet, but I found that too many were no longer working by the time I wanted to find the information again. I browser bookmark things I am likely to consult regularly, but that's about it.

 

[Russoft]

I got tired of looking of cylinder buoyancy characteristics, so I just saved the info to my computer. Then I printed it on the inside cover of my next log book so it would be handy when I tried to calculate weighting if I was diving a different cylinder. Very handy.

I have a folder (on my computer) and a binder (in my bookshelf) with diving documents. These documents are mostly local dive sites: cost of parking, hours of operation, rules and regulations, best shore entry points, sketches of the site (either mine or someone else's) with points of interest.

Whenever I come across something I want to keep, it's copy and paste the text, or print to PDF, or print to paper.

One of the most valuable documents is a printed and laminated check list of stuff to pack for a dive trip. One too many times I arrived at the destination and was kicking myself for leaving something behind.

 

[TMHeimer]

I use pen and pad to write stuff down, then hope that in the future I can actually re-locate it on SB. Good luck with that.

 

[SeaHorse81]

I copy/paste any truly important info into a Word file of my own, organized by general subject. I find that organizing (and sometimes paraphrasing) it for my own use helps me to internalize it better anyway, in addition to having it available in my own customized system. It's old school, but it has served me well.

 

[2airishuman]

Not sure if the basic forum is the correct place for this thread, please move if so indicated. My thought was that other beginners may phase the same "problems":

In a nutshell, there is an overwhelming wealth of information here on SB as well as elsewhere on the internet. None of it necessarily permanent, but there is a lot "out there".

I seem to be struggling with finding ot again at the right time when I know I had found it at one time....

Here on SB I can watch a thread, I can like a post, but neither makes it necessarily more findable.

So how do you more organized folks do this: You find something on the internet that you want to find again down the road, maybe years doen the road. How do you "mark" it, catalog it, add search terms...?
Do you set up word documents or spreadsheets with links?
After you got oodles of those, then what how do you find stuff in there?

Please help me wrap my head around a good, expandable "system".

What do you do when you find info you really want to access again, even if say the hosting web site were to go offline or such?

Some of you (shoutout anongst many e.g. to @drrich2 ) are amazing in the wealth of info you provide. What system works for your "internet based research library"?

I use Evernote for this sort of thing. Works great. I can always find stuff.