MsgFiler - A launcher-like solution to filing email in Mail

Nov 21, '06 07:30:06AM

Contributed by: robg

The macosxhints Rating:

[Score: 9 out of 10]

[This is the tip of the week for the week of November 20th]

I'll be the first to admit that my email filing scheme is far from efficient. I use multiple nested folders and subfolders to keep my archives organized -- I like that I can view any correspondence about a given subject or project by simply selecting that folder in Mail's folder list. The downside of this method, of course, is that I have a great number of folders and subfolders: 110 as of today. And yes, I probably only look at 10 of those regularly, but I like the fact that my archived mail is there for me to look at, should the need arise.

From a productivity standpoint, I know this is bad. Really bad. Merlin Mann of 43Folders tells me as much. But I can't help it; my mind works better with compartmentalized buckets of information, so I rely on folders (that I find Smart Folders not so smart, and Spotlight not quite there yet, also comes into play).

The thing about folders in Mail is that filing messages into those folders is time consuming. You can use drag and drop or the contextual menu, but with 100+ folders, either solution isn't the best. Enter MsgFiler. This Mail plug-in does one thing, and does it very well: it lets you file messages much as you'd launch a program using Butler, Quicksilver, or LaunchBar. Press Command-9 to activate MsgFiler, and a small launcher-like window appears. To file a message, just type a few letters of its name. MsgFiler will display a list of matches which gets shorter as you type more ltters. When you see the mailbox you want to use, highlight it with the down arrow key and press Return. That's it; the message will be filed.

Given my byzantine folder structure, MsgFiler is a huge timesaver. I used to put off filing older emails, just because of the work involved. But now, I can file as quickly as I can type a few letters, letting me clear out the inbox more quickly.

MsgFiler isn't perfect; this is just it's first week of release, and the author has noted some of the current issues on his site. And though it's a Mail bundle, it's a standalone application when launched, meaning it takes up space in your Dock and shows in the Command-Tab application switcher. But I can live with these minor inconveniences, knowing how much time MsgFiler saves me each day. I doubt I'll ever approach the simplicity of Merlin Mann's folder setup, but with MsgFiler, I won't spend as much time being non-productive!

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