- IS Home
- Healthy Computing Home
- Healthy Body
- Healthy Mind
- Healthy Computer
- Healthy Community
- 361° at DePauw
Healthy Computing at DePauw University
Information Management
Information Overload and Distraction
Computer users need to be aware of techniques for handling information in a way that will simplify their lives and sustain better mental health on the DePauw campus. When managing vast amounts and various types of information, remember to Prioritize, Organize and Sanitize.
Prioritize
When prioritizing information it is important to plan ahead. First, sit down with your computer and decide what you will use it for and how you would like to organize your information. Begin by creating folders and utilizing a priority scale ranging from 1-10.
To further prioritize, try eliminating distractions. If you are getting on your computer to work on a paper, do not turn on instant messaging programs. This will help you to stay focused on the task at hand. It may be helpful to change the settings on your instant messenger so that it does not come on automatically when you turn on the computer.
Organize
Take the time to organize your files; it is important to delete and clean out unnecessary files. It is helpful to keep your files on the P:Drive. When naming files, use meaningful names and abbreviations that you can recognize later, with no spaces. This will facilitate finding information that may no longer be fresh in your memory. Storing files in folders, labeled by course or project, can help organize them long-term. For larger files, you can burn them onto compact discs to help with storage.
Sanitize
Sanitizing your computer means cleaning out your trash folders, removing unwanted programs, and keeping your files orderly. Review your information periodically. If you don’t access a file within a specified time limit, remove it. Another step in keeping your computer clean is to make sure your virus protection and spyware are updated.
E-mail Management
E-mail is supposed to accelerate communication – and it does. But the lack of interactivity and real-time communication, added to sheer volume, can also introduce problems. One problem is that you can’t create tone with e-mail, which increases the potential for misinterpretations. Then there is the lack of etiquette and standards, which also leads to communication snafus.
Some suggested guidelines might help you to make your use of e-mail more productive and more enjoyable:
- Write the same way that you would for any other form of communication.
- Use correct grammar. Bullet points make a message easy to read but sentence fragments do not.
- Use the spell check that comes with your e-mail package.
- Make e-mails self-contained with one subject and one message.
- Unless you’re engaged in an ongoing conversation, include a greeting and closing.
- Read messages a couple of times for clarity and tone before hitting the “send” button.
- Don’t use your in-box as a catchall folder. Read items once, then answer immediately, delete or move them to subject specific folders.
- Send group mail sparingly – use only when useful to all recipients. Use “reply all” with caution.
- Ask to be removed from distribution lists you do not need to be on.
- Before sending an attachment in a particular format, make sure the recipient can open it.
- Respond to your messages as quickly as possible, preferably by the end of the day.
- Don’t be a novelist!
- Be careful about using smilies. Not every one interprets them the same way.
