how do you have your online webmail organized?

[Marzipan]

I use Hotmail and have it setup like a Windows directory tree. I have general categories and then sub-folders to break that down by brand / reseller or subject. I have a few general categories, like 'Stuff' that is a haberdashery of chaos...

I cannot fathom how people use Gmail that doesn't allow that...how do you organize / sort thousands of emails without folders?!?!?

also, how far back do you keep your email before you purge? or do you prefer to archive?

 

[Shadowarez]

everything to trash until i have time to look/search for something up until recently it didnt even let you select all had to delete 1-1

 

[sswilson]

I use Hotmail and have it setup like a Windows directory tree. I have general categories and then sub-folders to break that down by brand / reseller or subject. I have a few general categories, like 'Stuff' that is a haberdashery of chaos...

I cannot fathom how people use Gmail that doesn't allow that...how do you organize / sort thousands of emails without folders?!?!?

also, how far back do you keep your email before you purge? or do you prefer to archive?

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying that gmail doesn't allow....

You "sort" gmail through the use of labels and sub-labels which is essentially a folder / sub-folder.

 

[JD]

Since email is mostly unlimited storage these days, I archive anything important, notably receipts. Most other things get deleted.

My work inbox is mostly a mess, I have a couple rules to move automated system messages, but otherwise the rest sits in the inbox. I'll flag anything that needs my action that I can't take immediately. Then I'll forget about it until somebody asks for an update. If they don't, then obviously my response was not needed

Why don't you just rely on search to find things when you need to? I don't really see much point in putting emails into folders.

 

[sswilson]

Why don't you just rely on search to find things when you need to? I don't really see much point in putting emails into folders.

I personally do it mainly for ease of deletion / cleaning of old emails. I typically don't delete after reading, I take a fit every 4 months or so and bulk clean the emails that are either no longer relevant, or things like advert subscriptions and/or forum quote notifications.

 

[JD]

Ah, I delete anything "not important" as soon as I look at it. So the stuff that remains is like receipts really and archiving those is sufficient for me.

 

[ipaine]

Ah, I delete anything "not important" as soon as I look at it. So the stuff that remains is like receipts really and archiving those is sufficient for me.

I really should be doing that, but instead everything is still there. I should go and clean it up but I would be looking at almost 100k emails to go through.

 

[crazyea]

I have an individual for gmail each need. Then I forward that to a main gmail and use filters to have it go into individual labels. Yes gmail has an all mail function, but labels work just fine for seperating emails in the same way that hotmail folders does.

I also have hotmail, but I use it mostly to sign up to things.

 

[Lysrin]

In Gmail I use labels... far far too many labels
I really need to do a purge someday...

 

[Marzipan]

In Gmail I use labels... far far too many labels
I really need to do a purge someday...

wait for a dark, cold, foggy night before you start the purge...it should help make things 'interesting.'