Once upon a time, I knew nothing about clack. What's that? Why would it need to be organized anyways? What is the difference between digital clack and other clack? Who the heck cares?

Heh, how time flies, and how times change. I now have three databases filled with information, organized in such a fashion that I can find anything, anytime, anywhere. And I reference them often.

First, and most important, I think, is to back up all your digital clack. I mean all.of.it. Pictures, videos, mp3s, even your databases. Yes, especially your databases.

Secondly, once it is backed up, it MUST be entered into your database. I find useful fields to include are date, venue or show, song or title, file type, file size, videographer (for fan gathered clack), and of course, cd/dvd number. I use Microsoft Access to store this information, and I use an automatically generated primary key. All that does is give each individual piece of clack it's own unique number.

Databases are great because they are searchable. You can create a query to find, for example, all instances of Chain of Fools on the NaT (or Solitour, as I prefer to call it). Very cool.

Thirdly, organizing the clack that is stored on your hard drive is a must. To increase the space available to store clack, you might want to look into an external hard drive (or two, three, or four!) Of course, all clack stored on any hard drive should already be backed up on cd or dvd, because you never know when disaster might strike. Always better safe than sorry.

Clack organization is personal thing. I find that a few main folders to start are best. I use Concert Clack, American Idol 2 Episodes, Montages, Radio mp3s, and TV & Other Appearances. Be creative!

Each folder gets broken down into multiple folders, usually by date. For example, my Concert Clack folder is broken down into AI2 Tour, Jingle Ball, Independent Tour, Solitour, and Joyful Noise Tour. Inside of each of those folders are folders representing each date/venue on the tour. Inside of those folders are three more folders: Audio, Video, and Still Pictures. My TV & Other Appearances are broken down into three folders: 2003, 2004, and 2005. Again, each of those is broken down by date, and then by Video, Audio, and Still Pictures. I find that it is helpful to store montages by the name of the creator, rather than by date, but that's just me.

One of these days, I will organize my non-digital clack too. Right now it's all stuffed into one of those under-the-bed tupperware tubs. But I droo....er, look at it often. :-) Don't even get me started on the pin thing. They have just started arriving, and I have no idea what I'm going to do with them all. Someone stop me.

Some of my friends (and relatives) think my obse....er, worthwhile hobby, is a little freakish (tm CHA).

They can bite me.