piler v. filer - on the case

lately i've been thinking about pilers and filers. most everyone falls into one of those two categories. while pilers often feel bad about their piles and filers are often proud of their files, the truth is that one is not really better than the other.

for pilers the problem is obvious. it's usually right out there creating a shameful space (a space of shame) and making it hard to find what they're looking for. one place to look but so much to dig through.

filers, on the hand, may look great on the outside but sometimes, an organizational nightmare looms within. some filers have a tendency to over file. it's hard for most people to even imagine that over filing could be a bad thing (or even a thing) but it happens. the situation here is that enthusiastic filers make files for everything. every little thing and tiny category gets its own folder. the result can be the same as for the pilers -- it's hard for filers to find what they're looking for! many places to look and still, so much to dig through.

so that's what i've been thinking about. it's interesting to me that totally opposite behaviors result in incredibly similar problems. i think i'll be looking for more paradoxes as i organize my way through 2008.