[1000mp] Accessing the archives

[WD8ARZ]

Hey, I understand exactly what your saying Jim.... hi hi

Actually I have about 120,000 emails stored here over that time frame for
several dozen email reflectors, most of them ham related. I just don't want
to depend on the internet when I am interested in a new topic or equipment,
so I maintain my own database to search.

I keep it simple and use Outlook Express Message Rules. Each topic is
automatically routed to its own folder called incoming underneath the main
topic folder, such as Ham FT1000 Echo. This leaves my inbox folder fairly
empty except family and friends email. All family and friends have their own
named folder too, and get moved there when read.

I use a program called mail washer to first preview the 250-350 emails I get
a day, and bounce or delete those that are spam, no subject title, too large
an attachment, or trouble makers. Once anyone is set for bounce, they are
auto bounced from then on, reducing my work load for future incoming from
them.

What is left over is downloaded by outlook express, auto sorted and routed
to each folder and that's it.

Each day or two I look at folders that have high interest topics, and every
few weeks do a quick scan through the rest as time permits. Three or four
times a year I mark all emails as read, and move them out of the incoming to
the main folder.

There is about 3.5 gigs of email stored, and that includes file attachments,
pictures, music etc that have been sent and received.

For searching I use the search feature's in outlook express. Of course I
maintain backup copies of the archives. Started out on tape, then cd, and
now dvd disks. Sometimes I use old spare hard drives too. That has saved me
more than once from losing everything.

One day I suspect I will come across a program that will allow me to archive
these non standard email file types to a database for better cross
referencing and sorting for better searching.

It sounds like more trouble and time consuming then it really is.

By the way, this topic doesn't cover the many gigabytes of web sites I have
backed up to my hard drive. Some of those sites are not on line anymore, but
I have them mirrored here. I use a program called Teleport Pro.

Yes, I guess I am a archivist, but it sure helps when I am looking to buy,
fix or modify something to see what others have done before me. hi hi

73 from Bill - WD8ARZ

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Smith" <jimsmith@shaw.ca>
To: <wd8arz@ix.netcom.com>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 10:31 PM
Subject: Re: [1000mp] Accessing the archives


> Good grief Bill, you must be even more anal than me.  I guess I signed
> onto the reflector sometime in 2001.  I notice my 1000MP folder has 4114
> messages in it.  This doesn't include the 548 which I have moved into
> different subfolders (for popular items such as filters).  I don't do a
> very good job of culling the low content stuff.
>
> I think it's great that you are doing this.
>
> I gather that you use more sphisticated tools than CTRL-F when you want
> to search your personal archive of 1000MP stuff.  If you have the time
> I'd be interested in hearing how you set up your archive and how you
> search it.
>
> 73 and hope to hear from you de Jim Smith    VE7FO