Scott Gray provides tips for using technology tools to increase productivity. He recommends using free, platform-agnostic web apps like Gmail, Google Docs, Remember the Milk, and RSS readers. Key aspects of his approach include reducing inboxes, using task lists, and backing up important information in multiple places.

2. Scott Gray Owner, surge technology services Virtual IT Department for small businesses Work with customers to use technology as a tool to support their life and business Also a productivity geek and tech geek, and just a plain geek

3. Basic Tools for Efficiency Productivity Basics Tools for Organization Social Aspects of Tools

4. Technology = Tools Platform Agnostic Don’t Care What You Use Web Apps Generally free Access from any tool Access from Anywhere Offline Concerns Everything is free. Period. Open Source, when possible

5. These are examples, not the only applications available Google-heavy, but with a healthy dose of fear The most important thing about a productivity system is that it works for you. Take my thoughts and ideas and modify them for your own use

6. Web Browser Office Suites Productivity Suites

7. Window to the World Everything will happen in your web browser Firefox Safe Free Fast Multi-Platform Extendible Open Source

8. Word Processor/Spreadsheet/Presentations Google Docs Free Online (web app) Allows collaboration http://docs.google.com Open Office Free Open Source http://www.openoffice.org

9. Mail Calendar Tasks Contacts IM

10. Maybe your most important application(?) Gmail Great way to organize your e-mail http://mail.google.com Aggregate Your E-Mail (decrease your inboxes)

11. Manage Date Based Events http://calendar.google.com

12. You will always need a way to manage your lists Lists may be “things to do”, or “groceries to buy”, or . . . Remember the Milk ( http://www.rmilk.com ) Web App Integrates with Google Calendar Computer and Mobile Access

13. Use the Contact Manager in Gmail Or Facebook, Plaxo, or LinkedIN

14. Multi-Client Is Important Meebo – http://www.meebo.com Web Based – don’t need to be on a specific machine Pidgin – http://www.pidgin.im Open Source, free multi-client IM Facebook Chat?

15. R eally S imple S yndication

16. A way to “pull” information from a web site Aggregate “feeds” from various info sources Need an RSS Reader, use Google Reader ( http://reader.google.com ) Feed Examples

17. Lots of stuff, how do I keep it straight? Make one page to hold it all Netvibes – http://www.netvibes.com

19. Your brain can only contain a small number of things. Period. No way around it. Carry something to write on. Make it easy Write everything down! You will forget it! I use text messages to my e-mail inbox

20. A place to put things, physical or not Write the “thing” down, then put it in your inbox Process the inbox Dump – Throw it away Do – if you can do it in less than two minutes, just do it Defer – put it on your task list Delegate – tell someone else to do it (and track it on your task list)

21. Reduce your inboxes One e-mail inbox – aggregate to one box One physical inbox – “in” tray or even a cardboard box Use RSS to aggregate many different types of info Websites Facebook feed Twitter feed Event updates Etc. etc.

22. Turn off your email notifications Choose times to check your e-mail Process your inbox completely Try for Inbox Zero - http://www.43folders.com/izero Don’t become a slave to your e-mail

23. Use your task list as a tickler file I only want to think about something when I need to think about something Again, you will not remember things. Put them on a list

24. Productivity Links Inbox Zero - http://www.43folders.com/izero GTD - http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/08/getting-started-with-getting-things-done 43 Folders - http://www.43folders.com I’m a productivity geek. Ask me if you have questions on this.

25. Online storage is becoming more popular Web apps, available anywhere box.net If you use online storage, keep a backup somewhere else. Don’t trust it completely.

26. Delicious – http://www.delicious.com Tagging Firefox Extension Saving Stuff to Read Saving Stuff for Research

27. Freemind – http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page Mindomo - http://www.mindomo.com/

28. Facebook – lots of uses Podcasts – news, info, fun, education Wikis – storage of info (personal notebook) Blogs Personal Business Backup Backup everything If it doesn’t exist in two places, it doesn’t exist

29. Google Docs allows collaborating on documents You can share lists on Remember the Milk You can share delicious bookmarks with anyone (You can even subscribe to an RSS feed of a delicious tag) You can share your Google calendar with anyone

30. Tough line between social and overexposed Be aware of what is password protected and what is not

31. http://www.osu.edu/features/2008/socialmedia/

32. sharplefthander on most services Delicious Twitter YouTube Flickr Last.fm IM http://www.sharplefthander.com – Personal blog http://www.surgetechservices.com [email_address] if you have any questions