Here’s the source: http://cogprints.org/6289/1/heyligh…

There is definitely no such string unless you know exactly what you’re looking for, which is not creativity. Check out my other article on the Evernote blog that Melanie links to at the end of this post.

You’re right, but the reason people nearly always use tags this way is not because the tags are not abbreviated or memorable enough. It’s that our working memories are severely limited (some studies say by only 4 items at once), so ppl inevitably end up using a small subset of their tags. In that case, there is no…

I’ve read a lot about functional and supposedly successful organization and categorical tagging methods, and I consistently find the same pitfall: they are created by productivity experts, whose delight almost leaps off the page (or the screen) as they explain the subtle intricacies of the exceptions to the exceptions.

Hehe I’m flattered, but these are all just points of view, for different people in different contexts at different times. The more tools in your toolkit, the better prepared you’ll be for any problem.

I don’t recommend TSW because it actually violates a core GTD principle - separating actionable and non-actionable info as decisively and permanently as possible. Just this morning I had a coaching call with someone who couldn’t find his tasks lost amidst the 15,000 (mostly non-actionable) notes.

If the system works for you, of course it’s fine. In my experience though the vast, vast majority of novices to these tools are hindered more than helped by tags. In a way, Lifehacker is the wrong audience for this post - if you have the inclination to read articles here, you probably see added complexity as a feature…