05 March 2010

Free For All Friday No. 68

Well what a week it has been, some great publicity here and there for us. More and more visitors, but this evening I took some time out to reflect on what I've been using my Filofax organisers for recently.

I recently undertook to rewrite one of my websites completely from the ground upwards. Some of the pages were over 10 years old! I used my A5 Filofax to plan the rewrite, using some squared paper to sketch layout ideas and the positioning of elements of the pages and note paper to keep track of the names of files. To-Do lists came in handy for jogging my memory and as a final check-list before the site went live.

I've been writing web pages since about 1994 and I'm still stuck in that era in some ways. I do things in quite an old fashioned way, but the sites work and they continue to attract people to them. You can see the result of my efforts at www.pembury.org It is the village I live in here in Kent. My son has been telling me that I should be learning CSS when I retire... he tells me it's a lot better... I'm sure it is.

What projects have you been planning in your Filofax recently? But as always on Fridays, the floor is yours to discuss anything Filofax related.

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21 comments:

  1. Geat Link Steve! Beautiful! 4:30am in the morning here on LI. I feel like I havne't been around to say hi to you all for weeks... About three weeks ago they had some layoffs where I work, and even though I wasn't affected directly, 1/2 my team was, and I've been reorg'd to a different dept. I'm actually very happy in my new role, but I have been work very long hours day after day. With the new role, I do get to go to Las Vegas for a trade show in May for 8 days! My A5 that I allocated to work only is getting a real workout. Yesterday, I started using the pad of paper inside the back cover, and you can actually smell the Finchley leather as you write! I have to take some pics of my A5 as I took up on a few ideas from all of you - including using neon colored post-its for the dividers rather than writing on them directly (thank you for that one Laurie). Have a good weekend all!

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  2. I'm starting with a new employer on Monday, so I've brought out a spare filo (Slimline Westminster model) from storage to meet the occasion. For those who like to hear the full details, I've added a transparent fly leaf, some yellow lined paper, a post-it pad sheet(Ref. 130136) and some Day-Timer "Portable to be done" pages!

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  3. Oh, my, such a beautiful website! My ancestors are from Cornwall (my maiden name is Spargo), and I wish there were such a website for that region, so I could lurk and imagine the lives of my distant relatives!

    I also love the fact that you used your A5. As someone who's taking an A5 sabbatical, I feel wistful when I think of that grid paper, and Michele with the smell of her leather. I'm certain that I will come back someday!

    In my dream world, Filofax would make a US range in Letter size (8.5" x 11", or 216 mm × 280mm. But then, in my dream world, the US standard size would be smaller—8" x 10.5", which used to be the standard for government and schools. You can still get student notebooks and looseleaf in this size in the US, and I think it's just a nice size. Big enough for serious work and writing, but still comfortable to carry. Letter size is just a bit too big to feel portable.

    So, I guess that means that in my dreams, I'd have an 8" x 10.5" Filo!

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  4. [u][b]Personal Canterbury[/b][/u]

    http://bangkai.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/filofax.jpg

    After launching another lobotomised PDA off the end of the jetty, I went down to Woollies and got a Filofax international diary/phone refill 09/10 reduced to just $5!

    Rebirthing my 95 Personal Canterbury with new innards and a outer coat of Armorall, I noticed that the locking strap is failing and will have to be replaced soon. The leather just can't take any more super gluing...

    So as you would expect I contacted the company looking for a replacement part, "not interested" I was told by AU/UK/USA companies but "would you like to by the $600 equivalent?" - NO THANKS...

    So my quest is to first find & match the snap fastener to my trusty Canterbury (so I don't have to rip it apart to fit a new one) and then set about making a new strap.

    Can anyone source out a snap fastener for me?

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  5. Thanks Nan, yes the Pembury site is a labour of love!

    What you want is a Filofax A4 organiser, which is the closest in size to 8.5x11 inches. Not sold in the US, but obviously available in UK and Europe. The are quite big though...

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  6. Well I found the press stud supplier...

    Small S-Spring Press Studs F36 A/A

    These are the smallest type and are used on Filofax. They are available with 10mm diameter caps. They are made from steel and are available nickel plated, brass plated or black caps with nickel plated underparts.

    Please note: fixing tools are not currently available for this press stud.

    www.leprevo.co.uk

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  7. This is off topic, but I have a question...nothing I've uploaded to the Flickr group is showing up. I uploaded the photos to my account, they are public, I've added them to the Philofaxy group, the photos on my account say they are in the group pool, but I don't see them there. Why is that, any clues?

    TIA

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  8. More info - I can see them when I'm logged in, but not when I'm not. Does this mean that only people who are logged in can see my pictures? How do I change that?

    Again, TIA

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  9. Okay - I think I've fixed it - something to do with a privacy setting. Let me know if it didn't work.

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  10. I bought coloured plastic sheets, book rings and elastics to make my own binder (ala Domino) for archiving purpose.

    I also made my own notepad since the lines in the Filo notepads are too narrow for my writing.

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  11. Nan, Steve:

    I'd suggest that the Deskfax B5 size is a more portable option than A4 if one is fond of the older US Goverment letter size.

    B5 (about 7" x 10") is also very close to the Monarch personal correspondence size that doesn't get used much nowadays (7.25 " x 10.5"), though I myself have a goodly stock of Crane & Co. paper in that size, and envelopes to match. This is not the same thing as what Franklin Covey calls Monarch, which is actually US Letter. The Deskfax binders are just about the size of a US Letter page.

    Of course, nice Deskfax binders are hard to come by, but they do turn up on eBay from time to time. I plan on taking very good care of my Deskfax Sandhurst!

    Deskfax refills are still available from Filofax, and of course, I'm making them part of the Paige Paigen line.

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  12. Hi There!
    So who and where are Filofaxes made these days? Is the a company that does the manufacturing?

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  13. Are you saying that Jetpens makes Filofax in Japan perhaps? I did a Google search and found nothing that supports this!

    Are you sure???

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  14. I was planning to get myself either a mini Guildford extra slim or a pocket Guildford extra slim. But both are no longer being offered.

    That's too bad. I really like them. I think those Filofaxes are the ones that best fit the description of "a gentleman's little black book".

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  15. i've not yet read through all prior comments, but i may have discovered a slimline a5, which is hilarious because my post bolt system on my "attempt to make my own" isn't working (filofaxes need rings).

    Today, in desperation, and unable to find my slimline personal (if the cat stole it he's in trouble), I bought a cheap non filo 6ring binder to punch my 3x5 cards into so I have something that's more me until i figure it out.

    Anyway, I need to get some of my Japanese friends (and may one have good things happen and move to tokyo) to confirm all of this for me, but perhaps this is really what I need!

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  16. I think you just need to buy a Filofax...

    http://i50.tinypic.com/2zi7h1t.jpg

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  17. @Schermann filofax is made in great britian.

    As for lookign for A4 binders and such talk to a customer service rep just becuase it is not on there site doesnt mean they might not have some old stock laying around

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  18. i stand corrected on where Filofaxes are made. They are not madei n great britian. They are made all over mostly from the far east.

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  20. Gee thanks R!

    Perhaps if you told me which way the bath water spirals down the plug hole, it might have helped more to narrow it down a bit!

    What company, NOT continent!

    Jeez!

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