David Allen’s GTD “43 Folders” and an old patent

January 1, 2006 on 11:41 am | In Interesting Patents, The-Practice-of-Law |

I’m not sure if any of you have ever read David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD), but via a recommendation from Buzz, I have.  GTD is a system of organizing information in your life to help you get more things done.  Although I only use 1/3 of David’s system (it is probably time to reread it and implement more of it), the lessons that the book has taught me have been invaluable.  A highly recommended book.

One of the things GTD teaches you to use is a "43 Folders" tickler system.  Ernie Svenson even had a post once mentioning his (with a photo).  Essentially, you create a tickler file having 12 monthly tabs plus 31 daily (days of the month) tabs for keeping track of your personal deadlines, tasks and to-dos.

Well…I was surfing around earlier today and stumbled on mention of an article ("Keeping Tabs:  The History of an Information Age Metaphor") talking about the history of folder/index card tabs.  It turns out that back in ~1896, a gentleman by the name of James Newton Gunn had a flash of brilliance.  What if someone added tabs to folders/index cards so it would be easy to subdivide piles of cards???  His patent issued in 1897.  The article relates an interesting story that goes on to talk how such a simple invention (to which every one of us today thinks is obvious in hindsight) went on to show up everywhere (including the 43 folders).  So…next time you pull out your tickler file, open a new file for a client, click a tab in your browser, etc….thank James Newton Gunn.

[updated to fix a couple of typos in the dates]  SMN 1/1/6

Print This Post Print This Post | Email This Post Email This Post | | Subscribe via e-mail

Related Posts:

2 Comments

  1. As an historian, I have found your post most fascinating. Upon reading the patent in question, I however note that it was of 1897 and not of 1887 as stated in your post. The distinctions made herehein between “card-records” vs. “division-cards and record-cards” are most riveting, but the patent unless I am mistaken does not really, as far as I can understand it, refer to folders.
    I wonder how long a patent files in 1897 would still be valid ?

    Comment by Pascal Venier — January 1, 2006 #

  2. I’ll fix the date in the post. Thanks for catching my typo.

    A patent (at that time) had a term of 17 years from the date of issue (if memory serves me right).

    Comment by Nipper — January 1, 2006 #

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.

Powered by WordPress with Pool theme design by Borja Fernandez.
Entries and comments feeds. Valid XHTML and CSS. ^Top^