.Mac homepage updated...barely

Earlier this morning I noticed that the .Mac homepage had (finally) been updated. Specifically, there's a quick tutorial on using Backup and a new Expert Tip on keeping your Mac organized. While a repackaged Backup how-to is hardly new, I found the Expert Tip useful. In it, Tonya Engst describes the methods she uses to keep her Macs tidy and well organized by making good use of the Finder windows' toolbars and sidebars.

In the toolbar is what she's calling a "drop box," a folder in which she drops anything that would typically land on the desktop, which she sorts out at regular intervals. Her sidebars contain current project folders and many of the default sidebar items, like the Music, Pictures and Documents folders, have been removed. More after the jump.

I like this strategy a lot, as I don't keep a slew of icons on my desktop. In fact, the hard drive's icon is the only one allowed to stay. Tonya's drop box idea mirrors something I've done at work, but haven't considered for home. In my personal folder on our file server, I have a folder called "Recently Imported." I've created an Automator action that will send anything to that folder. At the end of a work day, I go to the Recently Imported folder itself and sort its contents into more appropriate locations. I also keep the Recently Imported folder in my sidebar for instant access. I'll try adopting the same idea for home, as I've noticed that my Documents folder has a tendency to get quite disorganized.

At right is a screenshot of how I've got my sidebar organized. What is your method? Are you a neat freak like me, or do you like the convenience of icons on the desktop? Do you keep projects in the sidebar or frequently used applications? Share your strategy with us.

While we're talking about .Mac, weren't we supposed to get some exclusive Dashboard widgets?  I'm waiting, Apple!