is there an application that will allow you to "mark" a file? i want to be able to take a slew of files, mark certain ones, and then have other people mark them, too (and to see what i've marked)

it would be great if it were integrated into explorer, but i don't think that's likely

4/2/2010 3:08:02 PM

just move the file into another folder, say something called "Already looked at by quagmire02"

4/2/2010 3:09:21 PM

unfortunately, the file can't be moved...it can be copied, but then you have copies floating around, which i do not want

4/2/2010 3:11:41 PM

Custom metadata field.

4/2/2010 3:16:44 PM

You can do this in Mac OS X to a certain extent.

4/2/2010 3:18:42 PM

Copy and dedupe!

4/2/2010 3:21:52 PM

Define "mark". What are you doing to the files? What are others doing the files?

Is this just a "hey, you need to look at these files" type marking or a "I have made changes to this file and you need to look at them" type mark?

4/2/2010 3:29:31 PM

Quote :

"Define "mark". What are you doing to the files? What are others doing the files? Is this just a "hey, you need to look at these files" type marking or a "I have made changes to this file and you need to look at them" type mark?"

the first person to look at the files marks which ones need to be edited (the file type varies, though)...i can't think of any reason the first person would be changing the files themselves

4/2/2010 3:32:09 PM

Why can't you just use a spreadsheet? Will this be an ongoing effort?

4/2/2010 4:24:15 PM

You can just create a library, drop files in the library to "mark them" and share the library.

4/2/2010 6:49:33 PM

I think the term you are looking for is "workflow" or "library" as ^ mentioned... which allows multiple people to review files and then pass it on to the next person to review (or X,Y,Z should review this file by a deadline). You really need separate software if you want to do this right. What happens if Y reviews it, makes changes, and Z doesn't like it? You should be able to back out those changes by Y.

CMVC or Subversion may be able to pull this off as well, but, you better have programmers or developers if you go that route. I wouldn't dare put that in front of anybody lese.

4/2/2010 7:37:42 PM

^^This. Just create two nested folders called "Pending Edit" and "Edit Complete"

4/2/2010 11:27:13 PM

If it's an office doc you can use versioning to handle it.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/HA100215761033.aspx

If it's from an Adobe product you could use Version CUE Server.

If it's images you could use Lightroom with a shared CUE file.

... If they're just regular files there is a command in linux that I cannot think of for the life of me that lets you alias a file an infinite number of times but the alias' all point to the original file (not copies.) Cannot think of it and I'm too sleepy to use google correctly

4/3/2010 3:22:57 AM

folders with shortcuts?

4/3/2010 4:06:46 AM

^ My thoughts also, though there has to be something better.

4/3/2010 9:46:51 AM

Ricky, sounds like you want to be able to basically just tag these files, just like with photos and whatever else.

If a lose photo-editing program (with its database stored in a shared folder somewhere) wouldn't work, I Topeka'ed up "windows file tagging" and found this:

http://www.lunarfrog.com/

No idea if it would work for a group or not.

4/3/2010 11:28:20 AM

i like how every time Golovko posts in a help thread his answer is always, "OSX can do that." Then no further information.

4/3/2010 1:10:34 PM

^ And a comment like that is more helpful? At least Golovko was trying to answer his question.

4/3/2010 1:23:50 PM

True. I just don't think, "this other operating system can do that" is a very good response. Even if the OP is using OSX that statement doesn't tell him anything other than it's possible. "Get another OS" is not really a good answer to this sort of question. Imagine someone saying, "windows can do that" in response to a technical question. It's the equivalent of saying, "yes your OS can do that." It's rather annoying.

Windows has meta tags under details. Or batch rename with a tag. A library is probably the best bet though.

4/3/2010 1:35:13 PM

Why not just add an -x- or something to the end of the filename to indicate it as marked? If you want to "unmark' it just remove the -x-.

i.e.:

filename.doc = unmarked
filename-x-.doc = marked

Better yet, put the -x- at the beginning of the filename and then you'd have all marked files arranged together in an explorer window.

[Edited on April 3, 2010 at 11:43 PM. Reason : ]

4/3/2010 11:42:15 PM

USE GOOGLE WAVE HAHAHAHAHHAA JK

4/4/2010 1:16:01 AM

Quote :

" I just don't think, "this other operating system can do that" is a very good response. Even if the OP is using OSX that statement doesn't tell him anything other than it's possible. "Get another OS" is not really a good answer to this sort of question. Imagine someone saying, "windows can do that" in response to a technical question. It's the equivalent of saying, "yes your OS can do that." It's rather annoying. "

To be more detailed about what Golovko was saying, the Mac OS has a function built into the finder called "labels" where by any file can be highlighted with a color "label" to mark it for one purpose or another. Unfortunately it does not appear that Windows has such a solution, and so either the meta tagging or -x- in the file name seems to be the best way to go about this.

4/4/2010 9:03:48 AM

^Windows has tagging and categories.

It just doesn't have a quick access UI to set those properties (you have to pull a right-click properties->details). But you can turn on the columns in Windows Explorer and see the data. And it all gets indexed, so you can search against it with windows search.

Sounds like someone should write a quick and dirty app for this.

4/4/2010 3:28:42 PM

[Edited on April 4, 2010 at 6:39 PM. Reason : ]

4/4/2010 6:39:05 PM

Quote :

"the Mac OS has a function built into the finder called "labels" where by any file can be highlighted with a color "label" to mark it for one purpose or another"

that would be perfect

4/6/2010 9:26:39 AM

that's been a feature on mac os for 15+ years (i remember it on my oldasfuck LC475)

4/6/2010 11:49:27 AM