20 February 2013

Information Pages

When you buy a new Filofax or a Filofax diary insert they come with additional information pages at the front of the insert.

Back in the 1980's these additional pages where sold separately as 'Data Sets' and split between  International Data Set and a UK data set. I still have some 1980's ones in my old Winchester, quite nostalgic in a way, but the information is very much out of date now of course.

If you want to know the Sunrise and Sunset times for London in 1988 without the internet..... then I'm your man!

They included things like:
  • BBC World Service Short Wave Frequencies and Programmes. - Sadly BBS WS is no longer broadcast on Short Wave Radio! 
  • Contagious Diseases and Vaccinations
  • International Clothing Sizes
  • Seasonal Temperatures around the World
  • Some Notable London Eating Places
  • UK Travel Information - lists of phone numbers for wonderful things like 'Motorail'
  • Wine Vintage Chart

In modern versions you get:
  • Personal Information
  • Travel Information
  • UK Road Distances
  • European Union Members - Capital, Currency, Time, Dialling codes National Holidays
  • International Information - Capital, Currency, Time, Dialling codes National Holidays
  • Notable Dates for that year
  • Weights and Measures
  • Clothing Size Equivalents

Having started using the 'Ray and Steve' inserts exclusively this year I've been looking at the additional pages from previous years diary inserts to see which ones I should create not as a direct copy of course, but with similar information and to make them available on Philofaxy.

However, looking at the list above how many people refer to the information contained on these pages and which pages?

24 comments:

  1. Having the personal info page would be handy. I use homemade inserts pretty exclusively and I'm never sure what info to include at the front of my FF.

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  2. Well actually I think this a very good idea! I use the personal information and the international holydays. But If the information is aviable I can change it and use that information that I want/need.

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  3. I put these pages straight in the bin! That said as I have a few US cookbooks I was thinking of making a measurement conversion chart for my kitchen filofax as I can never remember how much a stick of butter weighs or what centrigrade oven temp equates to farenheight etc. Cooking temperatures would be useful too. No point having a fancy Thermapen if I dodnt know what temperature I am measuring for!
    If anyone else is interested as my contribution to the community I could pull together foody information and hand it to you Steve for some competent formatting?

    Also can you check on your old informnation sheets: is Filofaxing listed as Contagious disease and is there a vacination for it?

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  4. I use the information pages often: International holidays, time zones, conversions and measurements.

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  5. Conversion tables might be useful, maybe some useful phone numbers too, but I prefer to just jot down a few pages of info that's useful to me, rather than what someone, somewhere has deemed suitable to "pad out" a diary to create "extra value".

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    2. Whoops, my spelling is awful - I've just dug out the data set that came with a filofax from the late eighties and, rather curiously, among the page of contact numbers deemed essential for Filofax users, is the contact for The Terrence Higgins Trust.

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  6. Mine go straight in our paper recycling. I have thought that I could create my own version though, which would include the opening times of my favourite restaurant, details of which hours my Mum works etc.

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  7. I have an old world map with time zones which I use all the time, as I travel a great deal and the people I work with are global travellers, so its useful to know what time zone they are in. I have my own list of international dialling codes, pulled from the internet and printed in Personal size, for the same reason. Clothing sizes I have used occasionally but as even the same country varies between actual sizes, they are pretty useless. And I have a list of my own useful info, like drivers to collect me from the airport in various cities, the phone numbers of the hotels I usually stay in, and a full-page list of frequent flyer and hotel loyalty numbers. Saves me carrying about 20 pieces of plastic.

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  8. I had no idea that the BBC no longer broadcasts its World Service via short wave! I grew up listening to WS on the short wave set. Very sad!

    I found the filofax info sheets pretty useless. DayTimer ships extremely comprehensive info sheets which are somewhat more useful. I pop some of them in if I'm traveling.

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  9. I find them useless. I know all organisers/planners have them. Even when I was in school (highschool/college) the spiral bound planners that they give always either had the those similar pages in the beginning or end of the agenda. I seldom refer to them. BUT at that point it was more useful since one was in school so might actually see the conversion table or the periodic table, etc.

    The only thing I find remotely important are the notable dates but even then aren't all of them written on the daily or weekly inserts?

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  10. I'm too attached to Google to look up stuff on info sheets.

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    1. I agree, info pages are much less of a necessity as many of us have phones which essentially put google in our pocket. I still will refer to info in my planner first, though. If I know I have a phone number or map in my planner I will choose to use that most of the time; it's just faster! But a google search on my blackberry fills in many blanks. Plus saves the time of dialing!

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  11. Honestly, those pages go directly into the trash bin. But I'd consider keeping them if they made noteable places to eat depending on which city you lived in. Anything food related gets me interested. Lol. Then again, I don't know how'd they do that considering people who use Filofaxes come from all parts of the world.

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  12. I take the information pages out immediately. There are so many ways to access the information, and I don't need it taking up valuable real estate in my binder.

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  13. I would for sure use the Temperature around the World, International Clothing sizes (please include plus sizes), personal information, international information, Notable Dates for that year, Weights and Measures, Clothing Size Equivalents.

    This is great. Thanks for thinking about sharing. :)

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  14. I dump those pages and never look at them again.

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  15. I never look at them - they end up in the recycling here...

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  16. Thank you everyone for the feedback, it helps me decide where to concentrate my efforts.

    Ones I create I will of course make available on the Files page.

    Steve

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  17. It's curious isn't it that originally the Filofax as intended as a store mainly of read-only content whereas in modern use it is virtually all read-write and this little preface to the diary is the last bastion of the 'file of facts' concept.

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  18. Google... simply stated. They just take up space so I just recycle them.

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