Keeping Track of Picture Files

OK peeps, to keep the new forum going another question.

How do people keep track of their picture files? I was reading the other day about someone who had shot 6,000 images in a year since buying their 300D.. I've shot 1,000 in the few weeks since buying my new camera  so I need to get very organised. (My camera seems to be a permanent attachment now as whenever I go out without it I see something and think, hmmm that would have made a nice piccy)

Currently I save all my files as they come with continuous numbering from the camera, zoom browser organises them into dated folders (quite handy as I usually have the date of where I was, met conditions etc. on recording forms).

If I edit a file I append the number with the species and maybe more info like lifestage etc, thus retaining the unique number but a little more info if I need to search out an image, each edit gets a version number.

To navigate around I'm using Zoom Browser EX 5.1 which I find easy to use and nice and quick on XP.

Just be interested to know how others keep their piccies organised, append more information etc. before I get too bogged down with millions of files and decide my system wasnÆt very good!

My methodology has certain features in common with Steve's. In my case I create folders for species in the case of those I photograph frequently, genera, orders or other appropriate levels for the relative rarities - for example Insects are under "insex" (No, i can't help it!). Within these folders each file is named using first the date in reverse order, followed by a letter or two indicating lifestage, location and finally another letter only if several pictures bear the same.

Thus, a Uk Sand Lizard would be in a folder entitled "la-uk", and within that would be a number of files one of which might be called 20050518ImmMAinsdaleb - this would tell me that the photograph was taken on 18 May 2005, of an immature male at Ainsdale and was the second of a number of such pictures. Works fine for me anyway and naturally sorts by species (folder), date, lifestage, location. Generally this works well and in both Windows and Linux one can search for part filenames so I could easily search for, for example, ImmMAinsdale in the "La-uk" folder and all immature male Sand Lizards photgrpahed at Ainsdale would appear. Trouble is, of course, for all of us filing systems tend to be highly individual - there is seldom any point following someone else's dictates because if it doesn't suit you, you might just mange to file them - but might never be able to find them again!