how to synchronise between contact addressbooks of Rolodex, PDA, Mobile, desktop Mail client, and webmail client...

Despite taking this up a few times myself, it's one of those things that never quite gets a satisfactory answer... Seems from 1970s when email arrived to now, we have been left with more devices and less organisation in terms of personal information!

So, here again I try to handle this in a GTD and "worse is better" / "better is the enimy of good enough" approach! In short, I plan to attempt this in a way that will require,

• minimal or no extra tools, and
• will require no additional complexity to compare and 2-way sync the data

The rough plan as follows,

1) find the record structure of the contact record in each of the devices / apps,

• Paper addressbook / Rolodex,
• PDA,
• Mobile,
• desktop Mail client,
• client

2) document the devices / apps specific contact record structure in a spreadsheet in different worksheet

3) Identify the order of sync to get a unified database, need not have to be at a single place, natural segregration in office and personal contact lists is acceptable, but a single virtual database with limited set of sources and a unique place for finding most updated contact info for any person should be identifiable.

4) Identify the contact record headers rearrangement for imports / syncs required as per 3)

Over the next few days, parts of this plan will be executed. Comments welcome...