Lately, I have been pondering the issue of version control (also known, according to Wikipedia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revision_control>, as revision control, source control or software configeration management) of documents. It’s of particular concern when many people are working on the same document with time wasted when someone spends time and effort commenting on an outdated version.

Consistent naming by all those working on the document can help, for example naming the first file version 1 (or V1) and the second version 2. Some people also account for minor variations by numbering the file 1.1 or 1.2 and only moving to the next whole  number (for example 2.0) when they make a major change. However, version control is not all about numbering.  Organisations can still have version control problems if they do not have consistent naming and rules about where files are put. The right version in the wrong folder can still lead to wasted effort on the wrong version.

That all sound obvious, but I am interested in hearing about your experiences with the version control of documents.