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GSP1963 |
Posted Aug 29, 2018 in: New Homepage - feedback welcomed!
Score: -2
Hi, Sam and the rest of the team!
I'm a little late to this board (summer vacation was a bit of a factor), but I thought I'd weigh in with my two cents. I think what you guys have done looks very good. If I were to give it a letter grade, it would be a solid B+, which is a significant improvement from where Toodledo's homepage was at. The main suggestion I'd offer would be to swap out one or more of the images of the bearded man for an image of, say, a woman of color. There's nothing wrong with the pink-complected bearded man, but representing all users by this one image may be conveying a mindset you don't want to convey. Not a biggie, but adding a woman who looks vaguely either Indian or African-American would take this B+ effort up to an A. Best regards, and keep up the good work! This post has been hidden because of negative votes. Click to reveal This message was edited Aug 29, 2018. |
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GSP1963 |
Nice update, Sam. Thanks.
I think starting with updated and more aggressive marketing is a great approach. You and your team can do some real good in that area, all the while gaining more and more understanding of the product and the user community, which will put you in a stronger position when it comes time to start making decisions on what to change and how. I thought the mockups of the landing page look great. They have a young designer vibe that Toodledo sorely needs. As a user, I'm totally onboard with the ideas you've shared and like what I'm seeing in terms of the design. You guys are on the right track! Oh, and if I would make a suggestion in terms of the landing page, it would be this: Be sure to mention that Toodledo is designed to allow the user to customize the tool to his needs. Something like: "Add fields, delete fields, rearrange their display, use tags or don't, build custom searches--all this, and more, is possible. The product can be as simple or complicated as you want. Chances are, the way you managed your todo lists a year ago was different than today, and will be different a year from now. Toodledo is the one todo manager that can be reconfigured to meet your needs." This message was edited Jul 26, 2018. |
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GSP1963 |
New Owners: It's been two weeks since your acquisition was announced on here and there's been a great deal of feedback from the Toodledo community. May I ask for a bit of an update? Something a little more substantive than what you've said so far?
Specifically, these are the five questions I'd be most interesting in having answered: 1. Is Toodledo your main focus on a day-to-day basis? Or is it part of a portfolio of projects you've got underway? 2. The second question follows from the first: Do you have a rough--even very rough--schedule in mind with regards to Toodledo? If it's your main focus, I'd imagine you're probably going to be moving ahead in short order. On the other hand, if it's part of a large portfolio of projects and not a high priority, it might be several months or more before any changes occur. 3. What was it that led you to purchase Toodledo? Was it simply a case where the price was right or was there something about the product that made you feel it had particular potential? 4. There has been some speculation that you may be planning on making Toodledo more of an enterprise- and team-focused product. Is that the case? Anything you can share along these lines, one way or the other? 5. It seems as though most of the users who had input they wanted to share have had their say at this point. Do you have any reaction to the many ideas that have been shared here? Do any of the ideas strike you as being particularly good? Particularly bad? Other thoughts? Thanks; I appreciate your time. This message was edited Jul 22, 2018. |
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GSP1963 |
@aleding: All your points are well-taken. Indeed, I probably overstated the inadvisability of creating two versions of the product. After reading Jim_Lewis's comment regarding Slack, an app I use and love, and thinking about your comments, I'm beginning to think that perhaps two versions wouldn't be a bad idea, something like the following.
Toodledo Solo An application like the Toodledo we all know and love, that maintains the extensive customizability that those of us with OCD can't get enough of. Long-standing user requests, such as the ability to change completion dates, are addressed. Also, the application has been given a freshened-up UI that makes more use of color. Custom searches remain an integral part of the app. Users can pick and choose what fields they want, how they're displayed, and can more or less build the app they want, for exactly their own idiosyncratic needs. Toodledo Team An application designed for team collaboration that has the same UI as Toodledo Solo, but some of the ability to pick and choose fields and reorder their display has been curtailed. Users don't have quite as much leeway with the data (for example, completion dates cannot be changed). The app has a slightly more generic feel to it by design; if you go from one project to another, you can be sure Toodledo Team looks familiar. Custom searches are supplanted by predesigned searches. I sure hope the new owners weigh-in with their intentions soon. If not, this castle in the air I'm building could get out of hand. :) This message was edited Jul 10, 2018. |
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GSP1963 |
aleding wrote: And, come on man - the "I'm an IT vet" card?
I wasn't playing a card, nor did I intend to offend you. What I was trying to communicate is that I've been in IT a long time and what you seem to be suggesting the new owners do--create two versions of a product--is rarely done. We aren't talking about operating systems here, we're talking about apps. Nor are we talking about a megacorporation like Microsoft, which has hundreds of millions of dollars and hundreds of developers at their disposal. We're talking about three or four guys who just bought Toodledo. Aside from Purveyor's excellent example of Todo and Todo Cloud, I just don't know of any apps similar to Toodledo where the owners have chosen to split the app and send it down different paths. If you think the new owners of Toodledo ought to do that and might do that, fine. I don't think they should, nor do I think they will. We'll have to agree to disagree here. This message was edited Jul 10, 2018. |
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GSP1963 |
@Purveyor: Thanks; I appreciate the information. I've used Appigo's Todo in the past, but hadn't heard of Todo Cloud until you mentioned it here.
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GSP1963 |
@aleding: Can you name one software app currently out there that has an older version of code from years past that's up and available to users as well as an actively-developed version? Kudos if you can; I'm an IT veteran and I can't think of one. And if you can't? Perhaps you need to reconsider your statement, "There is absolutely no proof supporting the statements that having both the legacy and 'new' iterations is not possible nor a bad idea."
This message was edited Jul 10, 2018. |
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GSP1963 |
@ Jim_Lewis:
I agree with you completely. This idea that new owners of an application are going to dedicate money and resources to divide their effort into one version called, essentially, "Before We Got Involved," and a new version is a fantasy. This isn't done, and for a couple reasons: First, who wants to approach a new business with the mindset of, "Well, chances are we can't improve it"? And second, who wants to add layers of unnecessary infrastructure and expense onto a project before you've even gotten the ball rolling? So while I understand the impulse of some users to urge the new owners to create a "Before You Got Involved" version of Toodledo, I don't think it's ever happening nor should it. The best that the seasoned users of Toodledo can hope for--I'm talking about people who've used the product for at least a couple years here--is to do what we can to ensure that the new owners understand what makes Toodledo special so that they can build on those strengths and not undermine them. I haven't yet seen so much as a sentence from the new owners that indicates they appreciate how customizable the app is and how unusual that customizability is in the marketplace. Because of that, I've been trying to make the case that Toodledo is a sophisticated Tinkertoy, if you will, in the task manager world, where users can choose what fields they want to include and exclude, reorder the display of those fields, and build an unlimited number of complex searches to find and display their data just the way they want. In an earlier comment in this thread, I listed four features of Toodledo that I regard as sacrosanct and explain why. I also agree with your assessments, Jim, of where Toodledo can be improved. It is by no means a perfectly designed product, either from a UI perspective or a design perspective. If a team of software developers start with an appreciation of Toodledo's unique strengths, great things could happen. (I can't stress enough how important the introductory clause of that last sentence is.) This message was edited Jul 08, 2018. |
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GSP1963 |
@ Sam: Looking at my initial posts here, and a few of the others, I think we've been less than polite and for my part, I apologize. Please understand that there's going to be more trepidation than usual with your purchase of Toodledo simply because there isn't another todo application out there like it and if it's "mainstreamed" into a prettier, more typical todo manager, many of us will have a hard time replacing it. Thus the pushback.
To keep things productive and positive, I'll list the key strengths of Toodledo, as I see them, as well as possible areas for improvement. I've been using Toodledo for over a decade (my current subscription status doesn't reflect this, though, because I let my membership lapse a couple years ago; I tried another app, and came back to Toodledo because I found I wasn't being as productive with the competition). KEY STRENGTHS 1. The large number of data fields available and the ability to choose which fields you want to use. This is huge. The way I work next year may be different from this year (Heraclitus said it best: "The only thing that is constant is change"). I have changed my Toodledo setup numerous times over the years due to changing responsibilities both personally and professionally. Changing and adapting my task management techniques has made me more capable and more efficient and led to a lot of growth. I could not have done it without Toodledo's flexibility. 2. The ability to reorder the display of fields. Giving the user this power is another major strength of Toodledo. I can get the app to function just the way I want. It's surprising how few todo apps give the user this ability (perhaps 10%? If that?). 3. The ability to construct custom searches. This is one of Toodledo's greatest strengths: Users can build searches to extract just exactly what they're looking for and keep those searches on hand, ready to run at the click of the mouse. It essentially allows users the ability to approach Toodledo like it's a Tinkertoy, and build the application they want, pulling the data they see fit and displaying it just the way they want. Every different configuration of Toodledo that I've used over the past decade has been built around using a large number of custom searches, typically at least a dozen. My current configuration uses 17. There is no other software on the market that lets me do what I do with Toodledo's custom searches. Using the searches, I've set up Toodledo as a strict Getting-Things-Done app; as a Franklin-Quest app (A1, A2, A3); as an Eisenhower Matrix app (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4); as a tool geared to providing hardcopy project reports for management; and several other hybrids of the above. 4. Excellent hardcopy reports. Sometimes you just have to go into a meeting with hardcopy handouts of information and in that regard, Toodledo shines. I recently was comparing task manager apps, and it was surprising how few are able to provide decent hardcopy reports. I really value Toodledo's ability to generate clear, well-formatted reports with ease. It's part of what makes the app a serious business tool. These four key strengths listed above should be regarded as sacrosanct; nothing should be done to Toodledo that weakens or eliminates these features. POSSIBLE AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT 1. Additional fields could be made available to the users for optional use. I can't imagine any users would complain if additional fields were made available. Toodledo already has most of the bases covered, I think, but I'm sure there could be a few more added, such as a field for Effort (High, Medium, Low). Some people like to start the day with high-effort tasks and then use the late-afternoon hours, when they're feeling brain-dead, for low-effort tasks. 2. Better tools for building custom searches. Toodledo's custom searches are great, but they could probably be made even better. More flexibility in building the searches (such as the ability to combine AND with OR rules or the ability to combine searches) would be great. Any kind of UI enhancements that would help first-time users figure out how to build custom searches would be great, too. 3. More optional uses of color in the UI. It would be nice if users had the ability to choose colors to reflect some attributes, such as Folder, Context, Status, or Priority. Key to making this an enhancement and not an annoyance would be customizability: Users should be able to determine not only the color scheme (not just the colors, but also whether the colors are applied to the text or the background, or both) and the associated field, but also have the option of not using the colors at all. 4. Possible elimination of some of the existing extras that are not task-related. Others may disagree with me on this, but I think the Swiss Army knife approach that was adopted for Toodledo a few years back wasn't the best approach. ("Not only are we a task manager--we're also a habit tracker! And a goal manager! And an outliner! And a notebook!") I think the multiple functions water down the key Toodledo task manager mission. Obviously, the community would have to be polled and interviewed about this because taking existing functionality away from users is always a tricky thing. Why am I willing to even suggest that some of these functions be discontinued right after declaring other functions sacrosanct? The distinction is this: The sacrosanct features are not offered elsewhere; they are unique, or virtually unique, to Toodledo. The features I'm suggesting could be eliminated, on the other hand, are better handled by other existing apps out there. 5. Overhaul of the iOS app. The existing iOS app has such an outdated feel to it that it's turning potential users off before they even have a chance to understand Toodledo's strengths. That's all I can think of at the moment, Sam. You can be sure that many of us are wishing you nothing but success in your endeavor to take Toodledo to the next level. Good luck! This message was edited Jul 08, 2018. |
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GSP1963 |
@stateoftheart: Well, I think we should all be fair and give the new team the benefit of the doubt. I'm certainly willing to work with them until it should become clear that they're determined to go down the wrong path.
Thinking about this, I'd make the following recommendation to the new team. Set up a team productivity metrics spreadsheet, where each team member is required to enter the number of tasks he or she has completed on each day of the preceding week on Fridays. Separate tasks by priority level and include mundane tasks that don't result in any code, such as routine meetings, as a -1 priority. Also, tag any task that can be considered a process improvement as Q2. Now have each team member write some custom searches so they can extract that data for the different days so they can put it into the team spreadsheet on Fridays at 5 PM. The Friday report should show how many tasks were completed every day excluding -1 tasks, how many process improvements were made over the course of the week, and include a printout of all the completed tasks sorted by priority. If every team member does that for a few weeks, I think there's a good chance they'll understand why Toodledo's loyal users love the app so much. On the other hand, if the new team can't be bothered to use and appreciate the custom searches and they start removing the app's more powerful features, I'll be out of here in a New York minute. |
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GSP1963 |
YOW. This is alarming. Per the new owner's comment, I'll cut to the chase: More often than not, this kind of transfer of ownership is the beginning of the end for a great product.
To Jake: Thanks for creating and developing the best to-do list app I've ever used, bar none. Over the past decade, your software has improved my life and there aren't many apps out there I can say that about. To the New Owner: There are literally dozens of todo list apps out there that are all more or less the same. They're user friendly and visually slick in a way that Toodledo is not. None of them meet my needs. Toodledo is the only todo list that allows almost unlimited customization via custom searches. To recognize the power of this feature, a user needs to be smart and probably have a little programming experience under his or her belt. I use 17 custom searches on a daily basis and they work like an absolute charm. If you were to strip out the unusual features of Toodledo in an attempt to make it easier to use and more mainstream, you would alienate a majority of the Toodledo users, who have gravitated to Toodledo, and been loyal to it, precisely because it does things mainstream todo apps do not. In other words, I hope you have purchased Toodledo with the understanding that it's not an ordinary todo application made for the ordinary user. This message was edited Jul 07, 2018. |
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GSP1963 |
Posted May 31, 2018 in: Recent updates to Tasks section
Score: 1
Sounds great. Thanks for the continual improvements and fixes.
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GSP1963 |
Posted May 07, 2018 in: Toodledo 2017 - The Year in Review
Score: 0
@Ummagumma: Interesting. 2Do is one of the few task managers I haven't evaluated. What is "advance filtering"?
I'm really happy with Toodledo on my desktop and I'm glad I've returned to it. The flexibility and power are just wonderful. I'm in IT, though, so I tend to value those things and don't mind (enjoy, even) working on custom searches. I worry that flashier, easier-to-use apps will eventually steal enough customers away from Toodledo that it will stop being supported. I sure hope that never happens. Based on your comments and my own recent experience, the sooner the Toodledo staff can release a new iOS app, the better. |
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GSP1963 |
Posted May 05, 2018 in: Toodledo 2017 - The Year in Review
Score: 1
Just a quick post here to give the people at Toodledo a bit of customer feedback.
I just returned to Toodledo after using another app for over a year. I have been using Toodledo off-and-on--mostly on--for 15 years, by my best estimate. Before returning to Toodledo recently, I evaluated about a dozen task manager options. Observations: 1. The single greatest thing about Toodledo is its superb customizable view and reports. Nothing comes close. It's like the Erector Set of todo apps: with the options in selecting fields, the order of presenting those fields, the customizable searches, you can pretty much build anything you want. This is the essence of Toodledo, frankly, and I think you folks need to beat that point home relentlessly. You will never win a contest for being pretty, being a "life manager," or being trendy and hip. What Toodledo does is it gets the work done like nothing else. Need a report that shows all tasks done for a certain project exactly X days ago and excluding trivial (-1) tasks? Toodledo can do it. Oh, and you want to sort by Priority first, print a copy, then sort by date, and print another copy? No problem. 2. The aging and unacceptable Toodledo iOS app was almost a deal-breaker for me. I imagine that this weak spot takes Toodledo off the list of options for many. It doesn't match the website design, it doesn't use the full iPhone X screen, and it looks very dated. In the end, I followed advice I'd seen on here and tried the website on my phone and found that worked well enough for my uses. For serious task work, I use my desktop PC; for me, all I really need from the phone is a lightweight reminder of what's on the agenda. I use stars to indicate tasks for the current day, and the website on my phone handles that well. I'm glad I got past the iOS app hurdle; I'm sure many don't. 3. I agree with recent comments by Jake that the added bells and whistles added to the app are uncertain in terms of being a plus or a minus. Notes are certainly useful. But Outlines, Lists, and--especially--Habits? There are other apps that handle those things much better and I worry that in trying to present itself as a Swiss Army knife, so to speak, focus is being taken away from Toodledo's incomparable tasks views and reporting. Toodledo can't compete with the many excellent habit-building apps out there and it puts itself at a disadvantage, in my opinion, to encourage evaluators to judge it in that area. I could be wrong. I can certainly appreciate the logic in trying to make Toodledo a comprehensive organizing solution; I'm just not sure it's the right approach. That's it. I hope this has been helpful. Thank you all for continuing to develop and maintain Toodledo. |
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GSP1963 |
Posted Mar 31, 2016 in: Bug Report: Notes on task disappearing when task is completed.
Score: 0
And, of course, now that I'm trying to reproduce this error, which I've seen two days in a row, I can't. *Ugggh.* I'll see if it recurs tomorrow or if I can manage to reproduce it.
-GSP |
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GSP1963 |
Posted Mar 31, 2016 in: Bug Report: Notes on task disappearing when task is completed.
Score: 0
Over the past two days, I've noticed a bug, which I should think should be considered HIGH priority. On a task I use in the morning, I record important information related to the task for later reference, should I need it (it's balancing information for a financial account). When I mark the task complete, the note's text disappears and is evidently deleted. I see no way to get the information back.
Please advise. Thanks! Garland S. Pass Philadelphia, PA |
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GSP1963 |
Posted Nov 02, 2015 in: Progress Report - October 2015
Score: 0
Hi, guys. Quick question: I notice that the orange/yellow "Add" buttons for Lists, Outlines, and Habits are still on the right side of the screen. Will they be moved to the left per the buttons for Tasks and Notes?
Thanks! |
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GSP1963 |
Just wanted to say that I'm really pleased with the UI work, including your adjustment to the position of the Add Task button. The end result is really great. I thought I should also mention something: As Toodledo has been getting more and more user-friendly, I'm using it for more things. In addition to tasks, I'm now using it for my most-important productivity-related notes (such as a list of store hours), my quarterly goals (which I keep in Lists), and I've just started using Habits. Toodledo is becoming more and more indispensable. I'm scaling back my use of other apps that I used to use for notes, goals, and habit-tracking, and plan to discontinue use of some of them altogether.
I've been using Toodledo for years now (almost 10 years now, if memory serves), and it's one of the very few apps that I'm using more, not less, as time passes. You guys are definitely doing great work. |
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GSP1963 |
Posted Oct 22, 2015 in: Introducing our Toodledo Brand Identity
Score: 1
Great work. Toodledo definitely brought the right person onboard with your hire, Bridget. Thanks for putting your heart and soul into the product. It shows.
This message was edited Oct 22, 2015. |
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GSP1963 |
Posted Sep 22, 2015 in: Breadcrumb Bar Update (part 2)
Score: 4
This is the first change to the UI that I'm questioning. Personally, if the Dividers control and the Memo View control are going to be moved, I'd prefer they be moved into the Show dropdown. Both of these functions are a natural for that menu. I'd suggest something like the following:
SHOW (dropdown arrow) Dividers ( ) Expand all ( ) Collapse all Memos ( ) Show ( ) Hide Task Types ( ) Completed Tasks ( ) Negative Priority Tasks ( ) Future Tasks Subtasks ( ) Inline ( ) Hidden ( ) Indented Tags: None All Invert ( ) Tag 1 ( ) Tag 2 ( ) Tag 3 - - - I should make it clear that I don't consider this UI issue to be a big deal. Your team has been doing such great work of late, I'm inclined to trust that you know what you're doing and once the complete design is revealed, this last tweak you've made will make more sense. Best regards, GSP Limerick, PA This message was edited Sep 22, 2015. |