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Folke X |
In the left menu, under Search, click New Search ...
This message was edited Aug 26, 2011. |
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Folke X |
Posted Aug 26, 2011 in: Which status for completed taks?
Score: 0
You just check it off - use the little square to the left of the task.
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Folke X |
Posted Aug 23, 2011 in: Save searches as lists/folders to have them available in apps!
Score: 0
Yes, in RTM I also used Priority for "Next Action" etc, quite a bit like your implementation, and yes, those discreet little color bars for Priority are just great!
Here in in Toodledo, I have shifted to using Status instead of Priority for "Next Action" etc (because it has more levels and more intuitive names). But it would be great to have those discreet little color bars! In my case I would like them both for Status and Priority, as I use both of them for different purposes (Here in Toodledo I use Priority for what you might call "gain", "value" or "importance" - totally independent of the timing aspects that I manage with Status). This message was edited Aug 23, 2011. |
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Folke X |
Posted Aug 23, 2011 in: Save searches as lists/folders to have them available in apps!
Score: 0
I totally agree that not having them in the iPhone app is serious. Not having them clearly visible in the desktop web UI, however, is probably mainly bad for Toodledo's business (and therefore indirectly for all of us), but not so much for you personally. Here is why:
The lists are actually there in the web UI - it is just that you have to know where to find them and arrange your work accordingly. They are usually referred to as saved searches, and you save them and find them again under Search. If you want to be able to change quickly between your different favorite views, just click another saved search in the left sidebar. That's easy enough. That is what I do. Have saved searches for everything that is needed frequently. And if some of the default views are actually something you use frequently, you can replicate those views as saved searches, such that you never need to leave Search and never need to lose sight of your list of "favorite views" (saved searches) is the left sidebar. (The only built-in view that cannot be replicated is the Calendar view.) But I am afraid that the fact that this is so hidden might scare potential users. I personally overlooked Toodledo twice (and chose first Todoist and thereafter RTM) because I did not realize that Toodledo actually has this. It should be made much more prominent, just as you suggest. And it needs to be fully implemented in the iPhone app. Oh, by the way, I do not agree that RTM looks nicer, though. Not anymore. And Toodledo produces much better overviews: You can sort your lists in many more ways; you get your lists grouped under separate dividers; and if you use Grid mode, you can see all the fields directly on the screen without clicking or hovering. This message was edited Aug 23, 2011. |
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Folke X |
Well, there must be, because I don't see them at all. I don't think I've done anything special to remove them, though, so maybe you have activated them somewhere?
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Folke X |
What I do is this: I have a pair of tags - .W and .P - that I can use both in searches and in the quick filter to easily separate work and personal.
Just like you, I keep things in Folders. I have half a dozen personal and half a dozen work related folders. And just like you I have observed that I probably could do without the folders, but I still keep them, just in case. They are good sometimes. You have some interesting ideas about "keep your eyes open for" type tasks (such as your example with Tom). This is something I have not yet implemented, but I have had some thoughts about it. |
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Folke X |
Many of you maybe would never fall into the same pits that I have fallen into over the years. But in case some of you are "at risk" I would like to share some of my experiences:
Trap 1: Due dates for everything My advice: Do not misuse due dates for scheduling your own time. Use due dates only when action with other people is required at some specific time. Use a "pipeline" variable, such as Status or Priority, to get all your dateless tasks grouped into a rough but manageable timing sequence. Why? If most of your due dates are totally arbitrary and at your own whim, then you cannot really trust any of them, not even the real ones (unless you have some other marker for the ones that actually do have a real and valid due date). And it is a lot of work to adjust all the due dates when something new needs to be done first. By using a "pipeline" variable instead, you maintain a relative sequence instead, and this sequence is rough enough to be easily manageable, yet distinct enough to give you the guidance you need. The most ubiqitous variable for "pipelining" in to-do systems is Priority. Almost all to-do systems have a Priority variable, usually with 4 or so levels, which may be a bit sparse. I have always used Priority before starting with Toodledo. Toodledo has Priority, too, but also has has an even better variable for this purpose, called Status. It is better because it has a few more levels, about 10, and the levels have names that are more intuitive, e.g Waiting, Hold etc. Nowadays I use Status for pipelining. Trap 2: Ambiguous Priority My advice: If you use Priority for pipelining, do not even think about also using it as an indicator of "importance", "benefit" etc. Keep the timing aspect and the importance aspect totally separate (separate variables), and if you only have one variable available, forget about importance; the timing is far more important. Why? If you "intuitively blend" the timing factor with the "gain" factor, then later you will not remember or understand why you chose that particular priority number for that task - they will all appear senseless, and you will need to adjust all of them over and over. Toodledo has a lot of variables (fields) available. Therefore, you can afford to keep the timing and the importance in different fields, e.g. the timing in Status and the "gain" in Priority. Trap 3: Striving for full automation My advice: Face the fact that you need to review your tasks quite often no matter how you set up your system. Do not waste time trying to set it all up such that everything will pop up automatically at the right time. Instead, set it all up such that important things are easy to see, and such that changes can be made easily. Why? New things get added to you list every day, and can have all kinds of funny consequences for the existing items on your list. Your life cannot be programmed. Trap 4: Excessive number of tasks (completeness / structure) My advice: Write down as tasks only the things you think you might forget to do, or things that you might forget to consider while contemplating new tasks. KISS. Do not even dream of having an exhaustive, structured documentation of everything you need to do. Why? Such a list will get so full of obvious things that you cannot see the things you really need to see. I still have a bad "hangover" from my misuse of a system called Todoist, which had both folders and tasks with almost infinite hierarchical levels - a beautiful, structured, blinding mass of meaningless information. Now I avoid unnecessary structure. Some of my tasks (projects) can take weeks, and I still often have just one task for the whole thing. This is if I am familiar with all the steps involved. But if there is even the slightest little detail I am afraid I may forget, I create a separate task for that little detail also, and I don't worry a bit about the "structure" of this setup (the fact that everything else of the same magnitute is missing in my list - but if I know I won't forget it I won't write it down). Trap 5: Excessive categorization (variables / searches etc) My advice: Classify your tasks in the simplest possible way, using as few variables and tags as possible, just enough for you to be able to see what you really need to see (i.e. to be able to search/filter and then locate on the screen). Why? It gets really messy really quickly, difficult to see on screen, only useful for mechanical filtering etc. As an ex RTM user I know that many RTM users have a gazillion tags andf their forum is full of posts about this. This is because RTM has no list dividers, and very limited sorting options. Therefore, people must use lots and lots of tags to make narrow enough saved searches, narrow enough to be optically manageable on the screen. That is not necessary with Toodledo to the same extent. Trap 6: Tweaking for performance tracking My advice: Remember that you have had a good day if you have managed to work steadily with things high on your list. Do not burden yourself with any artificial means to make your to-do system measure your efficiency, because it can never do that anyway, no matter how you try. Why? It is nice to see a lot of checked-off tasks, I know. But is 5 tasks completed necessarily more than 1? Are you creating heaps of tiny sub-tasks just to get a higher "tasks completed" count? Are you creating all kinds of overhead and imposing limitations on how you use the system just because you want to try to keep track of something that cannot be measured? |
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Folke X |
Sure. Create a saved search;
Folder is X AND Checked off is yes |
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Folke X |
Posted Aug 19, 2011 in: Discreet at-a-glance visualization
Score: 0
Firefox has been upgraded to v6, and is no longer compatible with Stylish - for a brief time only, I assume.
Anyway, now that I see all the gray texts with "no date", "no context" etc I realize again how good the "white-out fix" really was. Maybe lots of other users would like it, too? Would you consider putting a check-box in Settings for this? |
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Folke X |
First, make sure Tags are enabled (under Settings, Tasks, Fields/Functions Used).
Then, wheneever you add or display tasks you will see the tag field. (If you are in multi-line mode you need to click the task to see all the fields - in grid mode you don't need to do this.) This message was edited Aug 19, 2011. |
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Folke X |
If you open the Show meny (in the navy blue bar) you can check the box that says Completed tasks.
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Folke X |
Then try Salgud's tip "Due before tomorrow". That's just one line. I know it works, too.
In general, to add AND's and OR's, you have the following three controls: - the Add rule button, located at the far right bottom: This adds another "box" of conditions. (When you start up a new search you have two "boxes" that actually look more like darker blue lines than boxes.) - the gray semi-circular symbol located just left of the gray cross at the far right on each line: This adds one more condition inside that "box". (This makes it look more "boxy" - an area of several lines sharing the same background color.) - the dropdown All/Any selector at the top left. With All selected, you get AND conditions between the "boxes" and OR conditions between the conditions within the boxes. With Any selected, it is the other way around. This message was edited Aug 18, 2011. |
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Folke X |
Oh, but since you already have marked your "dummy" headers with a + sign, you could skip defining a Context called Project. In your searches you could simply use "Task begins with +" (instead of "Context is Project", which is what I do).
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Folke X |
I don't think so. I was looking for something similar at some stage, but it seems that all search criteria are on an "isolated" per-task basis.
The only idea that comes up in my mind at the moment is something like this: Use, say, the Goal field for the project name. Do this for all the tasks, both for the project header dummy task and for the real action tasks. Define, say, a Context for Project (project with tasks). Use this context for the dummy headers only. Then you can easily do all kinds of searches, e.g. the one you were refrring to: a search which shows the header tasks and the next action tasks, and you will be able to see in your list if something is missing. |
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Folke X |
Use the "Show" filter in the navy blue line.
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Folke X |
You could set up (and save, if you like) searches for items that have for example:
due date is in the next 7 days AND due date is not in the next 5 days This would take care of the selection (filtering) aspect, but there is currently no way to change the position or text of the list's dividers. |
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Folke X |
Posted Aug 17, 2011 in: quick search too far to the right?
Score: 0
@ CharleneTX:
Yes, the main use of the normal (left hand) search is to create your own permanent custom views, e.g. "private hotlist", "work hotlist", "project X hotlist" etc. In other to-do systems these saved searches are typically called "smart lists" or "smart views" etc, which perhaps is more descriptive. I use such custom views all the time, and almost never leave "search mode". I have all my favorite special views (saved searches) listed on my left hand under "Search", always just one click away. Very handy and useful. Paradoxically, the only time I leave search mode is when I actually want to search for something, e.g. a misplaced item. Then it is often easier to go manually folder by folder or to use quick search. |
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Folke X |
Define a search which selects exactly those tasks that you want to change. Then multi-edit these from within the search view.
(Unfortunately, a clickable multi-select is not available as of now. You have to do the selection via a search.) |
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Folke X |
Posted Aug 15, 2011 in: Customize importance algorithm
Score: 0
What you could do in the meantime - while waiting for your desired feature diplaying personally calculated Importance levels in the list dividers - is at least create a task selection that corresponds to your personal definition of Importance, even though you would need to accept having it sorted in one of the standard ways.
Bear in mind that Toodledo's Importance is currently defined like this (copied from the Help section): The formula for importance is : Importance = 2+P+S+D P=priority S=is it starred (0 or 1) D=0 if due-date is non-existent or further than 14 days out, 1 if due-date is between 7 and 14 days out, 2 if due-date is between 2 and 7 days out, 3 if due-date is tomorrow, 5 if due-date is today, and 6 if overdue What you could do yourself today is: - determine how you would like the importance formula to look like - you could include Context or whatever you like in the formula - determine a minimum importance level you want to see in your list - determine the various combinations of field values that would produce this minimum importance level - set up a saved search with all that in it Piece of cake. But as I said, the list will only be filtered (selected) according to these personal criteria, but would be sorted according to one of the standard criteria. (Personally, today, I do not use the "calculated importance" feature at all. I simply define what combinations of due dates, contexts, statuses, priorities etc I want to see in my various kinds of lists and save those searches. But who knows, if I could tweak the formula as you suggest, I might give it a shot :) |
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Folke X |
You will find it in the navy blue field, to the far right, under workspace, settings etc.
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