From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Bernt Hansen Subject: Re: Feature idea: Automatic clocking Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:26:53 -0400 Message-ID: <87k50xm0hu.fsf@gollum.intra.norang.ca> References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Return-path: Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1MeZlN-0006qU-Us for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:27:02 -0400 Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1MeZlK-0006nW-1b for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:27:01 -0400 Received: from [199.232.76.173] (port=48585 helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1MeZlJ-0006nM-Up for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:26:57 -0400 Received: from mho-01-ewr.mailhop.org ([204.13.248.71]:59940) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS-1.0:DHE_RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32) (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1MeZlJ-0003vE-FW for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:26:57 -0400 In-Reply-To: (PT's message of "Fri\, 21 Aug 2009 18\:35\:27 +0000 \(UTC\)") List-Id: "General discussions about Org-mode." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Sender: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org To: PT Cc: emacs-orgmode@gnu.org PT writes: > I just started using clocking and it seems really useful. It > occured me it could also be done automatically for certain tasks > which are performed in the org buffer. > > For example, I work on some text which I keep in an org subtree, > the branches of the subtree hold the chapters, etc. > > If the main subtree which is the root of the document has a CLOCK > property (put there by a previous manual clocking) and also an > AUTOCLOCK or similar property then it could monitor if I modify > the text within the subtree and start the clock automatically. If > I stop modifying the subtree then after a while (say, 30 seconds, > configurable) it would stop the clock automatically. > > So for subtrees explicitly marked for automatic clocking the user > wouldn't have to start/stop the clock manually at all, org could > do it itself. > > What do you think? Hi PT, I've been using org-mode clocking since 2006-08-29 Tue 11:44 and I am skeptical about how useful this would really be in the general case. Most of my tasks involve *thinking* not just typing so stopping the clock when I'm working on solving a problem would be bad. I also clock tasks while working on another machine which org-mode knows nothing about so stopping the clock due to inactivity isn't appropriate. I don't like the idea of automatic clocking for a number of reasons: - It lets you be sloppy about starting and stopping the clock -- which means the clock won't be running for some task you are working on (say one that is not marked for automatic clocking). This means you're going to work on stuff and not have it clocked when you need it to be at some point. I bill based on clock time and it needs to be correct. - Clocking stuff in and out rigorously is a good habit to learn if clock data is really important to you. Automatic clocking defeats this goal. - If you're clocking some important project task and you happen to touch the task marked for automatic clocking you'll clock out the project task and clock in the new task... and a short time later the clock stops when you move back to the project task but you're still really working on that original project task. Clocking the right task usually takes more intelligence than just what part of an org-file changes. I have org-clock-out-when-done set to nil so that org-mode does not stop the clock when a task is marked DONE. This makes me responsible for when the clock starts and stops for all tasks - I clock in and out for everything that matters. I change the clock when I switch tasks and I think it's really hard to get that right automatically. So there's my two cents :) Regards, Bernt