Re: conceptual TODO help?

[Eric Abrahamsen <eric@ericabrahamsen.net>]

On Sun, Jul 29 2012, scrawler wrote:

> Hi guys, I have a few questions about todo states. I have these
> keywords defined:
>
> #+TODO: Do Doing DoBy DoLater | Did DidNot DidNever 
> #+TAGS: @Beverly(y) @Bionca(a)
>
> I'd like to have a better understanding of the TODO sequence for any
> given task, assignment, or project. The states Do and Did are pretty
> obviously just TODO and DONE renamed. I can maybe add a
> DEADLINE:<2012-07-28 Sat> for the DoBy heading, and a
> SCHEDULED:<2012-07-28 Sat> for DoLater, but what can or should I do
> with Doing? Should I just leave it alone and look at it?
>
> I think I've seen TODO keywords defined (in the manual? list emails?)
> like "feedback", etc, but it seems like if I have a basic but
> comprehensive sequence I can put that kind of stuff in tags
> (Incidentally, what are the @ signs in front of tags for?).
>
> Are there any keywords I should add or remove? Should I get rid of
> DidNot and DidNever (implying not yet and never will)? My keywords are
> arbitrary and silly, but I'd like to better understand the states they
> label.

Some things to consider:

Say you use DEADLINE for DoBy and SCHEDULED for DoLater: now, does a
DoBy or DoLater tag carry any more information than a "Do plus SCHEDULED
property" or a "Do plus DEADLINE property"? You might think they'll be
easier to search for, but what if you have a DoLater and forget to add a
SCHEDULED? I tend to go for the minimum amount of significant
information, and avoid duplication.

What's the difference between a DidNot and a Do? Or DidNot and a Doing,
for that matter?

I've got a CANCELLED(c@), which would be the same thing as your
DidNever, except that the @ means I have to add an explanation for *why*
it's canceled, and that's useful for record-keeping.

I think @ in tags is a convention for indicating a "location" category,
like @home or @office. I may be wrong, but I think it has no effect
whatsoever on Org's treatment of the tag.

Hope that's good for something…

Definitely second Thomas' link to the online docs…

Eric

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