From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Alex Bochannek Subject: Re: Another GTD question. Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 22:25:01 -0700 Message-ID: References: <451A70EB.2000003@optusnet.com.au> 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 1GTXLk-0002lQ-6h for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sat, 30 Sep 2006 01:25:20 -0400 Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1GTXLg-0002kH-Kj for Emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sat, 30 Sep 2006 01:25:18 -0400 Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1GTXLg-0002kD-Fr for Emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sat, 30 Sep 2006 01:25:16 -0400 Received: from [207.17.137.64] (helo=colo-dns-ext2.juniper.net) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS-1.0:DHE_RSA_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA:24) (Exim 4.52) id 1GTXR9-0007ta-5S for Emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sat, 30 Sep 2006 01:30:55 -0400 Received: from merlot.juniper.net (merlot.juniper.net [172.17.27.10]) by colo-dns-ext2.juniper.net (8.12.3/8.12.3) with ESMTP id k8U5PE1Z086690 for ; Fri, 29 Sep 2006 22:25:14 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from alexb@juniper.net) Received: from ALEXB-LT ([172.23.1.225]) by merlot.juniper.net (8.11.3/8.11.3) with ESMTP id k8U5P1g53547 for ; Fri, 29 Sep 2006 22:25:14 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from alexb@juniper.net) In-Reply-To: <451A70EB.2000003@optusnet.com.au> (Charles Cave's message of "Wed, 27 Sep 2006 22:39:07 +1000") 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: Emacs-orgmode@gnu.org Charles, Uwe, Christopher, thank you very much for your surprisingly diverse replies! It seems everybody is coming up with a slightly different model and I am starting to think that using a computer rather than the folders David Allen proposes maybe gives you *too much* flexibility ;-) Charles unintentionally gave a great example of what I have discovered bothers me a bit about the different lists in GTD: Charles Cave writes: >> o Call the bank about personal statements :PHONE: >> o Go to post office to buy stamps :ERRANDS: >> o Wait for SysAdmin to finish server install :WAITING: >> o Hang new pictures at home :HOME: >> o Discuss new development process with boss :BOSS: > (Create a tag for items (agenda) to discuss with your boss >> o Read through vendor proposal :READING: > (Can this reading be done at home or on your train trip to > work? Reading is one of those activities that can be done almost > anywhere) >> o Server Install project at work :OFFICE: >> o Install software upgrade on laptop :OFFICE: >> o Learn more about font-lock in Org-mode :OFFICE: > > So when you are at the office, you display the tags for OFFICE. > > If you set up a meeting with your boss, you search for :BOSS so you > get the most out of your meeting with the boss. > > When you are reviewing what you are waiting for, use the WAITING tag. > > During your lunch break, you search for ERRANDS. The items tagged PHONE, ERRANDS, OFFICE are pretty much obvious, although the "Server Install" should probably be on a PROJECT list of some sort. The READING, BOSS, and WAITING are trickier I think. The tags are using the list names where most Next Action sublists are essentially contexts. The Agenda and Reading lists aren't quite the same though since Agenda is missing the information whose agenda it is and reading isn't really a context, but an activity, which is context independent. WAITING (and PROJECT) is even worse in a way since once I have dozens of those, how do I find out who I am waiting for, for example? I have to say that I liked Christopher's example. No messing around with tags and integration of diary and agenda. I suspect though that Christopher is spending most of his day in front of a computer and not a whole lot of time in meetings, for example, where next actions come up. Is that suspicion correct? Also, do you include personal items in the lists or is this pretty much just for work tasks? The way Uwe uses different files as categories and tags as meta info is something I do as well. Here's the structure I have come up with and that I would be happy to have critiqued. I am using my existing Notes.org file now with a #+CATEGORY: Work, a new Lists.org fiel with a couple of different categories, one of which is Home, and a Projects.org file for Work with just projects. Since I keep meeting notes in Notes.org, I have #+TAGS set up to include contexts as well as the meta info for different technical areas. The contexts I use are: #+TAGS: CALL(c) COMPUTER(o) ERRANDS(e) { @WORK(w) @HOME(h) } AGENDA(a) READING(r) I decided to make the general lists categories TODO types: #+TYP_TODO: NEXT WAITING SOMEDAY PROJECT DONE I am not sure yet that I really happy with this, but at least I can show my TODO list now and have items listed as: Work: NEXT Do software thing :COMPUTER:Software: Work: WAITING Delivery of software :Software: Home: SOMEDAY Books to Read Home: NEXT: Buy Stamps :ERRANDS: Or something along those lines. I am not really sure what to do with the meta tags and whether I should attach them to WAITING items, for example. There is no way to limit a view by tag or search string in the TODO view, is there? That would make them a lot more useful to me. Alex.