[kwlug-disc] Todo Lists and task management

[unsolicited]

Chris Irwin wrote, On 03/16/2010 3:20 PM:
> On Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 15:17, Raul Suarez <rarsa at yahoo.com> wrote:
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>> What's wrong with the plain old paper Agenda?
> 
> To me Paper is the same as a flat file. You need to manage everything
> yourself. And if you want to insert something between task four and
> five, you've either got scribble lines and arrows across the page, or
> you're rewriting the list.
> 
> I did paper at my last job. The problem was that I didn't *always*
> have it on me. And when I lost it, even if I could rebuild the list, I
> lost all of my associated notes. It's much harder to keep an
> up-to-date backup of paper notes. I ended up leaving it at my desk so
> I would always know where it was and didn't risk losing it. It may
> sound like nit-picking, but I really don't have anything against paper
> itself, I just don't find it efficient for large todo lists.

Finally catching up on this thread.

Whatever system is used, I gather the hardest part is having the 
discipline to use it religiously and without exception.

One of the principles in GTD is the concept of a trusted storage 
system. One place (paper, sw, whatever) that contains everything. So 
when you keep wondering if you remembered that you have to do 
something, you have confidence that you've got it noted and can let 
that worry go and concentrate on something else.

As noted, the problem with paper is that it's not to hand at ALL 
times. As Palm and support goes downhill I'm finding that to be true 
regardless of the method used. e.g. The Palm isn't always in sync.

So I've ended up making sure I have a pen and small notepad with me at 
all times. If I remember something I note it down. e.g. Phone numbers.

The problem, of course, is maintaining absolute discipline that when 
you get back to your storage system, you religiously get those 
scribbles back into the storage. Let alone throwing that piece of 
paper away so you don't keep looking at it. And wondering ... did I 
remember to enter that?

One of my issues for the longest time is I'm tired of having contact 
information in various states in various places. Cell, cordless, 
computer, telephone book, paper address book in different rooms. 
(Think Christmas lists!) So was enjoying the Palm in the sense of 
having a single master repository. Sadly, as part of what started this 
thread, KDE4 apparently breaks Palm sync (pilot link not being 
updated, etc.)

Some day I'll get transitioned over to kmail and eGroupware and 
hopefully non-cell data sync'ing with a smartphone - but as noted 
elsewhere by someone, that's an intimidating amount of infrastructure. 
kmail (koffice/kontact/kpim) being a 'standard' able to sync with 
eGroupware, opensync getting more and more support, etc. [Being, 
AFAICT the most widely supported (sync) 'standard' out there. .ics, 
etc. may be more prevalent, but probably also more manual in keeping 
things consistent.]

Someday I'll have to actually get Symbian - I just wish the devices 
were affordable and with a keyboard. Let alone with touchscreens. 
Maybe I'll end up with Android some day, but I'm a little leery. It 
being pointed out to me that symbian is both open hardware and open 
software, which Android isn't, quite.

Still don't quite get how iPhone with a touchscreen is somehow magical 
when Palm was doing it for years. Let alone that Blackberry didn't go 
touchscreen some long time ago. Strange. Cost I guess.