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-   -   Location vs Person vs Resource Context Dilema (http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=22625)

Salem 2011-11-13 03:16 PM

Location vs Person vs Resource Context Dilema
 
I've been using OmniFocus for well over a year now, reading through David Allen's book in addition to dozens of GTD articles / posts out there. The one thing I'm still trying to wrap my head around is the Location / Person / Resource context divide.

I understand that contexts are meant to be used to filter out tasks that only apply based on the current situation, location, resource availability, etc. Furthermore, these contexts are supposed to be in the most simplest form possible to avoid over complexity and constant fidgeting.

The problem I have is figuring out how to organize contexts that do (could) exist in multiple locations.

For example:

Computer: Office vs Office: Computer

While I'm in the office I can access my computer there (location) while I could also technically access the same resource VPN'd in from virtually anywhere... The overlapping / duplicate organization issue continues when you start trying to put in Computer: Online or Computer: Online: Amazon contexts which could technically apply to virtually any computing device (but could also pertain to a specific device at a specific location).


Has anyone else encountered a similar issue in not knowing how contexts should ultimately be organized and trying to avoid undue complexity to the system?


I wonder if there would be a way to create an AppleScript that would duplicate (linked) contexts that are organized in different locations...

ericdano 2011-11-13 04:55 PM

Why not just create a general Online context? Seems kind of a waste to duplicate....cuz then you have duplicates and you might have already done the action....

Christian 2011-11-13 07:41 PM

GTD is from a time when not everybody had a smartphone in his pocket. Today you have your phone, your computer, your Internet and many of your documents with you all the time. That in turn means that the contexts related to those Re no longer bound to your office. I still have an office context which is mainly used for things like checking the physical mail or looking up a file that is located in the office.

I do have a "phone", an "internet" and a "write" context. All those apply to my iPhone, iPad and MacBook which means I will check the for availible actions when on the road or waiting anywhere, able to do some calls. A perspective that sums up all the tasks under these three contexts, maybe called "smartphone" is one thing you could do to get a better overview.

Brian 2011-11-14 03:26 PM

The way I generally tackle stuff like this is to make specific categories to hold items that can only be done in those locations, and then one general catchall for the items that can be done anyplace. Using your example, it would be "Home", "Office", and "Online".

For my workflow, I didn't see enough benefit to having "Computer" sub-contexts for both places. If I have six things to do at Home, the fact that two of them require a computer and four don't doesn't help me much. I find I get more done when I see my actions as often as possible - a smaller number of contexts helps me do that.


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