[keone]

Originally Posted by wayne4

1) added a context called "none" (although this could equally be called "computer")

wayne4, I'm glad you were able to solve your current "no context" dilemma. However, there is something you mentioned that I want to address, since it has been brought up in this forum in the past (and in the 43 Folders site). It is the issue of assigning contexts when you are a so-called "knowledge worker," one apparently like yourself who spends most of their day at a computer.

I too am one of those knowledge workers. But although I am at my computer all day, I am in different contexts all the time. For example, I use DevonThink to help manage my data, and each of my DT databases deals with a specific project. So I have a unique context assigned to each of those projects. I also have a single action list entitled "Ideas." When I'm in that list I'll quickly make a number of different entries at one time, assigning the appropriate context to each as I go along. Then, later, when I am in one of those databases (e.g. DT:XProject) I will look at its context in OF and enter those ideas appropriate to that dbase.

Another example: Say that there are office supplies that I need to order. I will have entered them in my OF shopping list in the last few weeks or so using my "Online:Staples" context. Then, when it's time to order those supplies, I just go to that context and quickly run down the list.

Just because we may be physically at a computer all day, doesn't mean that we are not "moving" in and out of different contexts as we do our work. I think we limit how we think about contexts by defining them only as different physical locations rather than also virtual ones. And since, as others have said, the use of contexts in OF is one of its most powerful features, it pays off in the long run to be able to use them in an efficient and effective manner. With this in mind, you may want to take another look at your context set-up so that you don't have so many "None" or "Computer" contexts, but ones more specific to applications or areas that you frequent in your computer. (By the way, I had to fiddle with mine over a few months until I finally settled on those that work best for me.)

Regards,
John

[LizPf]

And, many people think of Context as being a physical place or device. But it doesn't have to be.

Most examples of contexts are nouns -- persons, places or things:
@calls
@ work
Susie
...

But contexts can be other things as well:

- work to be done in a specific software package or at a specific web site (GIMP tasks, Zazzle shop maintenance)
- the state of mind you need for the work (challenging, brain dead, etc.)
- states of action (maintenance, new business)


There's no law that says you can't set up contexts in any way that enables you to meaningfully group your work tasks in a way orthogonal to your Projects (which can be lots of things as well).

[Lizard]

You can also leverage the 'default context' on projects to save yourself from having to mass-assign a bunch of contexts again in the future. On each project that is primarily going to be completed in your 'none' context, set the default context to that super-common context (in the project inspector). Now any task you create in there will get the 'none' context, even if you forget to set a context.