OF is streets ahead of Things in functionality and configurability but so many users still come back to this problem... the list of what they want to do Today. The problem is that OF is fantastic at Getting Ready To Get Things Done, but not so great during the What Am I Doing Now stage. Without a complete GUI revamp (hoped for in version 2?), the simplest way around this problem in version 1.9 would be to add further customisation to the Availability Filter to include "Started or Due"
I gather that many of us are using Start dates to determine what to do now or soon and Due dates of tasks with specific deadlines. The problem with the current filtering options is... if I want a list of Actions that have a start date on or before Now, my options are limited to Grouping or Sorting by Start and then ignoring (closing) the Group called "Start any time". It means I cannot have a list or Perspective grouped or sorted by other parameters.
I would suggest a "Started" filter that includes only items that have any Start date or a Start date that is now or past but not future. Also an Availability Filter called "Started or Due".
It does get complicated when you add Available, Remaining and/or Next Action to the mix but I don't mind a lot more Available Filter options with each possibility - or having each one configurable by Prefs. It would be better than the current situation.
This should not apply to Projects because they may have been started but that doesn't mean you want to do the Actions within them now or today.
The other "Today" and "Started" functionality required is whether people want Actions with started dates prior to today to roll over... ie, to have them automatically update to today's date at midnight. This was available in Now Up-to-Date's to do list and it came in handy. It might offend some purists but it could be optional by configuration through an off/on default in Prefs and individual control through Action Inspector.
And to complete the Today/Started elements so attractive to Things users, there should be a menu command, keyboard shortcut and toolbar icon called "Do Today" or whatever that sets or changes a selected Action's - or, more importantly a selected number of Actions' Start Date to today's date and now time. It is really cumbersome to have to go to the Action Inspector and click on the Start date field and write Today or Now all the time.
I know a lot of people rely on Flagged for this sort of thing but that should be reserved for special items that demand special attention. What I want to do now or today is about whether I want to start that Action. Until OF has some kind of differentiation between Actions that have started but not finished (ie are in progress) as opposed to a tick box that is either completed or not, then I think Start Date is the best option we've got.
Your thoughts?
Last edited by watchit; 2010-04-23 at 04:28 AM..