[brihi]

Why if I enter tasks Inbox and apply a context to it, the item does not show up in the corresponding context folder?

Also, I understood that if all task entries in Inbox with not context given would appear in the No Context Listing when Context is selected. It doesn't for me.

-BrianP

[Lucas]

Actions don’t show up on the context side until they are moved out of the inbox. To have them show up there, you most likely want to give each a project and context (depending on your preferences) and then hit Edit → Clean Up.

[scotty321]

Yeah, this is super-annoying. I wish that Omni Group wouldn't make this program so damn difficult. If something's in my inbox and it has a context, then I want it to show up in the list of contexts!

My inbox is where I keep my highest priority items, so if it's in my inbox, I absolutely want it to appear in my list of contexts!

I think I'm going to switch to Things, which is so much simpler and more intuitive than OmniFocus. OmniGroup has complicated the hell out of this program, and it basically makes it unusable as a to-do manager. OmniGroup follows GTD methodology so rigidly with this program, that they forget about the other 99% of the population that DOESN'T use GTD and just wants a great to-do list manager.

[scotty321]

Oh geez, I just downloaded Things and they don't allow "nesting" items into parents and children. That is more of a dealbreaker for me than this inbox/context issue, so it looks like I'm stuck with OmniFocus for now.

[CatOne]

Keeping your highest priority items in the Inbox is fairly orthogonal to GTD. So while it's fine if you don't want to religiously follow GTD, some knowledge that OmniFocus is somewhat focused in that direction should give you some guidance. You will have issues if you put your highest priority items in the Inbox.

You could flag them instead and then use the flagged view. Or any number of other items. As was previously stated, once you have a context assigned you can tell OmniFocus to "clean up" and then the items will show up in your contexts list.

As you've seen, Things has a number of limitations. It's very pretty, unfortunately it does have some REAL annoyances (my main one is the fact that items that are in projects cannot be assigned individual start dates, so for items in projects you can either show ALL items or show NONE in your views... GAH!).

[Greg Jones]

To add to what CatOne said, the Inbox in Things really doesn't work as you are wanting it to either. You can select the Inbox in Things, and filter on tags, but Inbox items do not show up in the Focus, Projects, or Areas sections. In that respect both applications are very similar in that there is an expectation that tasks will be processed out of the Inbox before they are actionable.

[scotty321]

Thanks so much, CatOne and Greg Jones, for your additional feedback regarding this matter. I think I'm going to have start using that flagged view instead. I guess that I will also have to wrap my brain around the idea that tasks must be moved out of the inbox before they are actionable.

[Greg Jones]

Originally Posted by scotty321

I guess that I will also have to wrap my brain around the idea that tasks must be moved out of the inbox before they are actionable.

I believe that would be the best plan... However, there are some options should you want to work out of an Inbox. You could create a SAL at the Library level, even name it Inbox. Then in Preferences, set 'Clean Up Inbox Items which have' to 'A Context'. Set the default list for single actions to your newly created 'Inbox' SAL, and all items captured outside of OmniFocus to the main Inbox, with a context, will be processed to the SAL Inbox. Items captured without a context assigned will continue to reside in the main Inbox.

[whpalmer4]

Originally Posted by scotty321

TI think I'm going to have start using that flagged view instead. I guess that I will also have to wrap my brain around the idea that tasks must be moved out of the inbox before they are actionable.

They are actionable immediately, even in the Inbox, but they won't show up in the other views until they've been moved out of the Inbox. Maybe your workflow should be that you drain the Inbox whenever there is something in it, either by assigning a project and context, or immediately doing it (or my personal favorite, deciding it isn't going to be done and deleting it). Only when there isn't anything in the Inbox do you look at the other lists. If the Inbox really is where your highest priority stuff is, why are you looking elsewhere before you've finished with the contents of the Inbox?

[Toadling]

Originally Posted by whpalmer4

If the Inbox really is where your highest priority stuff is, why are you looking elsewhere before you've finished with the contents of the Inbox?

There you go using common sense again, Bill. When are you going to just give it a rest? ;-)

-Dennis