[brab]

Originally Posted by curt.clifton

Are you using the estimated time column? It is really about time required, but if you aren't using it for time you could use it for estimated amount of brainpower required. Hmm, this task may take 45 minutes, but it only requires 1 minute of thinking.

This is a good idea, but I'd rather keep this column for time required. Thanks for the suggestion.

[mcoad]

Originally Posted by OOO

That reminds me, Apple really needs to remove that pointless "single font restriction". I just want to set my resume in both Times and Comic Sans simultaneously, because it looks good in both!

(sorry couldn't resist)

Yo! Appreciate the joke, but to be dour about it, the analogy is false. If you want to set different parts of your resume in two fonts, there’s nothing stopping you (except your hopes of getting the job). But if you mean you want to set every letter of the same chunk of text simultaneously in two fonts, the physical laws of the universe - bear with me folks -, and not Apple, won’t be having it. Or, rather, if you did manage it, you’d have invented a new hybrid font which wouldn’t be either of the two originals.

The Great Context Issue is totally different. Here, in this corner of the multiverse, it is actually impossible to choose a single and multiple contexts, or anything else, simultaneously, in an OF field or anywhere else. At least it is where I’m sitting. A quantum physicist might take issue, but then quantum task management is a whole different jar of worms, I should imagine - and if all this is keeping the Omnifolks up at night... So what you say has nothing to do with the issue at hand, which is about having the option to choose - and because you need it, not because it looks good.

Wow, enjoyed that... thanks OOO.

Originally Posted by Journey

Exactly -- for those who don't want or feel that they need multiple contexts, they can use one / action.

I enjoyed your post about fonts and shapes -- you are a skilled writer and very good at getting your point across.

Thanks for the kind words, Journey. These forums do get kind of addictive, don’t they. But all to a good purpose...

[curt.clifton]

mcoad, thanks for clarifying your use of contexts. I wasn't trying to preach orthodoxy, just wanted to make sure there wasn't some confusion.

I'm enjoying the font analogy as well. I'm laughing to myself, because I actually think it would be a good idea if my word processing application presented a small well-chosen set of fonts that worked nicely together and hid the others. That would prevent me from fiddling with the fonts. Give me nice Optima headings and some Palatino goodness for the body text. I could use different templates to get other sets of well matched fonts. (This is mostly tongue in cheek, but I think the gist of my reaction probably reflects on why I'm fine with single contexts per action.)

I've enjoyed this thread. You've convinced me that multiple contexts per action would be a helpful feature. I doubt I would use it much personally, but there seem to be some use cases where it is the right approach.

[joelande]

Last night I dug out my copy of GTD and started reading it again.

I immediately thought of this thread when I read:

Page xii:
"And after twenty-plus years of developing and applying new methods for personal and organizational productivity, alongside years of rigorous exploration in the self-development arena, I can attest that there is no single, once-and-for-all solution."

[mcoad]

Originally Posted by curt.clifton

mcoad, thanks for clarifying your use of contexts. I wasn't trying to preach orthodoxy, just wanted to make sure there wasn't some confusion..

Thanks, Curt. I didn’t take it as preaching. I was glad of the comments, as they made me think my use of the context through again, and I can see that from the name it would look a bit off-kilter. I’ve certainly learnt a lot from the forum, which I confess I was new to, even if the debate does gets a bit pointed now and again.

It has been a good thread, and by now pretty much everything has been said, I guess. Here’s hoping it’s been useful for the Omnians, too. Some good cases have been made, I reckon, plenty of food for thought.

And - to go off topic a second - I agree with you about the font grouping - a really good idea, not at all tongue-in-cheek. To non-design ninjas, some gentle guidance like this would be really useful, I’ve often thought while battling with the font lists.

Originally Posted by joelande

"And after twenty-plus years of developing and applying new methods for personal and organizational productivity, alongside years of rigorous exploration in the self-development arena, I can attest that there is no single, once-and-for-all solution."

Right on!

Cheers

Malcolm

[OOO]

Although I'm a devout "single contexter" (as well as a hardcore "software minimalist"), I do agree that there is nothing in GTD defines a context one way or another. In fact, I believe DA says that you can use NO contexts (i.e. a plain to-do list) if you don't have a lot of actions. And in the "GTD templates" that he sells (a set of cards that summarizes GTD), context is basically mentioned in half a sentence, along with the other criteria for determining what to do next. I suspect if you asked DA about multiple contexts he'd say something like "whatever works for you, just don't let your project management become another project itself". (I guess I'd fail this one because I DO have a bucket in OmniFocus called "OmniFocus feedback").

GTD is basically a set of principles, or an attitude, more than particular behaviors. BUT, we can't support all the different interpretations in one single program.

As for my earlier font reply, I'm no designer, but does anybody remember Multiple master fonts? Those DID let you combine multiple fonts on a single character, via interpolation. But it quietly died because 1) most designers didn't understand or see the need and 2) the UI was never really figured out.

[mcoad]

Thanks, OOO!! Good sense, good vibes... Could it be that we’re actually reaching a consensus here!

Cheers

Malcolm

PS I agree about not being able to include all possible interpretations in a single app, but that’s not what we’re talking about, after all. Merely one feature, of no significance for those who don’t want to use it, and which, as you point it, isn’t a matter of unbreakable doctrine anyway.

[Journey]

Originally Posted by mcoad

Thanks, OOO!! Good sense, good vibes... Could it be that we’re actually reaching a consensus here!

Yes, definitely good vibes. The discussion has been very good.

Since we all have good feelings now, let's do a group {{{ hugz }}} and sing Kumbaya :-)

(a little silliness doesn't hurt now and then)

All together now,

Kumbaya my lord, kumbaya .......

[mcoad]

Kumbayaaaaaaaa, my lord.......

Oh yeah...

[curt.clifton]

kumbaya.

(respectful silence to satisfy the minimum post length rule)