Due Times: Web/Mobile
I am running into situations where I really need the ability to enter not only a due date but a due time. This is especially true for meetings. I am sure it's on the radar, but wanted to mention it.
Thanks
I am running into situations where I really need the ability to enter not only a due date but a due time. This is especially true for meetings. I am sure it's on the radar, but wanted to mention it.
Thanks
Support Staff 2 Posted by Christiane Magee on 29 Mar, 2010 07:41 PM
Believe it or not you are the first to mention it.
Can you elaborate a little more on how you would use it? I.e. are you looking for a reminder email to be triggered? would this task automatically show at the top of your lists when DUE is selected?
I'm just wondering if tags could be used in an inventive way. (?)
3 Posted by Proximo on 29 Mar, 2010 07:51 PM
I think having due dates without the ability of due times is very limiting when you think of your standard Calendar. Although Nirvana may not have a built in Calendar, I still view many of my task with due dates as Calendar entries.
The most basic usage would be a task reminding me of a meeting. I would like to not only see the task and know when the meeting is going to take place, but at what time. This way I know not to be late.
Not sure if I can explain it any other way. Some things are due on a particular day and particular time. Just want the ability to enter the due time as well.
In the future if Nirvana was to link task out to Calendars with iCal or some other means. You would most likely want to have due times along with due dates. Many Calendar entries have both. I would say that most Calendar entries have both.
In the meantime, having my task with this information is very useful.
Meet with Justin to discuss trip to Kansas, City.
I would like to have the date we will meet and the time we plan on meeting. Having a task on my Today list that says Meet with Justin at Steak & Shake is not enough. What time are we supposed to meet?
If I have a report due for an important meeting, knowing the time of the meeting will help me plan out my morning. I may have plenty of time after lunch if the meeting is at 4:00 PM. But if the meeting is at 10:00 AM, I may want to tackle this task first.
Hope this makes sense.
Support Staff 4 Posted by Christiane Magee on 31 Mar, 2010 02:17 PM
Makes complete sense.
This is a very good point. Admittedly I wasn't thinking about calendar integrations. This would make complete sense.
adding to the Big List o' Suggestions.
:)
5 Posted by Dan on 08 Sep, 2010 11:28 AM
I apologize for bringing up this topic again, but I was pretty surprised when I saw no one else had mentioned this besides Proximo. So I just wanted to throw my name in there as someone who would greatly benefit from the addition of a "Due time". Thanks!
6 Posted by haeffb on 08 Sep, 2010 01:28 PM
"plus one"
I need a reminder around "quitting time" to stop by the vet and pick up some meds for my dogs. This has been on my task list for a week, but I never remember to look at it when I'm leaving the office. If I had a mobile app that would remind me at 4pm to go to the vet's office, my dogs would still be alive.
(Well, Ok, they're still alive anyway, but you get the point....)
7 Posted by Proximo on 08 Sep, 2010 02:27 PM
@haeffb
Good to know your dogs are OK. LOL
I find it useful when a task requires me to do something before a meeting starts. Since I can't put a due time on this task, I could look at it when the meeting is about to start and realize I did not get it done.
While on this topic, how do you guys feel about having a Start Time and Due Time?
I can see where a reminder/tickler would benefit from a start time. If I had a meeting at 2:00 PM and needed to update a report prior to the meeting, it would be cool to set a start time for that task at 1:00 PM and get a reminder about it, so that I am ready for 2:00PM.
Just throwing ideas out on the table.
8 Posted by Qewler on 15 Sep, 2010 09:10 AM
Must have feature!
+ 1
The way I see it (how it should be done) it's the way tolen from producteev (sorry guys, but they did it just great)
See the image enclosed
9 Posted by mapjr on 08 Oct, 2010 05:16 PM
Proximo raises a good point. A calendar view, with times, would be a good feature. As Qewler points out Producteev handles this nicely. Where Producteev is lacking is in absence of discrete project and context labeling, as it appears that both must be handled by the self-created labels.
10 Posted by paul on 19 Oct, 2010 03:38 PM
Yes, add me to this wants list too please. I'd say a time requirement is an absolute necessity. I'm surprised it's not higher up the list.
11 Posted by Zeshalta on 14 Nov, 2010 04:28 PM
Would love to be able to ditch ICal for some things and just have nirvana open with everything I need right there. A sort filter based on time due would then let me view my "next" list in a way similar to an agenda. Currently my day is based on projects and actions I have to do and times I have to either start them, or have them done by.
12 Posted by Steven Heidel on 14 Nov, 2010 07:25 PM
-1
I completely disagree with this feature. GTD is about using the best tools for the job, not trying to make one tool work for everything. Things with specific times belong on a calendar, like Google calendar, which has every possible feature you could ever need for scheduling things. Nirvana should be left for tasks.
13 Posted by paul on 15 Nov, 2010 10:40 AM
@Steven. I disagree with you. There are plenty of instances where tasks could benefit from a time allocation, many of which are mentioned above. In most of these cases it would be erroneous to put them on a calendar. I don't know about you, but I try to keep my calendar reserved for real events and face-to-face meetings; places I actually have to be, rather than things I have to do.
14 Posted by Qewler on 15 Nov, 2010 10:49 AM
I agree with Nirvana, totally!!!
Calendar for real meetings, task calendar - for tasks!
15 Posted by Zeshalta on 15 Nov, 2010 11:15 AM
@ Steven. Seems like a feature that could be added without offending people too much... it's just a matter of ignoring it if you don't want to use the feature. Not suggesting you be locked into always choosing a time for tasks. Some programs I have used you type in "Meeting with Bryan on Wednesday" but you can also type in "Meeting with Bryan on Wednesday at 9 pm" and have a Time Due date created. It doesn't have to be obtrusive.
16 Posted by Proximo on 15 Nov, 2010 12:22 PM
If I have a task that is due to my boss by a certain time on a certain day. Why would I not want the ability to add that to my details and get a tickler to remind me that I need to get moving on it?
I think it's weird not to have a time field.
The calendar is for meetings and appointments. A task that requires me to turn something in and does not involve a meeting would not go into my calendar. This is why having a time field would be so helpful to make sure I remember to turn in that TPS Report by 2:00 PM
17 Posted by Rique on 21 Nov, 2010 06:31 AM
+1 for Proximo. I would probably not use this often, but it would be nice to have it available as an option. There are use cases where it would be appropriate. And it should definitely not be a required entry.
18 Posted by Bill V. on 05 Jan, 2011 01:28 PM
Yep, this is a must have, no question.
This is one thing RTM actually does quite well (i'm a hopefully soon to be ex-RTM user)
19 Posted by anmtek on 13 Apr, 2011 07:09 AM
I also would like due time and at least an iCal feed/link.
@Steven I like the idea of a tool that is fit for ALL aspects of GTD that is digital. I have a paper filing system for items that are all paper.. but my calendar is also digital. Any task(anything that i have to do) that has a deadline(date or time or both) I want to have show up on a calendar. I do not want to conceptually split things up and end up having to look at two calendars.
If an task is due by a certain day and I complete it early, it will fall off my calendar.
If an task needs to happen at a certain time, fine.. it will be there. If I see a few days that are REALLY busy.. I can see ahead of time that I may need to clear up some tasks early.
I don't want to mentally merge what I saw on my calendar and tasks lists for items that are both due on the same day. I have had a Jorte widget(android) on my phone because it gave me a calendar with a list of tasks below it. That's close to what I want, at least.
A meeting is just a task that MUST take place at a date/time.
Sorry if I'm rambling, but I'm also trying to clarify in my head what my ideal system is.
Since there is a 99% chance I'm going to have to pay for Nirvana when this system is out of beta to keep my GTD system functional.. I figure I may as well do my thinking out loud here. :)
Support Staff 20 Posted by David McLaughlin on 14 Apr, 2011 04:49 PM
@Proximo, et al I just got done talking to Elbert to verify this --
The ability to assign an "Alert", including a specific time of day, will be in a future release.
The alert will not be restricted based on any state of task; that is it doesn't matter whether it's a task that is scheduled, due, waiting, or none of the above. It's simply assign this alert, for this date & time, to this task -- end of story.
When an alert is "fired" the task will be "starred" for Focus. And if you're not ready for it, you'll be able to "snooze" it until later.
So basically you could have a task due on Friday, show up in your Next list (because it's not Scheduled), but with an alert that would fire on Wednesday at 11:00AM and it would become a Focus task at that point.
And, of course, the alert could be used for things like doctor appointments, meetings and the like. Not sure when that will hit the release schedule, but it won't be for the next one because that feature set is "locked-in" already.
Hope that helps,
David
21 Posted by Proximo on 14 Apr, 2011 10:40 PM
Great news David.
Sounds like it's going to be very flexible.
22 Posted by anmtek on 14 Apr, 2011 11:10 PM
I think I like it. Can't wait to see it working.. thanks!
23 Posted by Roanna K. on 19 Apr, 2011 04:38 AM
@David, wow that sounds like a really great implementation of the due date / due time functionality. One of my pet peeves of virtually all other GTD software is this:
http://miksovsky.blogs.com/flowstate/2011/02/stop-abusive-task-list...
I'm not affiliated with Cozi, but that form of overdue tasks really drives me nuts with just about everything, so I'm pleased to hear about the thoughtfulness that's going into this implementation.
24 Posted by Proximo on 19 Apr, 2011 07:32 PM
@Roanna
This is why GTD teaches that the Calendar is sacred and you should never add due dates to task unless they are actually due on that day.
We still need a good alert system to keep us informed of what is approaching.
25 Posted by Pietrole on 06 Sep, 2011 05:23 AM
Thought I'd dial in and see where this feature was at (namely, when may it be coming to N2prev), considering it is such a brilliantly sensible (and flexible!) implementation of the modern GTD tickler.
I think from reading above it was anticipated a little while back!
Support Staff 26 Posted by David McLaughlin on 08 Sep, 2011 04:32 PM
@Pietrole - not for a little while yet.
We need to retire N1, then allow times to be specified for tasks, in general. Then we can tackle the alerts -- it's starting to bubble up the list. Hang in there.
David