• Re (Chris Brown): Enable use of To Do Items

    By Kool Pal 2 decades ago

    I thought I will reply here instead of in the Request section.



    Chris: Thank you for your feedback and compliments!



    Let me give my thoughts on the points raised by you, it might help you and others who are probably analysing my work here so that they can build on it.


    1. The Template looks great so far, but I think it could be better using the ToDo Form…

      Ans: Yes, it did cross my mind, but I dropped the idea for several reasons:

      a. Copying the emails into new ToDos seemed to be needless duplication and also needless increase in size of the mail db.

      b. I found it easier to work from the email front-end rather than from the Calender and ToDo frontend.

      c. I did not know how to link back to the original email. The idea of doclinks did cross my mind but it seemed very scary!! (remember, I am NOT a LoNo programmer)

      d. While browsing through the Davidco forum and the outlook Add-in forum I came across users getting confused between the originl emails being moved to different folders and the related Tasks and Calender entries and I wanted to avoid that.


      • To Do Items sync with a Palm Pilot (using Intellisync at least, I think Pylon offers more flexibility).

        Ans: At first I was more focussed on developing it for Lotus Notes client alone. Yes, sync with other devices/ applications was in my Someday/ Maybe list ;)


      • It is easier to create a brand new To Do and doesn't have to be a draft.

        Ans: Yes, in fact even I was lusting after the amazing Project task form created in Outlook. (See screenshot here : http://www.davidco.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3812 )Was trying to replicate it, but got lost somwhere. My 'Draft's solution seemed easier to me. There is a small bug in there. The agent is updating ALL draft emails, but it should actually be running only on selected documents. Shall upload changed template in some days.


      • The Convert To in the "Action" button creates a dupe… the mail message gets the GTD stuff and a "raw" ToDo is created.

        Ans: Yes, this is true and this is the original bit of the Mail Experience Template that I have not tinkered with.


    5. Show/Edit the Follow Up Text in the ToDo Form

      Ans: I was trying to do this from the beginning in the GTD folders, but did not know how. Shall try this later. Thanks for the tip.



      Chris, the idea of this response was not to challenge your ideas or thoughts, but to get this project into "Getting Things Done" using Lotus Notes!



      All the best in converting this in ToDO and calender entries, I am sure there will be takers for this model too!!



      Cheers,

      -=KoolPal=-

    • My workflow differs, but existing ToDos and Palm sync are important to me.

      By Chris Brown 2 decades ago

      Thanks for the details. I fully support your efforts and explinations. I found the Word Doc in the Zip later and it was very helpful as well.



      My company has a LN 6.0 Server, but it is only used for web discussions and documentation. There is no mail routing to anything else so my email processing differs slightly from true LN Users. I'll explain for the benefit of others that have Notes but using other email clients…

      • I added an "internet account" connection to my GroupWise Account using "IMAP Offline"
      • I replicate my GW emails (only from Inbox) into my LN email.
      • I "Copy to ToDo" if it can't be done with-in 2 minutes. (Replies done in GW, not LN)
      • I delete the LN emails and move my GW emails into a "To Process" Folder.
        • Weekly (ok, not so weekly) I run GW rules to move them to a folder equal to the sender.



          So that was kind of a long-winded way to say that I don't do anything with the LN email, so I was not aware of the copy/original confusions others might experience.



          Back to the topic on hand… Some more ideas on ToDo's…
      • Won't affect the Memo form, which is more complex (and valuable) than the ToDo form.
      • Can be shown via the front-end if put in folders.
        • I used Views in my personal GTD modifications, but mostly cuz they are easier to modify.
      • Allows the Subject to change with out affecting original email.
        • Possibly could avoid some of the FollowUpText complexities. Although having an alternate subject can help too.
      • Easy to sync using existing products.
        • Note: Thanks for keeping "Category" as the "Context" because that is what syncs to Palm.
        • Additional Note: Palm Memo's sync to LN Journal.



          OK, so that is my sales pitch. Good thing I'm a computer geek and not in sales!



          I think the DocLink idea could work, but I'm not sure how either. I don't remember it being overly complex, but it has been a long time since I've done any real development.



          I too have lusted over the Projects form but have no idea how to create it. The closest idea I had that could be done (fairly) easily is to do something like the "PigPod Method." An button that would move the current Subject into the body and add some sort of line above it. Then you would have a History.
      • Building on this you could create a table of future Action Items to pull from and insert into the Subject line.



        Well, I guess that is it for the night. Sorry for kind of rambling post. There are only 66 people with a copy of the template, so it seemed like a ramble wouldn't hurt while we wait for the project to pick back up.



        BTW - I support (or at least understand) DA's warning from an "ownership" point-of-view, but find it highly discouraging that there is only ONE "GTD Approved" software program (http://www.davidco.com/productDetail.php?id=63&IDoption=20) and it requires Outlook. I can't figure out why DA never used Notes for "GTD" when it is his primary email client!