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Option to "merge" Inbox and Today functionality

PRO

Folke 10/31/2013 14:20

Platform:AllCompleted

(This is just a small but nice detail :-)

I do not use the Inbox very much, but I do use it. I primarily use it for email that I sometimes forward to Doit. When I enter tasks manually I usually put them in the right place straight away, unless I am under terrible time pressure, in which case I will do either of these two things:

- if the task will be very short-lived (just a few hours) I may enter it in a "quick & dirty" way straight on my Today screen, perhaps without tags or anything

- if I expect the task to remain in Doit for a longer time, and if I do not have time to process it immediately, I still usually put on the Today list (where I am sure I will see it), or in the Inbox (mainly if I have lots of such tasks, which is quite seldom).

It would be easier for me, and less risk of inadvertently overlooking items in the Inbox, if I could set a preference to have the Inbox displayed on the Today screen, or, even better, to have emailed tasks auto-starred when they arrive (with an option to unclick the star when I have noticed that there is a new task in the Inbox, if I decide to deal with it later.)

But, as I said, this is no top priority, just a small nice touch .-)

wendy_only post on 11/01/2013 07:09#2

PRO

@Folke
Hi,

Thank you for your feedback!

Collect :
Get everything out of your mind and into Doit.im Inbox.

Process and Organize:
After collecting 'stuffs', process and organize them:
a. Put future dreams into Someday.
b. Send tasks intended to be done by others.
c. Convert multi-step task into a project and add actions.
d. Finish 2-minute actions and check them off.
e. Put date/time-specific actions into Scheduled or Today.
f. Put as-soon-as-possible actions into Next.

In your case,it seems that you always do Collect ,Process and Organize at the same time. In most cases,we suggest that Collect first,then Process and Organize. When you collect stuffs,just get everything out of your mind,do not need think when,where and who about the task. Inbox is for Collect,and after Process and Organize,tasks will go to Today if you will start to do it today.

Shall you need any help or have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me back.
Thank you for your support!

Best regards,
Doit.im Team
wendy_only post on 11/01/2013 07:11#3

PRO

@Folke

Hi,

Email to task will be made smarter that you can add start time today in the email to make the task showed in Today. Thank you.
Folke post on 11/01/2013 12:00#4

PRO

@wendy_only

This is no big deal for me - I usually discover things in my inbox reasonably soon, and it is not too difficult to change the view to Inbox, then process, and then go back to Today. So there is no problem. Just a nice detail.

Yes you are right, I try to keep my task inbox to zero unless I am very, very busy. (And even my email inbox I usually empty several times a day, if I have the opportunity.)

But what you say about adding start dates etc to the email would not be of much help to me, because I usually cannot add things to them - they are usually bcc messages or automatic reminders of which I have no influence - and if I did have manual influence over the email's subject line I might as well add the task straight in Doit, right?

So the easiest for me - and for others in my situation - would be if there was a preference option in the Settings to "Display Inbox on Today page". (That would save some space in the left menu, too.)

But as I said, this is just a small detail, I like your work :-)
wendy_only post on 11/02/2013 07:30#5

PRO

@Folke

Q:But what you say about adding start dates etc to the email would not be of much help to me, because I usually cannot add things to them - they are usually bcc messages or automatic reminders of which I have no influence - and if I did have manual influence over the email's subject line I might as well add the task straight in Doit, right?
A: Yes. I agree. How do you think that if there is an option that you can set the emailed tasks go to Today directly?

Q:So the easiest for me - and for others in my situation - would be if there was a preference option in the Settings to "Display Inbox on Today page". (That would save some space in the left menu, too.)
A: We need time to consider this. Thank you for you feedback.

Best regards,
Doit.im Team
Folke post on 11/02/2013 13:21#6

PRO

@wendy_only

Yes, for me personally either of those would work fine, and would be an improvement that I would be satisfied with.

Your first option is very convenient. Then I would not even have to have an Inbox and would get a shorter left menu, right? Very nice and convenient. The only slight disadvantage would be that I would not see the red badge on the iOS app icon (alerting me to the fact that new messages have arrived), but I think that disadvantage would be far outweighed by being able to simply see the new "tasks" in Today as soon as I open the app and never have to have an Inbox. So overall I think your solution is excellent! :-)

And it is totally consistent with how GTD Ticklers work, when you use Scheduled for them, like I do. "Get a haircut" shows up in Today on the date that it becomes relevant to begin considering having a haircut. I normally do not actually do these tickled tasks on the very day they show up, I just re-process them and put them in Next (or Trash them or whatever is appropriate). So the Today list already serves as a kind of combined "Inbox" and "Attention center" (a list of things that I intend to either do or consider or process today), which I think is very convenient and efficient.

I like it a lot :-)