ForumsTips & TricksLocations: How do You use Them?
Locations: How do You use Them?
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Andrew A |
I'm still stuck on how to use these conveniently and easily (I just can't separate them in my mind as contexts with locations, so I see duplication of effort or managing two similar attributes without the ease of use).
Sooo... looking to my fellow users for new a mindset or work flow and see if I can leverage this nifty new feature. |
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PeterW |
I am in the same boat as you - it seems like a duplication of the context feature, at least in terms of the way I use Toodledo. I turned it on but don't bother with it.
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Captain_Obvious |
Everything is fine, I love the new location function.
I shouldn't say the following as I am against location awareness being a priority that is worth developing given the many low level, yet basic, improvements deeply needed. The few times I was thinking on using the location it could not work. I needed multiple location under the same name, For example a "buy a hammer" task can have many location. I could map all hardware stores around. Same goes for grocery stores... The other 70% of the time I would use it for one time events, (customers visits) I do not want to enter this location and have to choose from names in a drop-down menu. I'd want to copy/paste a google map/mapquest link. I'd want to enter an address and have google find the right coordinate. 60% of the time a simple zip code would do. That made me cringe when I read : There are already several thousand people using Locations on Toodledo in only 2 days. After 2 day "Using" is a big word. This message was edited Sep 24, 2010. |
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Andrew A |
I'm going to bump this just this once...
With the release of the new updated iPhone app I really still wonder how to apply locations and am looking for how some of my fellow TDers use them. |
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lsgalicia |
I was hoping it would set off an alert when you arrived at or near the location. For example, if I needed something from Walmart, I could set Walmart as a location and it would alert me that I needed to get that item. Also, I may need to do something when I get home. I would set the location to home and it would give me an alert when I got near my home. I'm not sure if this is how it actually works though.Maybe it is. I haven't figured it out yet.
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Andrew A |
Yeah, I saw that that was coming after an Apple upgrade, but I also mean how people just actually use the locations with their tasks, how they have implemented the feature as part of their work flow.
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sweetbriarpatch |
I' brand new to TD, but I've found locations to be quite helpful. I should preface with explaining that I'm home most of the time, homeschooling my younger six kids and most of my TD tasks are school and household related.
I set up different areas of the house as locations. When the kids and I are working on cleaning and household maintenance, it's simple for me to sort by location and assign kids to different rooms. I then have a list of what needs to be done in each room to communicate to the kids and to check off as I inspect and approve their work. I also assigned the computer as a location which helps as a reminder, for example, that my youngest daughter can't work on her spelling or typing during oldest son's online rhetoric class. |
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PeterW |
@sweetbriarpatch - it sounds like you are using Locations the same as I would use Context (which in GTD-land denotes resource and/or location).
@Andrew A - I just don't have that many errand-type tasks that I need to be prompted about on a regular basis. I do a weekly review (and often a daily scan) so I already know what I need to do and plan accordingly. While the idea of location-based awareness on the iPhone sounds cool, I'm starting to think that it's just a clever use of technology designed to solve a problem that doesn't exist. Just my $0.02. This message was edited Oct 05, 2010. |
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Andrew A |
@PeterW Not just .02, I'm with you on that Peter.
I still dig the idea, but I am searching for a way not to confuse them with contexts or at least see if anyone else has leveraged them in an effective way. New users like sweetbrianpatch use them literally (and I bet effectively since Toodledo is flexible like that), but looking at it from a GTD sort of flat list view, well.... |
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KatBoy |
Yes, I'm still trying to find use for the location feature. Love the idea though...
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kiwinessie |
I have a use for the location feature in my work. I set broad locations for local towns so that I can identify which town clients are from so I can more easily group them for visiting. In my job clients are tasks because they are pregnant =)
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VandVisX |
It would be nice if you could link multiple locations to contexts. The example I would find most useful would be to have a "grocery store" context with each of the three different grocery stores that I use linked. That way I can tag an object that I can get at any of them with the context and an item I need to get from a specific store with a location.
Just a thought. |
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belindagardon |
I am in the middle of a renovation project, and need to source specific things from all over the place. I have a 'shopping/errand' context but would still leave a shop realising I had forgotten something I could only get from that shop. I find locations really valuable in getting all the bits and pieces i need from one location - and planning what i do that day :)
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ScottMNC |
I was using RTM and it would give me an alert when near a location for a task. Toodle has location available on the web app, but I can't find a way to use it on my Android. Anyone know of any Android apps that support the location feature?
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dannyw0011 |
Posted by ScottMNC:
I was using RTM and it would give me an alert when near a location for a task. Toodle has location available on the web app, but I can't find a way to use it on my Android. Anyone know of any Android apps that support the location feature? Ultimate To-Do List has the locations feature, and it's Android based. |
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EmilyTheChef |
I think everyone has different needs when it comes to a valuable to-do list. So far, Toodledo has been my favorite, because of the Location tool. The feature has FINALLY helped me cement the proper (according to David Allens G-T-D methodology)use of a @context. I've been using the GTD add-in for Outlook, and while it is AWESOME for turning hoards of emails into tasks, there was something missing for me. My @contexts were a combination of "locations" and "tools needed to get job done". I had so many contexts and projects and subtasks that I couldn't remember how I was entering similar types of tasks. Therefore, my to-do list was just a big disorganized mishmosh and consequently, I just hid my emails-turned-to-do's in the GTD part of Outlook and never did anything with them. Not good!
So for me, @context is a "TOOL" that I need to get the job done. @Home_Office (yes, it is a location, but it is more of a context because of the physical items in the home_office that I need to get the job done) When I enter a @Home_Office context, I don't fill in the Location field. @errands Code for, "this gets done somewhere outside of my home or my offices". I definitely use "Locations" with this context. I have made about 10 locations (and counting) scattered across the county according to a landmark or friend or store in that certain area. So when I have a "3-Top Priority" @errand to get done today near the "Location=Airport", then I can see if I had any other non-critical things to get done in that same section of town. Of course, this is what I do, and how I use Toodledoo... it might not make sense to someone else. Just don't give up until you find something that works for you!! :) |
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jeremiah.moss |
"I see duplication of effort or managing two similar attributes without the ease of use"
I agree. I've essentially gotten rid of contexts and replaced them with locations. The difference between the two isn't enough to really justify two lists in my opinion. |
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cliftonr |
Posted by ScottMNC:
I was using RTM and it would give me an alert when near a location for a task. Toodle has location available on the web app, but I can't find a way to use it on my Android. Anyone know of any Android apps that support the location feature? I'm afraid I can't help with Android apps, but the ToodleDo locations integrate perfectly with the 2Do app on the iPhone. For myself, I use "Locations" to associate things to do with physical locations, e.g. show the "Pick up cat food" task when I'm near the vet, or "Gas the car" when near Costco. I use contexts for hiding home activities so they aren't distracting me when I'm at work, and vice versa; somewhat like folders, but not exactly. |
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alexandremrj_2 |
Hello,
I use locations as Areas. So I have the context @office but this can mean my Work Office (as one location) or my Home Office (as another location), so instead of searching through multiple contexts in a long list I simply filter by location. This simplifies my adding of a new task because I simply write the task, the context is simple because i don't have any context with the same first letter (few contexts) and then in Location I select w (work), h (home) or o (other). Hope this helps |
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pele |
Hello,
I use column Location as "Context" in GTD (HOME, WORK, CITY). And I use column Context as a refinement for a row (type of row): WAITING FOR, REMARK or <nothing> when the row is a simple task. This message was edited Aug 06, 2011. |
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