How have you further divided context @computer?

[Arun]

I am sure everyone of us have our context @computer to be longest with majority of Next Actions under it.

My @laptop was earlier divided into @laptop with internet and @laptop without internet. But still the lists was long.

So recently I tried breaking it down further to
@Laptop With Net - For Files
Here all the next actions are to be done on files, word, excel, ppt, programming, etc.
@Laptop With Net - For Google App
Here all the next actions are do be done on google search, gmail, google docs, etc.
@Laptop With Net - For Tigri
Here all the next actions that are related to my company or business sites
@Laptop With Net - Programs
Here all the next actions are related to windows applications or program
@Laptop With Net - Using Torrents
Here all the next actions are related to torrents
@Laptop With Net - For Websites
Here all the next actions are related to any website over internet (excluding all the google sites and torrent sites)

I would like to learn and know from you, how you have creatively divided your @computer list? if there is something that we can take or learn from your share.

 

[@Newbie]

I have divided it into actions that are similar in the amount of energy/focus they take, because having a computer with internet somewhere when i work is almost inevitable, i don't even mention the @laptop context with them, giving me more liberty to work without a screen if i feel like it. Mine at the moment are;

@e-mail, for short emails i need to send to folks
@write, (similar to your - For files i assume) for pieces i am working on, mostly in word (since i am in the legal business, words are basically my job)
@read/review for job related articles and files from my intern and coworkers i need to review before they can be sent out
@ administration, for everything not directly case or bookkeeping related that still needs to be done, (check whether an invoice has been paid, paying court fees etc.)
@ bookkeeping (seems obvious)

 

[mcogilvie]

No division! If I can do it at my desk at work or my desk at home, it goes on my "Anywhere" list. OK, it's not really anywhere, but I know what I mean. It's my longest list, and I find subdivision of it just induces friction for me.

 

[Gardener]

I don't have an @computer context--so many things involve the computer, and the computer is so available, that it would feel to me rather like having @indoors or @whileseated contexts.

 

[Oogiem]

I would like to learn and know from you, how you have creatively divided your @computer list? if there is something that we can take or learn from your share.

15 of my current 34 contexts are subdivisions of @computer and I'm not even in a particularly computer intensive business. I do it by application (@LiibreOffice, @Lightroom & Photoshop, @ Scrivener, @ DEVONThink for example) and by critical device @iPad, @iPhone. The mental energy to switch between applications is far higher for me than the mental energy to switch between actions/projects that use the same application

 

[severance1970]

I used to split off an online subcategory from my @Computer list, but when I started GTD over a decade ago, connectivity wasn't as ubiquitous. Now that most public venues have wireless, I almost never have to work from a strictly offline context, so I got rid of the category, and stick to broad physical contexts as action triggers. Whenever I've used "virtual" contexts in the past, like @Writing or @Excel, it created a slippery slope from relying on external triggers that were truly "out of my head" to more subjective criteria like, "What do I need to do right now?"; before long, I caught that I was gradually ignoring my lists.

Sometimes I have dozens of next actions in @Computer, sometimes fewer than 10, but as long as my eyes don't glaze over when scanning the list, I'm good. If I do find that my eyes are glazing over, it's more likely due to a poorly expressed or conceived next action spoiling the bunch than it is with the length of the list.

 

[Cpu_Modern]

I am handling it like mcogilvie, except I do have one division: by REVIEWing frequencey. I have one list with NAs that I want to scan over (REVIEW, not DO) everyday and another list with all the others. (And no, the second list is not a graveyard, the trick is as always to be diligent with your WEEKLY REVIEW.)

 

[K-S]

I have split my computer contexts only into
@computer
@computer - online

Hopefully self-explanatory

 

[mcogilvie]

I am handling it like mcogilvie, except I do have one division: by REVIEWing frequencey. I have one list with NAs that I want to scan over (REVIEW, not DO) everyday and another list with all the others. (And no, the second list is not a graveyard, the trick is as always to be diligent with your WEEKLY REVIEW.)

I've done something like this too. Some people have a Most Important Thing list. I'm not doing this kind of thing right now, but would do it again if it seemed called for. Another variant is David Allen's "Before Trip" list, which he uses.. (wait for it) for stuff that has to get done before a trip.

 

[KNielsen]

I have two
@Computer
@iPhoneiPadPC

The first can really take it all, but I put only things that would require more screen real estate for working with multiple files, typing fast on a keyboard, special programmes etc.

The other one is for things that I can do almost everywhere with some sort of processing- / internetpower and for non-complicated things, but something I can do on every one of the three devices -wichever is at hand; basic research, filling questionaire, updating some simple information etc.

I think I tend to ask myself first: "What can I NOT do on iPhone/iPad/PC" .. and then find the appropriate context, otherwise it goes in there.

 

[Thais Godhino]

@computer
@online
@gdrive (I do a lot of stuff when I'm there)
@e-mails
@writing (kind of "mode" state)
@surfing

 

[ljmwaugh]

@LaptopWork
@LaptopPersonal
@iPad (iPhone is implied)

I assume network connectivity at all times

 

[Oogiem]

I assume network connectivity at all times

How often do you lose network connectivity? I would say that while at the main house I nearly always have connectivity much of the rest of the time I do not.

 

[ljmwaugh]

if I have my laptop with me, I'm at a location with internet. If not, my phone has tether capability that I can use for my ipad (and my laptop in a crunch). So I'm rarely not able to connect in some fashion.
I do have an @Office for when I need FAST internet speed for something.

 

[JamesBedell]

I delineate @computer for actions I need my laptop for. I have @email for messages I can compose and send from any device I also have an @vpn list for the times I'm connected to my companies network. Last I have an @web context because I manage some blog and social media work for my company and while I can do it on my mobile it's much more efficient to do it on the full web portal.

I've been toying with a 2-screen context because there are some things I'd really prefer to do only when I have two screens available. But I haven't implemented yet.

 

[Oogiem]

I've been toying with a 2-screen context because there are some things I'd really prefer to do only when I have two screens available. But I haven't implemented yet.

My suggestion is implement it and test it out. Noting like a live test to see if it helps. I've created, used and deleted many many contexts until I found what really works for me.

Key point though, have a capture tool always available so when you find something in a context and it is jarring because you didn't expect it there or you feel a mental break in concentration just reading the item you can note it down. That, for me, is often a sign that my contexts need tweaking.