Actual Contexts

[jayx773]

Hey guys, I've got an interesting question. (or maybe it's just interesting to me, who knows)

I find myself assigning tasks to contexts that I know I'll be at during certain parts of the day. For instance, do you think it is a good idea to schedule "call doctor to schedule appointment" under @office or @call?

I assign it to the @office context b/c I know I have to call during business hours and I usually don't look at my @calls list until after work or on the weekend.

What do you think?

Thanks

Jason

 

[Scott_L_Lewis]

....
I assign it to the @office context b/c I know I have to call during business hours and I usually don't look at my @calls list until after work or on the weekend.
....

I assign the context based on where I have to be in order to perform the next action. Your choice is based on the assumption that you will definitely be in the office during business hours between now and the time the call needs to be made. If you are highly certain of it, and you don't care about not being reminded to call the doctor if you take a day off between now and then, then go with it.

This particular item points out that time is often as much a determiner of what makes a context as place. A lot of people sub-divide their calls context for this reason. They will have something like @Calls:Work and @Callsersonal. However, @Calls:Business Hours and @Calls:Off Hours might be a better way to name them.

 

[Borisoff]

I don't use @Call context now. I simply didn't like to have too many contexts to choose from and on the other hand I prefer to make business-related calls from my office where I have pen and paper by hand to make notes. So I put all actions into 3 buckets: @Office, @Home, @Car - these are places I used to be. If the call is too small like make an appointment with the doctor then I can put it into both @Car and @Office contexts.

 

[roakleyca]

I agree --- @call is gone.

I have,
@home
@office
@errands (and I think I may change this to @car...as Borisoff has it)
@agenda (which I haven't been able t use effectively...yet)
@anywhere (another one I haven't used effectively...)
@waiting for (love this one!)
projects
someday

 

[Barry]

Same for me. My contexts are: home, office and errands. Sometimes I use a context of yard work since it makes sense to knock out those items when I am already outside and sweaty and dirty. I don't have a calls context. There is no point to it for me.

I think some of the context examples in the book like @calls and @computer-online are more relevant to a professional that travels much of the time (like DA). In my life, I have access to a phone and a computer with online access all the time I am at work or at home and I have access to a cell phone the rest of the time. Those are not useful contexts for me. I generally want to know if I need or intend to do something at home or at work or out running errands.

 

[Borisoff]

@agenda (which I haven't been able t use effectively...yet)
@anywhere (another one I haven't used effectively...)

About that two. I use @Agenda when I have a meeting scheduled and I need to store the ideas needed to be discussed their. And I don't think that @Anywhere context is useful because anywhere means anywhere: even in a dentist's chair But I'm sure there's nothing you can do there except for being afraid

Regards,
Eugene.

 

[Borisoff]

I think some of the context examples in the book like @calls and @computer-online are more relevant to a professional that travels much of the time (like DA).

Don't really agree because nowdays you can have GPRS connection everywhere (even in Russia) so you can always be @Calls and @Online... I think it's not related to travelling professional. There's a good idea of contexts but it should be updated given the realities of our days.

 

[jknecht]

I don't think that @Anywhere context is useful because anywhere means anywhere: even in a dentist's chair But I'm sure there's nothing you can do there except for being afraid

I've heard/read arguments similar to this before. Personally, I think @anywhere is a perfectly good context. In my mind, @anywhere translates to "most places that I might be working from my lists". The dentist chair does not apply. Nor does the theater. For that matter, there are many times when I can't do stuff on my @home list (like when I'm spending quality time with my wife).

Just because you're in a context, doesn't mean you HAVE to do the stuff that's on the list for that context.

(end rant. sorry... I'm feeling cranky today)