Does anyone use a Barcode Scanner for Capturing?

The original post reminds me of Edward de Bono's word "Po" which roughly stands for "provocative operation." The idea is to throw out a provocative idea (like "Po, cars have square wheels") in order to generate new ideas that would be more useful (like "what about spherical wheels?"). It can be a very useful tool, the problem is if listeners aren't familiar with the concept, it's easy to just... provoke.

What's cool about a barcode scanner is the ergonomics combined with speed. It takes up to a dozen taps to get to the camera in my phone and take a picture, plus it's sometimes awkward to frame the subject, etc. Here comes the barcode scanner, just aim the laser guide and squeeze the trigger, done. If a camera was designed like this, it would work incredibly easy and efficiently. It would be a much more useful capture device, maybe even for GTD....
 
bcmyers2112 said:
I'm not sure what you need to capture regarding groceries that would be easier with a barcode scanner. I am sure that whenever I chase "shiny and new" rather than focus on GTD fundamentals, I just waste my own time.
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@bcmyers2112

"Does anyone use a Barcode Scanner for Capturing?

If so, for Capturing what?"

Thank you very much for your reply to the above posted question
 
mrkwhlbrk said:
The original post reminds me of Edward de Bono's word "Po" which roughly stands for "provocative operation." The idea is to throw out a provocative idea (like "Po, cars have square wheels") in order to generate new ideas that would be more useful (like "what about spherical wheels?"). It can be a very useful tool, the problem is if listeners aren't familiar with the concept, it's easy to just... provoke.

What's cool about a barcode scanner is the ergonomics combined with speed. It takes up to a dozen taps to get to the camera in my phone and take a picture, plus it's sometimes awkward to frame the subject, etc. Here comes the barcode scanner, just aim the laser guide and squeeze the trigger, done. If a camera was designed like this, it would work incredibly easy and efficiently. It would be a much more useful capture device, maybe even for GTD....
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@mrkwhlbrk

Thank you for your very professional feedback

Your professional feedback is most appreciated for more productively increasing the nuanced value of rapid 'idea elimination processing'

Thank you very much
 
mrkwhlbrk said:
It can be a very useful tool, the problem is if listeners aren't familiar with the concept, it's easy to just... provoke.
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I apologized for the angry tone in my posts. It was inappropriate, and I'm not offering excuses. I would have been well served to just ignore this thread. On the other hand, I think you and @gtdstudente need to avoid the trap of assuming those who don't see value in an idea of failing to understand or being frightened of "out of the box thinking." (Yes, @gtdstudente, I saw the post which you subsequently deleted. As someone who has posted first and thought afterwards more than once and tried to undo the damage by getting rid of it, I can say from bitter experience that deleting a post you regret is like shutting the barn door after all the animals have escaped.)

The aggressiveness in my posts had to do with anger I carried with me from things going on in my life that have nothing to do with GTD, this forum, or this thread. Again, I'm not offering it as an excuse. I'm mentioning it because it illustrates the dangers of mind-reading. Mind-reading is considered both a logical fallacy and distorted thinking because reading others' minds is literally impossible. When we try, what we come up with is almost always wrong.

Instead of everything else I posted in this thread (again, those pesky animals got out after I thought about fixing the barn door), I wish I had either left it alone or just said what I feel, which is based on my experience. Since I can't go back in time and choose to ignore this thread, I'll do the other thing instead.

My old approach to GTD was to constantly think about theory and definitions, and to keep trying to find new technologies to enable me to build a better mousetrap. The result was that a lot of mice got away -- and all were mice I would have caught if I had just used the mouse traps that were already available.

I've decided I don't need to be a productivity innovator in the same way I don't need to become a mousetrap designer. Either pursuit would take time and energy away from what's truly important to me. During that time in my life when I constantly tried to make GTD "better," I missed out on a lot of living. Time is a finite resource. There are only so many minutes in a day, a week, a month, a year, or a life. I've learned to focus mine where they count the most.

That being said, if you and @gtdstudente find value in pursuing ideas like this, either because they increase your efficiency or because you find the pursuit of them to be life-affirming, more power to you both. I am going to go out on a limb, however, and caution you both that there's a danger in trying to be too clever about GTD.
 
bcmyers2112 said:
I apologized for the angry tone in my posts. It was inappropriate, and I'm not offering excuses. I would have been well served to just ignore this thread. On the other hand, I think you and @gtdstudente need to avoid the trap of assuming those who don't see value in an idea of failing to understand or being frightened of "out of the box thinking." (Yes, @gtdstudente, I saw the post which you subsequently deleted. As someone who has posted first and thought afterwards more than once and tried to undo the damage by getting rid of it, I can say from bitter experience that deleting a post you regret is like shutting the barn door after all the animals have escaped.)

The aggressiveness in my posts had to do with anger I carried with me from things going on in my life that have nothing to do with GTD, this forum, or this thread. Again, I'm not offering it as an excuse. I'm mentioning it because it illustrates the dangers of mind-reading. Mind-reading is considered both a logical fallacy and distorted thinking because reading others' minds is literally impossible. When we try, what we come up with is almost always wrong.

Instead of everything else I posted in this thread (again, those pesky animals got out after I thought about fixing the barn door), I wish I had either left it alone or just said what I feel, which is based on my experience. Since I can't go back in time and choose to ignore this thread, I'll do the other thing instead.

My old approach to GTD was to constantly think about theory and definitions, and to keep trying to find new technologies to enable me to build a better mousetrap. The result was that a lot of mice got away -- and all were mice I would have caught if I had just used the mouse traps that were already available.

I've decided I don't need to be a productivity innovator in the same way I don't need to become a mousetrap designer. Either pursuit would take time and energy away from what's truly important to me. During that time in my life when I constantly tried to make GTD "better," I missed out on a lot of living. Time is a finite resource. There are only so many minutes in a day, a week, a month, a year, or a life. I've learned to focus mine where they count the most.

That being said, if you and @gtdstudente find value in pursuing ideas like this, either because they increase your efficiency or because you find the pursuit of them to be life-affirming, more power to you both. I am going to go out on a limb, however, and caution you both that there's a danger in trying to be too clever about GTD.
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@bcmyers2112

Thank you very much

Was hoping you might find a more pointedly succinct reply more pleasing

Your kind forgiveness for any transgression(s) is/are most appreciated

Thank you very much

Peace

Ps. Your perseverance in making GTD to perhaps best suit you as an art is most encouraging, inspiring, etc.

Thank you very much
 
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gtdstudente said:
@bcmyers2112

Thank you very much

Was hoping you might find a more pointedly succinct reply more pleasing

Your kind forgiveness for any transgression(s) is/are most appreciated

Thank you very much

Peace

Ps. Your perseverance in making GTD to perhaps best suit you as an art is most encouraging, inspiring, etc.

Thank you very much
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You don't owe me an apology. I owe you another one. My last post was way too preachy. Everyone should be free to pursue GTD their own way, and discuss it here to their heart's content. I don't want to be the person who discourages a discussion, and I certainly don't think you should worry about whether something you posted was "pleasing" to me. If I had just left this thread alone, there wouldn't have been a problem.
 
bcmyers2112 said:
You don't owe me an apology. I owe you another one. My last post was way too preachy. Everyone should be free to pursue GTD their own way, and discuss it here to their heart's content. I don't want to be the person who discourages a discussion, and I certainly don't think you should worry about whether something you posted was "pleasing" to me. If I had just left this thread alone, there wouldn't have been a problem.
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@bcmyers2112

All good

Peace
 
It is a solution for large number of captures – I have doubts whether a large number of captures is welcome from a personal productivity perspective.

However similar concept you can find in Rocketbook – I have been testing it for a while to capture meeting notes and tasks but did not like the slow-drying effect.
 
Y_Lherieau said:
I understand the hesitation regarding the use of a barcode scanner within the GTD framework. Here's how this technology could maybe be beneficial:


Similarly to a warehouse, at the beginning of the process, a barcode or QR code would be assigned to any new entry, effectively stamping it as the first phase of capturing an element. As the user progresses through the GTD workflow, each time an element is touched and potentially becomes a next action, it would be scanned again. This scanning process provides a timestamp and status update for each movement through the GTD workflow.


Here's a more detailed breakdown of how this could work:


  1. Capture Phase: When capturing a new entry, a barcode or QR code is assigned. This initial scan logs the entry into the system, similar to receiving a new item in a warehouse.
  2. Clarify and Organize: As the task is clarified and organized, each step can be tracked by scanning the barcode. This creates a digital trail of the task's journey, providing insights into how long elements remain in each stage.
  3. Reflect: During the weekly review, scanning tasks can help quickly update their statuses and progress, ensuring everything is up-to-date and no tasks are overlooked.
  4. Engage: When working on tasks, scanning can mark the start and end times, providing data on time spent on specific actions and overall productivity.
  5. Real-Time Tracking and Analytics: By scanning elements at each stage, real-time data analytics can be applied, similar to supply chain ERP systems. Various statuses can be set within the application, and scanning an element would move it to the next status. This not only provides a clear overview of current tasks but also helps identify bottlenecks and optimize workflow.
  6. Seamless Integration: The user would likely be working from a computer screen and scanning from a mobile device. This dual-device approach can ensure that tasks are updated in real-time, and the system remains flexible and easy to use.

By integrating barcode scanning into the GTD process, we could bring the efficiency and precision of warehouse management to personal productivity. This isn't about adding complexity but about leveraging technology to streamline task management and gain deeper insights into our workflow.


I hope this clarifies how barcode scanners may enhance the GTD practice!
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Are you writing these posts with ChatGPT? They sound a lot like it
 
gtdstudente said:
Does anyone use a Barcode Scanner for Capturing?

If so, for Capturing what?
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Yes in batches at least once or twice a year.

I use a BaaCode scanner to scan the datamatrix codes that are an individual sample tube identifier on AllFlex TSU tissue sampling tubes when I collect ear notch type samples for DNA analysis of all new lambs. The BaaCode is linked in my AnimalTrakker® program to the electronic individual animal ID and the particular form of the DNA analysis test I am doing. The data are captured easily chute side, I can send in the required .csv file with animal id, age, sex, weight and other required characteristics plus the individual sample tube serial number with no mistakes to the lab that performs the testing.

I also used the same reader to scan the bar codes on the backs of books in a program that automatically used that to look up the bibliographical details of the book as a precursor to entering them all into my book database.

Beyond those 2 special se cases I can't see much use in a generic GTD sense.
 
From Braintoss tips & tutorials:

If you take a picture of a code (QR code, barcode, product code, ISBN number) with Braintoss you will find that we add relevant information where possible in the email. This means you can use Braintoss as QR code scanner or for quick capturing of inventory articles etc.​
​
For all those who feel it adds a layer of complexity to incorporate scanning, much the same theoretical argument can be made for a label printer, and we know those gizmos have advocates in GTD.
 
To me capturing means recording something that might be meaningful to me. I do it so that I can move on in the moment in the knowledge that I will revisit that idea later.

I wouldn't want to confuse data entry with capture. They are two different things in my opinion.

S Teir - Here are some first class ways of capturing:
  • Writing
  • Typing
  • Voice recording
  • Video recording
  • Drawing
What they have in common is that they let me express my ideas easily and as fully as I have time and inclination.

A Teir - Here are some more restrictive but still practical ways:
  • Photographs
  • Objects
Setting aside the art of photography, both of these allow me to capture but don't allow me to express myself. They can still be perfectly useful but don't allow me to convey ideas in the same way.

B Teir - Maybe useful but you don't know what you are capturing:
  • QR Codes
Since QR codes are not human readable, you don't know what you are capturing until you have captured it. By definition, whatever the QR code encodes was never on my mind, so I didn't have to get it off my mind. They're interesting conceptually as an interface between the physical and digital. I think it's cool that Braintoss decodes them in photographs but they are poor for GTD capture in my opinion.

F Teir - Data Entry
  • Barcodes
  • RFID
These are really only good for data entry in the systems in which they are intended to be used. Warehouses and supermarkets for barcodes. Passports, Credit cards and clothes stores for RFID. RFID is slightly more flexible but barcodes really only encode a number. You need a database in order to interpret the number. I think that Oogiem's barcode use in both AnimalTrakker and her books database are really cool but to me, they are not capturing. They are data entry.
 
cfoley said:
These are really only good for data entry in the systems in which they are intended to be used. Warehouses and supermarkets for barcodes. Passports, Credit cards and clothes stores for RFID.
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That's what I was trying to say, albeit in a crappy, unnecessarily angry way: these are specialized tools for particular jobs and industries. I can't imagine a use for them as a GTD capture tool. I can't even imagine any use for them in any aspect of everyday life.
 
I work in a public library. My day is filled with barcodes and RFID. And I would probably never mix them into my GTD personally because... well... they seem completely unrelated. However, after my initial "Huh?" response to seeing the thread topic, I did remember a concept I read of a while back...

A barcode scanner only outputs the text from the barcode. It doesn't take proprietary software or anything special to use a barcode reader. Plug in the dongle (or wired cable if you really want to be miserable), scan, and boom, text output. But it only outputs the numerical text of the barcode (or alphanumeric if your barcodes are fancy or are QR codes). So, it's not the most useful unless you're just, say, taking inventory.

However, I remember reading an article a while back on using NFC tags to trigger apps/smart home tech/etc. and this thread reminds me of that. Things like setting your NFC-enabled phone on the counter's NFC tag in the morning triggers turning on the lights, the smart plug powering the coffee pot, etc.; scanning an NFC tag by the door that auto-starts your car and lifts the garage door while you put your shoes on, etc.

So, I suppose you could have some barcodes made that, upon scanning, trigger a series of tasks to be added to your todo list. Or if you have some massive, repeating series of tasks or projects and would like a way to fire up new ones while away from your computer or desk, you could tape a barcode where you're at (I'm thinking in library terms, so something like "Weed shelf starting with XXXXXXXXXXXXXX" where it puts the barcode in the task name and then creates a project with defined subtasks all via automation)...

But this all seems like a headache. And barcode readers are a real pain to carry around if they're not part of your job. But you might want to look into the NFC thing if that seems more feasible:

lifehacker.com

Place NFC Tags in Your Home to Automate Daily Routines

From simple automations to complicated processes, NFCs can streamline your life.
lifehacker.com lifehacker.com
 
devon.marie said:
I work in a public library. My day is filled with barcodes and RFID. And I would probably never mix them into my GTD personally because... well... they seem completely unrelated. However, after my initial "Huh?" response to seeing the thread topic, I did remember a concept I read of a while back...

A barcode scanner only outputs the text from the barcode. It doesn't take proprietary software or anything special to use a barcode reader. Plug in the dongle (or wired cable if you really want to be miserable), scan, and boom, text output. But it only outputs the numerical text of the barcode (or alphanumeric if your barcodes are fancy or are QR codes). So, it's not the most useful unless you're just, say, taking inventory.

However, I remember reading an article a while back on using NFC tags to trigger apps/smart home tech/etc. and this thread reminds me of that. Things like setting your NFC-enabled phone on the counter's NFC tag in the morning triggers turning on the lights, the smart plug powering the coffee pot, etc.; scanning an NFC tag by the door that auto-starts your car and lifts the garage door while you put your shoes on, etc.

So, I suppose you could have some barcodes made that, upon scanning, trigger a series of tasks to be added to your todo list. Or if you have some massive, repeating series of tasks or projects and would like a way to fire up new ones while away from your computer or desk, you could tape a barcode where you're at (I'm thinking in library terms, so something like "Weed shelf starting with XXXXXXXXXXXXXX" where it puts the barcode in the task name and then creates a project with defined subtasks all via automation)...

But this all seems like a headache. And barcode readers are a real pain to carry around if they're not part of your job. But you might want to look into the NFC thing if that seems more feasible:

lifehacker.com

Place NFC Tags in Your Home to Automate Daily Routines

From simple automations to complicated processes, NFCs can streamline your life.
lifehacker.com lifehacker.com
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Lots of nice stuff in here, but there are still no signs of capturing...
 
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