Is your barcode number by any chance 666? Or is that already taken? Not that I believe in anything but I did read The Number of the Beast, by Heinlein, back before being crazy was a cultural marker.
Does anyone use a Barcode Scanner for Capturing?
- Thread starter gtdstudente
- Start date
Bill Myers
Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny
Do you mean back before Heinlein was crazy? Or the book was considered crazy? Or back before you were crazy?
Bill Myers
Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny
This is what I'm having trouble understanding about this thread. Barcode scanners read barcodes. Unless a lot of your inputs come to you with barcodes, the only way a barcode scanner would be useful would be if you used software to generate barcodes you could print and affix to any of your paper inputs. But why would you do that when you'd be limited in what kind of data a barcode could contain and how much? And for that matter, in the time it took you to create the barcode label you could have clarified and organized that input a dozen times over?
The same with NFC tags. Sounds nice but if I have a thought to capture it wouldn't be very practical to create an NFC tag when I could just write it down. I could maybe see the use for creating an NFC tag for groups of repeating tasks... except a lot of list managers allow you to save templates for reuse.
I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade. I'm genuinely struggling to understand the potential appeal of this stuff for use with GTD.
René Lie
Certified GTD Trainer
Exactly!
I believe David Allen shall have said that speed trumps quality every time - and even if he has never said this, it still holds true in this case in my opinion.
TesTeq
0
@bcmyers2112 Suppose you're a zebra breeder. Wouldn't it be handy to capture them using a barcode scanner? Of course zebra breeding is not directly related to the GTD methodology but if zebras fill your mind wouldn't it be good to dump them outside and capture with a scanner?
René Lie
Certified GTD Trainer
Especially if they're escaping - you could just capture them with a barcode scanner!
Bill Myers
Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny
This escalated rather quickly.
Oogiem
0
They do actually use bar code scanners to track zebras for identification in animal studies. Zebra stripes are individual even in identical twins and clones the stripes are not the same so are a good individual identifier. My Obsidian database of potentially useful trivia says the technology was described back in 2011.
ok a bit later and the only freely accessible article I can find is this one Zebra Barcodes
PS the code is here: https://code.google.com/archive/p/stripespotter/
bobusa
Registered
A barcode scanner is a Clarifying tool. Yes, it Captures but the captured information is useless without an algorithm that clarifies it and interacts with a database as mentioned above. So, for me as wel, I do not see an added value of using this for capturing in GTD. Unless I'm also missing the point.
René Lie
Certified GTD Trainer
Yeah, you capture for sure, but in order to make a barcode scanner able to capture, you first have to generete barcodes with information, which means you have to capture something elsewhere first...
gtdstudente
Registered
@bobusa
Thank you very much your reply
Since a hand-held Barcode Scanner is astonishing efficient at Capturing data with appareled ease; the point being was an 'open GTD inquiry to clarify' whether any GTDer's have discovered any creative way(s) of using a Barcode Scanner, even if somehow Gerry-Rigged, as a Capturing tool without asserting that the Barcode Scanner could be a feasible Capturing tool
Thank you very much
Ps. Hopefully some fellow GTDer' were prompted with other additional ideas-&-ways to more easily Capture through this particular GTD inquiry discussion?
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bobusa
Registered
Exactly, it reads (clarifies) the barcode info. and presents it too the software and/or database. Since this is automated it's a clarifying (interpretation) step. For me this has no values within GTD practice.
Bill Myers
Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny
A barcode scanner is a specialized tool needed to perform certain jobs. It's no more a part of the GTD workflow than a pneumatic drill. GTD is a methodology for getting things off your mind and into a trusted system.
I spent a lot of time trying to find a better GTD mousetrap and pontificating about GTD in the abstract. Neither of these served me well. The GTD book says what it means and ultimately it's a very simple process -- it's just not easy. I made it even less easy on myself by complicating things.
Other people may have different experiences, but that's mine. Take it for what you will.
I spent a lot of time trying to find a better GTD mousetrap and pontificating about GTD in the abstract. Neither of these served me well. The GTD book says what it means and ultimately it's a very simple process -- it's just not easy. I made it even less easy on myself by complicating things.
Other people may have different experiences, but that's mine. Take it for what you will.
gtdstudente
Registered
@bcmyers2112
Perhaps someday something similar to the Barcode Scanner will be a part of the GTD Workflow as the pneumatic drill already has been in hanging a daily Organize corkboard tool with the pneumatic drill; as both have been compounding GTD improvement ever since
Thank you very much
TesTeq
0
@bcmyers2112 Let's get creative! Let's do some brainstorming!
Many people have a hard time choosing the Next Action from the context list. They know the criteria (context->time->energy->priority) but it doesn't help.
What about printing Next Actions as barcodes?
Then – in a given context – you choose the barcode you like the best at the moment, scan it and execute.
Voila! The barcode scanner becomes the essential part of your GTD workflow.
As far as I understand a label printer is also "no more part of the GTD workflow" if you've learned to write in school…
Bill Myers
Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny
You're certainly free to try it. Let us know how it works out.@bcmyers2112 Let's get creative! Let's do some brainstorming!
Many people have a hard time choosing the Next Action from the context list. They know the criteria (context->time->energy->priority) but it doesn't help.
What about printing Next Actions as barcodes?
Then – in a given context – you choose the barcode you like the best at the moment, scan it and execute.
Voila! The barcode scanner becomes the essential part of your GTD workflow.
Take that one up with David Allen. Using a labeler to label folders was his recommendation, not mine. Again, let us know how that works out for you.As far as I understand a label printer is also "no more part of the GTD workflow" if you've learned to write in school…
Bill Myers
Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny
This has become a conversation about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, and that's where I have to back out. In my experience, GTD is about doing. Not talking, theorizing or pontificating. Just doing. If you can make barcode scanners and pneumatic drills a useful part of your GTD workflow, God bless you. But I'm sticking with a computer, smartphone, pen and paper, and manila folders.
mickdodge
Registered
I know I'm late to the party here, but this feed got me thinking about my GTD next actions grocery list. Like others in the thread, I don't see any use for barcodes. But QR codes, on the other hand, can contain very useful information and can be read by just about any smartphone.
I've used Nirvana for GTD for 8 years now and haven't looked back. I use the app on my iPhone and the website on my desktop PC. I thought I'd try a quick experiment using QR codes.
I've used Nirvana for GTD for 8 years now and haven't looked back. I use the app on my iPhone and the website on my desktop PC. I thought I'd try a quick experiment using QR codes.
- I used https://goqr.me/ to make a text based QR code. For instance, I entered the text, "Purchase More Tide Laundry Detergent".
- I printed out the QR code, cut it out, and taped it near my washing machine.
- I then used Apple's Shortcuts app on my iPhone to create a script that opens the camera to scan the QR code and copies the text to the clipboard. It then immediately opens my Nirvana app. (Unfortunately, the Nirvana app doesn't have any integrated shortcuts yet)
- I placed a home screen shortcut to the Shortcuts script I created right next to the Nirvana shortcut.
- I ran the Shortcut script and scanned the QR code. It opened the Nirvana app where I click on the inbox.
- I then create the next action by quickly pasting the text into entry field and tagging it using my "grocery" context
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gtdstudente
Registered
@mickdodge
mickdodge hits it out of the GTD park bigtime !
Never too late to the party
Thank you very much sir
I'd be tempted to use it like those Amazon buttons that were around a while back - scan the code and it takes me straight to the relevant Amazon page where I can click Buy Now! However if you buy your detergent at the supermarket I guess your way works better.
I'll be honest, I have a chalkboard in the kitchen. One of the best capturing tools I have!