Task Management Interfaces: Outlines, "Contexts", Tags, and Areas

Posted by Randall Shinn
Jan 24, 2009 at 02:53 PM

Stephen Zeoli wrote:
>The power for any of application of this type is providing flexibility in viewing its
>contents. Outline view is great in many ways, but it is restrictive, as well.
>Tags/contexts can allow smart folders to filter for specific items, but is also, by
>design, restrictive. What I would like to see is an outliner with columns, which can
>have a “flat view”—that is, the hierarchy revmoved—and then be able to sort and sub
>sort on the various columns.

The developers of Things are taking the restrictions of outlining very seriously in considering how to offer “nesting.” If you go to this link http://culturedcode.com/things/wiki/index.php/Future_Features, and then go to the “here” link about halfway down the page, you’ll find a discussion of how they are trying to avoid burying tasks deep in outlines while still providing subprojects and subareas.

Given their already substantial user base and their careful, well-thought-out approach to adding features, I have a lot of respect for the way Cultured Code is operating as a business. By that I partially mean that I suspect they will survive and do high quality work. The way the world is at the moment, for a software company simply to keep developing and offering their product seems a major accomplishment.

Randall