I suppose it doesn't have to be a proper application; I've seen people manage to-do items in Windows Notepad and it seemed to work for them, God knows how. I te

I suppose it doesn't have to be a proper application; I've seen people manage to-do items in Windows Notepad and it seemed to work for them, God knows how. I tend to think in terms of task list management tools because I've gone to the trouble of setting up a CalDAV server and integrating all my computers and devices with it, but the general point could (and, as you point out, really should) be less "you need to go find an app" and more "try thinking about to-do lists in any terms other than email, because anything else will probably be less painful".