5 ms·

> - having your computer alert you to things that come up If my own experience is a valid example, alerts are overrated. They don't work for long. I hate getti

> - having your computer alert you to things that come up If my own experience is a valid example, alerts are overrated. They don't work for long. I hate getting interrupted by something that actually does not need my attention at that precise moment. I would disable those alerts in no time. I prefer leaving physical cues in the real world. I think screens are bad UI unless you already spend way too much time in front of them. The god old in- and out- baskets are great, for example. Or notes on a physical board. Sometimes when I think of something I want to do in the morning, I just leave an object that does not belong in a place I will definitely have to use in the morning. Seeing that object will remind me of that thought I had just before going to bed. I don't even need to write down what it was. Physical cues are wonderful! And THAT is what I would want from Augmented Reality (in addition to it no longer requiring cumbersome hardware to wear). A flexible recreation of former physical work places, but using the new flexibility of computer augmentation of what I see. To be able to place digital notes in the real world. To view and touch documents not fixed in a single place in front of me, but anywhere! I put some documents on the left, some on the right, some on the wall, and I move my body around to view and use them. A purely screen-based app, when I already hate having to stare straight ahead for hours every day just doesn't cut it for me. I want my digital world to be in the real world, and use my entire body, not just very limited arm and hand movements while barely moving the head because the viewport is just one small two-dimensional rectangle in my large reality. Okay, that went slightly OT, but I made that point because it is relevant for TODOs and most interactions with computers. I think they are much better when tied to our real world, not inside a tiny screen where a lot of stuff is already squeezed in and waiting for our attention, and everything can only be used like a surgeon doing keyhole surgery - indirectly through a tiny port and tools, instead of ones hands. Place TODO hints in the real world on or near appropriate places.

brettermeier 1y ago
Alerts are most important, that's why paper doesn't work for me. I just write everything in my calender app in my phone.
- skydhash 1y ago
  Taks tracking is different from reminders. There’s actually few things that I want to be reminded of, and they either belongs to a calendar (collaborative items) or a reminder app. The separation is blurry and they can all fits within the agenda concept. As for tasks tracking, it’s all lists. And a daily/weekly/monthly review is enough for me.
  - pydry 1y ago
    They blur into each other enough that it's good to use one app/text file that can do all three.
    - brettermeier 1y ago
      And my calender app is used like a list, i can sort it by setting the time for each list item if i really care. I kind of set a reminder for every item i put in, but not everybody wants that for sure.
    - adastra22 1y ago
      Blurring into each other is exactly the problem.. you become numb to both.
      - viraptor 1y ago
        It really depends on a person. For a neurospicy person like me, pull is stupidly hard but push works better. That's why I'd rather turn my environment and lists into intelligent auto reminders. Otherwise they may as well just not exist.
      - pydry 1y ago
        not really. it just means that during the lifetime of a note it could transition from "just a note" to "a todo" to "a scheduled event" and vice versa. Hence it makes it easier if theyre all under the same roof.
      - rajeefmk 1y ago
codazoda 1y ago
I geeked out a bit, after reading another blog post, and used my thermal printer for this. I've been using it for a few weeks now. The little sticky notes it makes are great. https://joeldare.com/trying-to-stop-procrastination-with-my-receipt-printer https://joeldare.com/trying-to-stop-procrastination-with-my-... I am starting to collect too many of them though. I kinda like the idea of ops text-file because it is renewed from day to day. I'm still not quite sure how to deal with the items I know I need to get to eventually but that I won't get to today. I'm also not sure how to deal with the pile growing continually. I have noticed that thermal notes fade relatively quickly. When they do that I have to think about weather I want to reprint them or just throw them out.
- noahjk 1y ago
  I've seen mention of using the dot matrix printers common in restaurant kitchens as an alternative which doesn't fade; they have the added benefit of two-color printing (most do black and red)
- mockingloris 1y ago
  I came across a similar post on YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg45b8UXoZI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg45b8UXoZI - it's titled "I Fixed My ADHD with a Receipt Printer". I should build one that sends me an SMS message instead. So I stumbled on AT+ plus code for programing GSM devices. I have a MTN HUAWEI E303 modem from back in 2016 and I wrote a server using the npm serialport module. I just need to write a dmenu script that pipes from every 3 git commits. ```txt SMS from :mtn-E303-sms-server ------------------------- PROJECT: ppc-v.1.0 ------------------------- Commits: 3 New Features Added! Bugs Squashed Code Cleaned Up ------------------------- Total XP: +150 Keep it up! ------------------------- ``` That should keep my monkey brain hooked for a while he he. └── Dey well
  - codazoda 1y ago
    How do you (or do you plan to) use SMS as a todo list? I can't even remember to reply to someone who texted me when I as busy.
jimbokun 1y ago
Digitizing your real world environment sounds similar to using a special TODO app instead of a text file. What benefit does your digital sticky note have over a physical one?
- 9dev 1y ago
  It’s readable. My handwriting is awful.
spauldo 1y ago
I think the key part is to use alerts for stuff you can't ignore. Time to pick up the kids, fifteen minutes to get ready for a meeting, your compile just failed, etc. Unfortunately every piece of software seems to think its message about some new feature you don't care about and will never use is worth crapping all the main premise of what alerts are for.
jh00ker 1y ago
> Physical cues are wonderful! You would love this project! https://littlesignals.withgoogle.com/ https://littlesignals.withgoogle.com/ "Little Signals considers new patterns for technology in our daily lives. The six objects in the series keep us in the loop, but softly, moving from the background to foreground as needed. Each object has its own communication method, like puffs of air or ambient sounds. Additionally, their simple movements and controls bring them to life and respond to changing surroundings and needs." I've been wanting to build these since the project came out, but never found the time. Has anyone else here built them with success? I'd love to hear your story about how you used them!

brettermeier 1y ago

Alerts are most important, that's why paper doesn't work for me. I just write everything in my calender app in my phone.

skydhash 1y ago
Taks tracking is different from reminders. There’s actually few things that I want to be reminded of, and they either belongs to a calendar (collaborative items) or a reminder app. The separation is blurry and they can all fits within the agenda concept. As for tasks tracking, it’s all lists. And a daily/weekly/monthly review is enough for me.
- pydry 1y ago
  They blur into each other enough that it's good to use one app/text file that can do all three.
  - brettermeier 1y ago
    And my calender app is used like a list, i can sort it by setting the time for each list item if i really care. I kind of set a reminder for every item i put in, but not everybody wants that for sure.
  - adastra22 1y ago
    Blurring into each other is exactly the problem.. you become numb to both.
    - viraptor 1y ago
      It really depends on a person. For a neurospicy person like me, pull is stupidly hard but push works better. That's why I'd rather turn my environment and lists into intelligent auto reminders. Otherwise they may as well just not exist.
    - pydry 1y ago
      not really. it just means that during the lifetime of a note it could transition from "just a note" to "a todo" to "a scheduled event" and vice versa. Hence it makes it easier if theyre all under the same roof.
    - rajeefmk 1y ago

codazoda 1y ago

I geeked out a bit, after reading another blog post, and used my thermal printer for this. I've been using it for a few weeks now. The little sticky notes it makes are great. https://joeldare.com/trying-to-stop-procrastination-with-my-receipt-printer https://joeldare.com/trying-to-stop-procrastination-with-my-... I am starting to collect too many of them though. I kinda like the idea of ops text-file because it is renewed from day to day. I'm still not quite sure how to deal with the items I know I need to get to eventually but that I won't get to today. I'm also not sure how to deal with the pile growing continually. I have noticed that thermal notes fade relatively quickly. When they do that I have to think about weather I want to reprint them or just throw them out.

noahjk 1y ago
I've seen mention of using the dot matrix printers common in restaurant kitchens as an alternative which doesn't fade; they have the added benefit of two-color printing (most do black and red)
mockingloris 1y ago
I came across a similar post on YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg45b8UXoZI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg45b8UXoZI - it's titled "I Fixed My ADHD with a Receipt Printer". I should build one that sends me an SMS message instead. So I stumbled on AT+ plus code for programing GSM devices. I have a MTN HUAWEI E303 modem from back in 2016 and I wrote a server using the npm serialport module. I just need to write a dmenu script that pipes from every 3 git commits. ```txt SMS from :mtn-E303-sms-server ------------------------- PROJECT: ppc-v.1.0 ------------------------- Commits: 3 New Features Added! Bugs Squashed Code Cleaned Up ------------------------- Total XP: +150 Keep it up! ------------------------- ``` That should keep my monkey brain hooked for a while he he. └── Dey well
- codazoda 1y ago
  How do you (or do you plan to) use SMS as a todo list? I can't even remember to reply to someone who texted me when I as busy.

jimbokun 1y ago

Digitizing your real world environment sounds similar to using a special TODO app instead of a text file. What benefit does your digital sticky note have over a physical one?

9dev 1y ago
It’s readable. My handwriting is awful.

spauldo 1y ago

I think the key part is to use alerts for stuff you can't ignore. Time to pick up the kids, fifteen minutes to get ready for a meeting, your compile just failed, etc. Unfortunately every piece of software seems to think its message about some new feature you don't care about and will never use is worth crapping all the main premise of what alerts are for.

jh00ker 1y ago

> Physical cues are wonderful! You would love this project! https://littlesignals.withgoogle.com/ https://littlesignals.withgoogle.com/ "Little Signals considers new patterns for technology in our daily lives. The six objects in the series keep us in the loop, but softly, moving from the background to foreground as needed. Each object has its own communication method, like puffs of air or ambient sounds. Additionally, their simple movements and controls bring them to life and respond to changing surroundings and needs." I've been wanting to build these since the project came out, but never found the time. Has anyone else here built them with success? I'd love to hear your story about how you used them!