Re: Org mode rant

[Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support>]

* Bastien <bzg@gnu.org> [2021-05-01 13:06]:
> Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:
> 
> >> Because it gives you a false sense of control, it slowly erodes your
> >> goals' clarity, which weakens your motivation. You end up being
> >> controlled by a list of things to do instead of focusing on doing
> >> them. You hope that your tool will help you achieve self-discipline
> >> instead of disciplining yourself to use it the right way.
> >
> > Maybe if you tell your practical use case where you got stuck, then it
> > would become clearer for me as reader. I am so much interested.
> 
> I cannot go into details about my real use-case here but the gist of
> the paragraph you quote is this: once in a while you feel your tool is
> not helpful enough for handling your to-do, and then you start trying
> to fix your Org configuration, trusting it even more, instead of
> sticking to the principles I tried to outline in my post.

I get it. Yes, that is exactly observation I had too before few
months, it brought me to the condition to escape Org mode and rather
use it more in the sense of markup of the overal instructions.

Maybe the article shall more clearly refer to Org mode, rather than
being general note-taking statement.

Org Hype is fine, I like it.

Not that I find Org mode exponentially useful.

I guess people tend, like me too, to designate or determine one system
"this is it" and build upon it for quite long time, even rest of the
life, even though "this isn't the one".

As a side note, here is the workflow I have for things assigned to
other people or to me:

1. Have Org template ready with instructions and repeatable project in
   the database; all items inside are always "TODO"; there is no file
   on file system;

2. Copy template with single key, assign whole node to single person;
   this is like single TODO tag;

3. Share document by email to that person; share 20 such projects
   assigned to multiple people;

4. Receive reports; update what is "DONE" in their nodes related to
   specific person, in the central file or as central node (Org blob),
   but that does not necessarily complete the overal assignment for
   the person; but it is not necessary to use "DONE/TODO" in such
   project as overall assignment is maybe "Sell service for US
   $100,000" -- maybe single task tells "Prepare list of 2000 people"
   -- but if salesman already got a client for to buy the service, all
   other tasks become redundant, as purpose has been achieved during
   the project execution.

   Some people have serious troubles understanding the purpose and
   single tasks, and will rather go doing single tasks for the sake of
   themselves only while forgetting the purpose. If purpose have been
   achieved, even that single task becomes redundant.

5. When assignment is done, mark with COMPLETE, and write report about
   it;

Instead of pending tasks, I can search for people pending the
assignment.

Agenda becomes list of people and their pending project title.

Archiving becomes redundant too, as the node is anyway archived in the
database and whole instruction marked as COMPLETED, though there are
are maybe redundant tasks inside of node still marked with TODO --
such will never appear in any agenda or list because they are
irrelevant as the overall purpose is COMPLETED.

Person goes out to buy new shoes, and make a list of 10 shops to
visit, but maybe shoe seller on street has already got some nice
shoes, thus all other tasks for the sake of purpose, become redundant.
This is not always so, it depends of task types of course.

Org mode can also be used as presentation of the database backed
information where each heading or section may be edited, as long as
there is right property defined, the information may be updated in the
database.

Then the Org mode, rather Org method of editing could become truly
collaborative, not necessarily in he real time.

A salesman Jimmy in New York, could request information on customer
Joe, information can be displayed as Org mode. Salesman may edit some
personal information of Joe, such is updated to central database in
Boston. Another salesman Mark may be editing a note belonging to
client Joe, and update it, both Jimmy and Mark would get notice of it;
Mark could give assignment to Joe to make a call to customer and
englighten him on new products; Joe's Org file would get a notice and
Org file would get updated; Joe makes a phone call and right notice,
the notes get updated in the database; each of them is collaborating
by using apparently simple Org file while underlying functions connect
each heading to the central database.

People mostly use WWW browsers for that type of Customer Relationship
Management software, yet Emacs can be used with Org mode editing.


Jean

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