Re: How users start programming in Emacs Lisp...

[Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support>]

* Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor <help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org> [2021-05-30 23:01]:
> Christopher Dimech wrote:
> 
> > That is correct. Darwin and Fermi have done the same.
> > But Stephen King is famous for saying that notes are the
> > best way to immortalise bad ideas. Really good ideas stick
> > around.
> 
> Well, easy for him to say, maybe this method is for doing
> something great but most lists like a TODO list [1] - that
> software is a little bit shaky if anyone feels like reading
> the short source and maybe see what it is? - what I was
> saying, maybe it is not the best idea in the world but it can
> still help you survive and get by another day, right?

Things you really need to do, you will never write them down. Like
lunch, go to work or similar. The top priorities are rarely written
down, you simply do it.

Procrastinated priorities are written down. That is where we come to
note taking. A simple digital text file is enough to replace the good
old Rolodex system. That is why GNU Hyperbole has "Rolo" system. I
recommend to try it out. I don't use it, as I have the fully
sophisticated system for addresses, call center, faxing, SMS, etc.

>   https://dataswamp.org/~incal/bike/TIRE

> Very useful for science I'm sure but I don't see why just
> they should get to do it :)
> 
> [1] https://dataswamp.org/~incal/emacs-init/todo-did.el

That is nice simple system, add TODO, visit TODO file. What else one
need? And yes, there is so much integration we do need, like:

To assign task related to person Joe, to agent Jane; write
instructions, quickly dispatch it; keep reminding yourself, and the
agent about the task by SMS, email, or loud music;

After a while, there are 10 agents, and tasks are not finished, one
can observe who is who, who is performing, in what periods, who is
more efficient;

Imagine working with 30 people employed, they come in, come out, one
has to clock-them all in and out without that ticket punching machine
as in middle or 20th century. Workflow would be to just mark the list
of employees except those who did not arrive, and clock them in all at
once.

Something to do is not necessary a completely defined action, as it is
something unfinished, procrastinated, left for later to be done, but
without full decision. 

Properly defined actions should have their starting time assigned.

Then we go into procrastinations:

- ah... now I failed to make it on 2021-05-31, then let us just make
  it 2021-06-02. Time stamp is changed and nothing happened. There is
  no trace that it ever changed. Then let me delay it
  more... Deadline? Ah let me just press shift left, and deadline is
  is shifted for few days more....

Then add the collaboration, and there will be 10² more of such
procrastinations in a team.

We managed thousands of people with paper based system and did not
have procrastinations such as now people create with computer
systems. 


-- 
Jean

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