Re: Hide-until (release time) for todos?

[Matthew Lundin <mdl@imapmail.org>]

Hi Robert,

Robert Goldman <rpgoldman@sift.info> writes:

> Has anyone implemented a property that's the opposite of deadline for
> Org TODOs?
>
> What I'd like is a property I could put on a TODO that would hide it
> from agenda display (probably with some preference that would permit
> unfiltered display) until a specified date.
>

I've wondered the same thing a couple times. But I usually end up
asking myself: How would this be different from scheduling something
in the future? I've found that the easiest solution to this problem is
to schedule something in the future (e.g., C-c C-s +2w) and to get rid
of the TODO keyword (C-c t <SPC>, or t <SPC> in the agenda). That way,
the item will appear in my agenda on the date scheduled (and on every
day thereafter), but won't show up in your global TODO list. (I
suppose this use of the agenda is like a GTD style "tickler file.")

> This would keep me from being overwhelmed by tasks that I have
> deferred.
>
> Another possibility, I suppose, would be to have a special DEFERRED TODO
> keyword, and just hide all the deferred tasks.  But then I would like
> some processing that would automagically un-defer them later.

Sorry I can't help out on the elisp side of things. As a
non-programmer, my preferred solution to this problem for unscheduled
todos is exactly what you say---to create an inactive todo called
"LATER." When I want to defer something, I simply switch it from TODO
to LATER and then make sure that I review the LATER list once a week
(a convienient agenda reminder helps here). In the end, I figure that
I'm going to have to make a decision about whether I want or need to
do something even if it is automatically activated.

Just my two cents. I imagine there may well be other aspects to this
problem I'm not considering, so please don't let my ramblings dissuade
you from going forward. :)

Best,
Matt