[pmwiki-users] Ideas for PIM, GTD (Getting Things Done)

[Sandy]

Sivakatirswami wrote:

> project management always of interest here.
>   I have a home grown one in the works in PMwiki
> ...
> 
> GTD has a number of "gaps" for our needs
> -- collaborative environment;  there are no options for assigning to 
> team players

[[Assignment:PersonName]] , just like [[Context:Phone]]
(I highly recommend using shorter names in practice.)

> -- Calendars are not that important, I just need a linear road map and 
to knowthat it's moving forward or not... very little is tied to actual 
dates.

I beg to differ. You also need to know if the important projects are 
moving forward at an acceptable speed and will get done in time. PERT 
and Gantt charts aren't popular anymore, but the thinking processes they 
require can alert you to all sorts of problems. The deadlines that 
thinking process creates are worth Due dates.

If there are no due dates, even fuzzy ones, you won't know where you 
stand. Not saying all things need due dates, but for important projects 
with invisible deadlines, they're important.

As I'd said earlier, this all started because I saw GTD implemented in 
another wiki. I haven't actually read the book, but I'd be very 
surprised if it doesn't discuss this sort of thing.

> -- and TO DO systems that force you to open a dialog and enter three 
> fields and click
> several pull down menus and then submit, just to create check list
> have always pushed my efficiency buttons =
> "drives me nuts... why don't you just make a list!"

Agreed! And there's something about the feel of pencil on paper, and 
physically tearing up a completed list.

> but I *do* like a couple of conceptual things GTD has working for it... 
> It would be
> great to be able to add, to any given PMWiki page
> 
> Next Action --to move this project forward... but it is attached to 
> page, not a project as such
> and these could be aggregated visually in a page list...)

The only thing special about projects is they're in the Projects group. 
But there's really no need to put them there if something else works for 
you.

So long as that page isn't excluded from the (:pageliest:), it'll show 
up. Other people viewing the page might wonder what the link to 
[Context:Phone] is all about. (You can hide it with (:if false:) because 
PmWiki searches are on the wiki code, not on the visible result.)
> 
> Waiting On -- a frequent "pause" in a project requiring everyone to 
> "halt" but you often don't know
> "what's happening, why are we all waiting...but my PM wiki skills-php 
> skills are not there... to
> implement such "add on" to any given page...

Just type the reason into the project page. Anywhere on the page that 
makes sense to you. And right beside the reason put [Context:Wait] and 
[Due:Date] to tell you when you need to follow up. Then use (:pagelist:) 
to list them.

Cheers!

Sandy