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author | Lars Wirzenius <liw@liw.fi> | 2011-08-08 17:07:53 +0100 |
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committer | Lars Wirzenius <liw@liw.fi> | 2011-08-08 17:07:53 +0100 |
commit | 8648df5093cbbb3e8636e41c147a864def3415ae (patch) | |
tree | 95ea1e504ede540bffd26c57e8bfa2e40da82d08 /calendars.mdwn | |
parent | 6edae71135cf303ccfb51fca437b428e0071583c (diff) | |
download | gtdfh.liw.fi-8648df5093cbbb3e8636e41c147a864def3415ae.tar.gz |
Write about calendars.
Diffstat (limited to 'calendars.mdwn')
-rw-r--r-- | calendars.mdwn | 62 |
1 files changed, 62 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/calendars.mdwn b/calendars.mdwn new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bb7253b --- /dev/null +++ b/calendars.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,62 @@ +Calendars and other reminder systems +==================================== + +Some things in life have to happen at particular times. For these, +the calendar is the perfect tool. Any kind of calendar will work, +as long as you use it diligently for this kind of thing: paper +or digital, pocket or wall, or even just a text file with dates. + +Calendar software has some features that make them particularly useful +for many people: group calendars, ease of separation between personal +and work calendars, etc. + +You already know how to use a calendar for its basic tasks, so we +won't go into that. + +You can use calendars as an inbox as well. For example, if you need +to start working on a project in September, but don't need to worry +about it before that, then adding a reminder about the project on +September 1 will work fine, but only if you treat the calendar +as an inbox. If you use a digital calendar, you can have one for +these inbox items in particular. + +Automatic nagging systems +------------------------- + +Another kind of thing is stuff that needs to happen regularly. For +some of these, digital calendars are still the tool of choice: you +could add a bi-monthly reminder to get a haircut to your calendar, +for example. + +Calendar reminders may also be replaced or augmented by cron jobs, +which run, for example, on the Monday before the second Thursday +of each month, and tell you to send out an invitation to the +monthly meeting, which happens on the second Thursday each month. +Whether you use an actual calendar, or a cron job, is your choice, +of course: use the tools that suit you best. + +Cron jobs have the advantage over calendars that they can be +conditional: a cron job could, for example, see if you've already +sent out the invitation, and not remind you if you have. + +Some stuff does not fit so easily with calendars. For example, +suppose you want to cut your nails when they get too long, but you +keep getting distracted by your computer so that it may take your a +month to notice that it's time to cut them. And when you do, it's +because you break a nail, which is a bit painful. After some experimentation +you decide that twelve days after the previous time is a good time to +cut your nails. Having your computer remind you about it s makes it +much more likely that you'll do it when it's time. However, having +your calendar remind you every twelve days may not work so well, +because you might be travelling on that 12th day, and the annoying +flight security theater made it impossible to take your nail cutter +with you. (This is not a hypothetical example.) + +A better solution would remind you twelve days after +the previous time you actually cut the nails, not after the previous +reminder. Lars has a program called "nagger" which does exactly that, +but it is not suitable for others to use (unless you dig editing +`procmailrc` files, and probably not even then). The nagger remembers +when you last did something, and after the specified time, it +starts nagging you every day until you tell it you've done it again. + |