Web Worker Daily

GigaOM » WebWorkerDaily Refreshed says: November 15th, 2006 11:28am

[...] For those of you who don’t know who Anne is, check out her most excellent blog, Anne 2.0. She is a web technologist, blogger, and industry analyst who lives and works in Denver, Colorado. She is so living the WWD life. She is going to be a great addition to the site, and with her fresh insights, and sharp observations, she is going to help WWD even better. I know I am a fan, and my bet is all of you are going to love her writings. Welcome Anne! Check out her debut post… why paper to-do lists rock! And as Steve Jobs says, one more thing: by popular demand, we have added forums to Web Worker Daily. Check them out and let us know what other features we should add to the site. [...]

Michael Biven says: November 15th, 2006 12:23pm

After seeing David Seah’s Printable CEO series I find his Emergent Task Timer works great as a to do list. It has space for your to do items and room for any other items that come up during the day.

Peter Bell says: November 15th, 2006 12:30pm

I used pen and paper for a long time and still do while “on the move”, but I find a simple Notepad/Textmate style to do list invaluable. Why?

- I can always read my typing - not always true about my writing :-

Peter Bell says: November 15th, 2006 12:30pm

I used pen and paper for a long time and still do while “on the move”, but I find a simple Notepad/Textmate style to do list invaluable. Why?

- I can always read my typing - not always true about my writing
- I can easily re-order tasks which I almost always have to do. Try re-ordering 30 tasks on a piece of paper - ten times. Then trying doing the same using cut and pase on a laptop . . .
- I can find tasks by keyword so I can afford to have plenty of “some day” tasks and just find them via search.
- I can easily save my historic “done” tasks - again for searching by project or other key words down the line.

Anne Zelenka says: November 15th, 2006 12:48pm

Michael: that emergent task timer looks useful, though I’m not sure I’m ready to know how much time I’m spending surfing the web each day.

Peter: with my paper to do lists, you’re right, I don’t get a searchable archive. I’m the kind of person who likes to throw out stuff as soon as I’m finished with it, get it behind me, so that works okay, but it’s not for everyone. Text files do seem like a good way to avoid the overhead of a dedicated online to do list manager but still reap the benefits you mention.

Murali says: November 15th, 2006 1:06pm

I use paper only to put down thoughts, because jotting down thoughts on keyboard is not so intuitive and can not do any freehand drawings. Once I figure out what to do, I will use electronic versions of task lists. ( (I am buying a wacom intuos this week, so I will get rid of paper, almost always. However, I regularly take a print out with tasks for a week a head and keep it always in my pocket, to track and jot down new ones when I am away from my computer.) The electronic versions have lots of advantages over note book. I am listing four reasons why I prefer electronic versions over paper.

1. View: Can see pending tasks based on priority and category. For example, a click will throw out all items I need to buy at a local mall while another click will throw out all phone calls I need to make today.
2. Prioritization & Tracking : Adjusting priorities is my favourite option, that is available only with electonic versions. And it is so painful to postpone or trackdown missing items from last month on paper.
3. Alerts: Most important and invaluable features of all electronic versions. SMS /Email alerts have no counter part on paper. It is quite natural to be carried away in some or the other thing. An SMS in time will keep you focused.
4. Sharing: I can share selected items from my todo lists with friends and family at any point and we can finish them more effectively. With a notebook approach, its a pain to do so.

For those strained by a computer, here is a tip, try out Dragon Naturally speaking and intuoso. I am a software developer for almost 7 years, and I understand the pain. But don’t let that take away the goodies the electronic versions bring in. When it comes to effectiveness, paper can’t beat electronic versions.

Deepak says: November 15th, 2006 1:12pm

I am with Peter. All my reasons for doing the electronic thing are much in line with his (my handwriting is completely illegible).

I do like the idea of the wacom tablets thought. I do have a tendency to brainstorm on a whiteboard or piece of paper (although I am using Freemind more and more every day), so a tablet would be ideal.

Kathy Sierra says: November 15th, 2006 1:26pm

“No application lock-in”
Perhaps not technically, but psychologically… just trying prying a Moleskine out of the hands of one of the devoted. ; )

There’s some evidence that the way you move your hand when you write or sketch on paper can improve the retention and recall (and sometimes even understanding) of what you write, in a way that doesn’t happen with typing words. The intimate brain connection between thinking and doing (including mirror neurons and all that) keeps pointing to more reasons to include more of the body–more movement–when we’re in the process of thinking.

For me, the difference between mind-mapping vs. typing a list–even if the topic is the same–is dramatic. I heart my Wacom, but paper still turns me on the most.

Thanks for this post! And congratulations on being here; I’m looking forward to your posts here.

Anne Zelenka says: November 15th, 2006 1:32pm

I was about to invoke Kathy’s name in the context of tablets for data entry, and here she is suggesting them herself. How great. I love the idea of combining the pleasures of writing and doodling with the benefits of digital information capture.

Chris Gilmer says: November 15th, 2006 2:35pm

Anne - i totally agree with using paper. Most of the time its much more convenient to jot down ideas when on the go, and especially when you cant stand sitting in front on the computer and need some semi- downtime. I use notebooks all the time. I usually end up transferring ideas to Google Docs where I can share, search and edit them easily.

My only pet peeves with paper notebooks.. my daughter loves to rip pages out, scribble on my pages, spill stuff on then, crinkle pages, and my cat loves to eat them, and sleep on them. Then again, they do those things to my computers too! But all that stuff makes me smile, so i guess its not that bad after all.

PS.. Welcome to the WebWorkerDaily team!

Lisa Williams says: November 15th, 2006 6:53pm

Hey, Anne, I use an all-paper GTD setup. I find that the hassle of having to use a stylus or thumb keyboard for input to be just enough hassle to make me think, “Oh, I’ll remember to write it down later.”

And of course I don’t. The sync thing is a big issue, too.

I actually use the little 59 cent top-spiral notebooks, because I write one to-do item on a page and rip them out when they’ve been appended to the appropriate project sheets, my calendar, whatever. As soon as an items been put in its proper place, I rip that piece of paper out of the notebook.

The notebook itself is in a little folio that takes that size notebooks, mostly because the folio has a loop for a pen, which means that the notebook is always near a pen.

BTW, congrats on the new gig! I found out about Anne 2.0 through the OPML community, I think.

Lisa Williams says: November 15th, 2006 6:55pm

Ha! I have the exact same problem with my own kids. My two year old now LOVES notebooks. My solution has been to buy him his own little folio, just like mine, and let him have his own. I actually try to keep my own in a pocket or a bag, because if he sees it, he’s gotta have it.

Actually, that might be a paper advantage. What if your kid gets your fancy PDA? Yikes.

Allen says: November 15th, 2006 9:22pm

I have an enormous whiteboard that I got about 3 weeks ago. I love it. I just scribble things on it - and it has a weekly calendar, as manual as you can get. But I can look at it and know who I am interviewing or speaking with during the day. When I go on trips, I move it into an online calendar.

I have a steno pad on my desk. I jot things in it as I think of them. And I circle things - dont know why but I do :) Then as each one is done, it gets crossed out with a red pen.

Years ago, a boss gave me one of the first palm pilots. Loved it for a day. Then just could never seem to get into it.

I am also a pen freak - having about 400 pens here so what would I use them for if not this? Right now the “Intercontinental Le Grand” pen is getting much work.

Stuart says: November 16th, 2006 12:18am

I’ve tried many “organiser” tools and still come back to pen and paper myself. The only problem is finding information that is not current, paging back through your notes can be a little time consuming bit the tradeoff at being able to write (or draw) exactly what you need is huge.

laurence timms says: November 16th, 2006 3:12am

Pen and paper every time. Why? Lookupability. I’m always flicking back through my daybook to find a note I wrote about something. When I find the note - usually within 15 seconds - not only do I get the textual content, but I get drawings, symbols, context, dates, emotions…all things that are difficult to represent electronically.

If you showed me a gadget that weighed the same as a daybook and a biro, was as robust, consumed as much power, was as expressive…then I’d consider it. I don’t expect to see any such thing any time in the next 20 years.

Nita says: November 16th, 2006 4:07am

Actually I am addicted to the pc. you can write and re-write and everything looks neat. I think the pc is the best invention for people like me you cannot write a line without wanting to change it.

Zoho Blogs says: November 16th, 2006 5:05am

ToDo Lists - Inking them on Paper Vs Having them Online

Anne Zelenka has a nice debut post at Web Worker Daily. She lists the advantages of having one’s todo lists on paper compared to having them on an online personal organizer. Liked the comment that one Mr. Peter Bell made there :
I used pen and pa…

Sander says: November 16th, 2006 5:49am

Mixed. At work, I’ve gotten used to first scribbling thoughts on a piece of paper, then when everything is about as I want it, I transfer it to the wiki. Even a dual-screen setup is no match for the ease of use of reading things on-screen and simultaneously jotting them down.

Five Reasons to Use a Paper To Do List « SaaS-a-fras says: November 16th, 2006 7:20am

[...] Read the story frtom Web Worker Daily >> Posted by jeremyhunter Filed in Uncategorized [...]

Marsha J. O'Brien says: November 16th, 2006 10:51am

I love pen and paper to do lists for many reasons. We do that in fitness to keep track of our injested foods daily. When it’s written it is already a review of what to do in our brains. I think the art of lettering writing is becoming a lost art, and I notice when I write a list, I am also practicing my handwriting (which is not nearly as good as it used to be.) Loved the article and it reminded me I need to “update” yesterday’s list of what still needs to be done:)

Dane says: November 16th, 2006 11:22am

I love the web. I find myself using it more and more each day in ways that I never would have believed even a year or two ago. But I write to-do lists, shopping lists, and tons of other lists as well, on 3×5 cards. Most anything I have ever organized, whether new database structures, the novel I’m writing, research reports–anything–starts off a little better on 3×5 cards. You can carry them around and mull them over no matter where you are. Nobody looks funny at you (and admit it, pull out your moleskine and you brand yourself in weird and unpleasant ways).

I do use paper notebooks for things I can’t type, like meeting notes and private thoughts and such. And I love the moleskines, particularly the gridded 5X8 ones, but 3×5s are, unlike these, completely indespensible for anyone who lives by ideas. There are lots of great pens, too, but I find myself returning to the pencil again and again.

ramenjunkie says: November 16th, 2006 11:28am

I use notecards a lot on the weekends for todo lists. As you mentioned, I like the ability to scribble things out as they are finished. My expensive PDA is nice but I prefer just using it as portable storage and to play music or as a calender.

I’ve also started keeping a paper notebook for work related tasks during day to day work activity. I find I keep up with it a lot more if it’s on paper. Sure, I could make an Excell schedule of when I changed light bulbs or when the transmitter generators had maintainance but I’m more likely to keep it up if I don’thave to remember where I saved the file and I’m less likely to be distracted by the whole of the internet as I often do when I sit at the PC. Just flip open the notebook and jot the dates down or notes on how some equipment repairs went. I can even transport it to the transmitter when I go out there to work, something my PC won’t do.

twentysomegirl says: November 16th, 2006 3:16pm

I use pen and paper…there’s just something about it the feels better. I use the internet for everything, but for some reason just couldn’t get into a PDA. Great article btw!

thirdpoliceman says: November 16th, 2006 8:17pm

I could not agree with this more! I’m like a scared lonely child without my pad and paper. Can’t beat the price either.

Dean says: November 17th, 2006 1:47am

I would tend to agree with you. My wife is a great one for scribbling to-do lists on paper and is an avid fan of the good old fashioned paper-based diary. I use the internet for lots of great things but I’ve never really got on with electronic to-do lists. I use Microsoft Outlook for reminders but that’s about it. Any list based stuff I tend to write on paper, it’s just a lot more accessible and easy to flick through.

I’ve always been tempted by the idea of a PDA but I’m sure its novelty factor would soon wear off and it would sit somewhere gathering dust.

Rodger says: November 17th, 2006 4:31pm

I find my desktop task management software indispensible. I would find it much harder to manage it all using a paper to-do list.

Here are some of the things that I can do with my desktop planner that would be harder with a paper to-do list:

- Prioritize and move entries around easily (automatically sorted)
- Separate entries by project so that I can focus on one project at a time without getting distracted by other things
- Get an automatic indication if there is a task with a deadline that fell through the cracks
- Break up larger tasks into smaller steps when needed
- Schedule project/tasks on my calendar (with automatic linking)

Even so, I still use a paper “scratch pad” to write down certain tasks now and then, but I always transfer them back to my desktop task manager to get them done.

Nat says: November 17th, 2006 9:08pm

I use my PDA for my main to do list, but pen and paper for particular groupings of tasks which I don’t want to have to set up a dedicated category for on my PDA, or because my PDA doesn’t give me enough control over how I need to record my list; sometimes if I’m recording a to do list in a group meeting environment, it’s alot quicker to use pen and paper and then maybe follow it up with an electronically recorded version. Also, even with default reminders on PDAs, Outlooks etc, I still sometimes prefer the post it note stuck to the monitor.

Feedonomics » Blog Archive » Anne Zelenka’s new gig says: November 18th, 2006 4:34am

[...] Anne is a former OPMLer who somehow lost her connection this spring during her move from Hawaii to Denver. She now has a new job as a columnist for Om Malik’s network. She’s always been a great writer, and her first post at Web Worker Daily is right on target. Maybe she’ll rediscover OPML again someday. It would be great to have her back. [...]

spotstory » More love for notebooks says: November 18th, 2006 7:23am

[...] Anne Zelenka over at Web Worker Daily makes the case for pen and paper as the ultimate solution for to-do lists. It sounds like she might be a Moleskine fan. [...]

kansaisamurai says: November 19th, 2006 12:04am

I use paper more often, after all, paper beats rocks.

Mike says: November 19th, 2006 12:56pm

I’ve used a paper list for years - so I guess it’s like trying to teach an old dog new tricks. Plus I like to have something I can look at all day while I sit there wondering if I’ll ever get to the end of my list :o)

When I write things down, it also helps to jog my memory about other things I need to - so I guess I’ll always be a paper guy at heart.

Mike
Stone Gate Articles

Big Catastropha « Blogs are like opinions. Everybody has one… says: November 22nd, 2006 2:40pm

[...] (1) (2) (3) (4) Posted by adamo Filed in Greek, Αθλητικά, Ολυμπιακός, Ααααργκ!!!! [...]

Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Six Things To Make Your Office Productive and Peaceful « says: November 28th, 2006 8:00am

[...] A pen you adore. I like the Bic Atlantis and the Papermate Comfortmate Grip, medium point blue, retractable. My mom the attorney likes to use a bold purple ballpoint (the Papermate Flexgrip Ultra) to swish out items on her printed to do list. She switched when she could no longer find the Parker Big Red, the pen that carried her successfully through the bar exam. Whatever pen you use, make sure it’s one that makes you happy. Even if you lead most of your life on the computer, there will surely be times you’ll need to use pen and paper. Why not make it enjoyable? [...]

Anne 2.0 » Blog Archive » Writing for an Audience of One says: November 30th, 2006 5:50pm

[...] Five Reasons to Use a Paper To Do List on Web Worker Daily [...]

Tim says: November 30th, 2006 9:52pm

Anne,
I can’t recommend Levenger’s Circa system enough. Great stuff. Almost any medium-point ballpoint pen on their paper feels great. Whether jotting a todo list (my most common use) or struggling through your next post (also pretty common), you’ve hit it on the head. Nothing feels so good or conveys the same sense of possibility as a great pen on great paper.

As ever, keep up the great work.

Amie Gillingham says: December 1st, 2006 9:00am

I, too, am a huge fan of paper. I like how tactile it is. I like that my lists can be chaotic, go off on tangents, and can easily accodate both work and life tasks. Paper to-do lists are harder to ignore because it sits there next to your computer, staring at you with its black or blue or purple ink du jour, asking “are you ever going to finish cleaning out your inbox?” or “did you remember to call your toddler’s doctor to reschedule?”

Like others, my daughter (nearly 3) loves mommy’s special notebook and likes to add tasks to the list. Apparently, today I am supposed to practice making circles and the letter W.

Amie Gillingham says: December 1st, 2006 9:04am

er, accomodate, lol. Must spell-check before posting, lol.

Listics - Frank Paynter’s Voice and Vision… » Continuous Partial Attention says: December 5th, 2006 6:39am

[...] Anne Zelenka uses pen and paper. Liz Gannes got to interview the numa-numa guy. [...]

Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive A Web Workers Holiday Gift Guide « says: December 12th, 2006 3:31am

[...] Fancy pen with fancy notebook - yes, we sometimes like to shut the computers off, although very rarely. [...]

John Cawley says: December 12th, 2006 4:19pm

Paper. At our peril, we forget we are embodied. Paper plus pen or pencil or highlighter help us create with the focus and joy of our bodies as well as our minds and spirits.

Juxtaviews - » David Seah - Interview says: December 13th, 2006 8:07am

[...] Frequently you create well designed paper diagrams that provideorganizational solutions. Personally I find paper ends up creating more clutter and disorganization (although some people disagree). Some users of your designs have gone and emulated your designs and concepts by creating web solutions vs your paper solutions. Now you’re working on the alpha of Emergent Time Tracker which is a web version of your Emergent Task Timer. Is the web going to become your medium of choice moving forward? What is the benefit of each (paper vs web)? [...]

GigaOM » Paper, Pen and Blackberry says: December 17th, 2006 1:33am

[...] But in reality many of these tools are great for collection, not for constructive reflection. Anne Zelenka recently wrote and essay about how pen and paper are the most effective tools to get things done. “Writing on a paper to do list might be just the ergonomic break your body needs,” she says. [...]

findin.gs/trevork / Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Five Reasons to Use a Paper To Do List « says: December 17th, 2006 7:15am

[...] Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Five Reasons to Use a Paper To Do List « Using pen on paper just feels good. You need the right paper and the right pen–an old Bic on a decrepit yellow sticky note won’t get you to tactile nirvana–but with proper equipment, isn’t it much more satisfying to write a new to do item onto a piece of paper than to type it into your laptop or thumb it into your Treo? What about that triumphant feeling when you scribble off something you’ve finished? Clicking a checkbox with your mouse doesn’t compare. [...]

hawaii lover says: December 17th, 2006 8:33am

Personally, I have been going to hawaii every year since my family bought a time share on maui. I love it. i dont understand how people cant just go once. Io fell in love with it!

Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Open Thread: How Do You Decide What To Do from Your To Do List? « says: February 13th, 2007 8:49am

[...] Done approach to personal organization: Vitalist and Nozbe. With tools like that–or even just pen and paper–you can capture everything you need to get done. Once you’ve offloaded all those [...]

Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Six More Reasons to Use a Paper To Do List « says: April 18th, 2007 5:35am

[...] complement Five Reasons to Use a Paper To Do List, here are six [...]

Richard says: April 18th, 2007 8:46am

I agree paper is better for a lot of things. I like to brainstorm on paper using mindmaps. I created a site following mindmaps and free mindmap templates.

With paper you always have an available resource that dosen’t need batteries or the need to power up.

Links - 20/04/07 « Krugergold Finance says: April 19th, 2007 10:52pm

[...] Paper todo list(webworkerdaily) Using pen on paper just feels good. You need the right paper and the right pen–an old Bic on a decrepit yellow sticky note won’t get you to tactile nirvana–but with proper equipment, isn’t it much more satisfying to write a new to do item onto a piece of paper than to type it into your laptop or thumb it into your Treo? What about that triumphant feeling when you scribble off something you’ve finished? Clicking a checkbox with your mouse doesn’t compare. [...]

Mont Blanc Pens » Blog Archive » Paper Productivity says: April 22nd, 2007 12:14pm

[...] Update: Added links to two lists of reasons to use paper, from Web Worker [...]

Talking Story with Say Leadership Coaching says: April 22nd, 2007 9:42pm

Paper: Peeves and Pleasures

No doubt about, with all the electronic wizardry now at our fingertips, we love paper. Read the comments at these postings over at Web Worker Daily and see how many times you nod your head thinking, “Oh yeah, me too.”

Reasons To Use A Paper To Do List says: April 23rd, 2007 4:53am

[...] more reasons to use a paper To Do list at these sites: http://webworkerdaily.com/2006/11/15/five-reasons-to-use-a-paper-to-do-list/ http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/04/18/six-more-reasons-to-use-a-paper-to-do-list/ digg_url = [...]

Photography Blog Site » Paper Productivity says: June 19th, 2007 4:56pm

[...] Update: Added links to two lists of reasons to use paper, from Web Worker [...]

Music and Songs » Paper Productivity says: June 19th, 2007 6:27pm

[...] Update: Added links to two lists of reasons to use paper, from Web Worker [...]

Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Where Paper is Still King « says: June 21st, 2007 2:00pm

[...] task list and GTD applications on various computers. But as we’ve written before, there are plenty of reasons for using paper to keep track of your planned activities. Sometimes the old reliable [...]

anuj says: June 27th, 2007 8:22am

Paper sure does have a higher fan following compared to electronic to-do lists.

But managing your own personal tasks is one thing, while managing your tasks in a group environment is something else altogether. When sharing tasks with a group there are lots of issues to work through. For example: viewing other group members task lists and letting them view yours, assigning tasks to someone else in your group, checking progress of a task, adding notes, allow others to add tasks and notes to your list, sending reminders…etc. In addition, we are increasingly living in a world where groups are distributed across cities and continents and we need to work together.

We were struggling with this issue of managing day to day tasks between various team members in different locations at our company, MangoSpring (www.MangoSpring.com). We decided to build a tool (called TaskBin) that allowed us to share our task lists with others in the company in a very simple and transparent way. As we started using it internally, we thought others may benefit from it as well, so we decided to launch TaskBin as an hosted version ( http://www.TaskBin.com).

Registration is super easy. However, if you do not want to register at this time and just want to play with it to see how it works, you can you can use the demo login at http://www.taskbin.com/user/demo_login

Sheri says: September 9th, 2007 12:24am

Wow! My sentiments exactly! I love my Dell Axim, but not as much as nicely coated paper & my pink Ph.D ink pen!

24 Things You Can Do With an Index Card « Web Worker Daily says: October 10th, 2007 6:45am

[...] completely digital, and do just about everything on the web, there’s a growing movement to go back to analog. Paper is retro, it’s portable, it’s quick and dirty, and even aesthetically [...]

Web Worker Daily » Archive 7 Ways to Track Your Goals « says: December 31st, 2007 1:00pm

[...] notebook. If you’re a paper to do list type of person, maybe you write your tasks in a nice notebook? Record your goals, resolutions, and [...]

John Michels says: June 16th, 2008 1:00pm

Intresting. Sometimes I do like just using a pencil and paper… usually I print out a to do list template from ToDoListTemplate.com and then write on that… at least it takes care of formatting… but sometimes I do prefer just doing it online.