Forums / Ideas

I agree with this request. I've done the unwanted multiple delete Several times. its essentially a gmail interface type feature .
I think a good idea would be to have a pop up message box warning in the case of a multiple delete or complete, as an alternative. Make it REALLY OBVIOUS.

Posted 4 years ago

ranbarton

This is a genuine usability issue that has cropped up repeatedly over the past 2 years. The danger area is if your list is long enough that you cannot see the top of it, there is not feedback to remind you that you just deleted or completed multiple items.

Any warning pop-up needs to be front-and-center, and not up top where it might not be visible.

This would save a lot of people from disaster. Anything that appears to the user as data loss needs to avoided like the plague. If someone decides they cannot trust RTM with their data, then they are going to vanish as a user.

Posted 4 years ago

I also agree with the above commenters. It's far too easy to make unwanted changes to tasks because I didn't first deselect other tasks.

Could a task simply deselect itself after any action? Batch changes could still be effected by selecting the tasks first, then performing the action (after which, all tasks would be deselected).

Please make this a priority!

Posted 4 years ago

Another vote for this from a software engineer :)

Perhaps a sidebar that lists out all the currently selected tasks if there are multiple?

Posted 4 years ago

ranbarton is correct. If you search the forums for checkbox, select or selection you will find a hundreds of posts on this topic with about 95% saying they don't like it and the remainder saying they love it or you get used to it. Personally I find it confusing and would prefer it if multiple select required an explicit action (eg. ctrl-click). Perhaps you could configure the default selection style in your options. However it seems to be a bit of a blind spot for RTM - despite all the feedback there seems to be no sign of it changing.

Posted 4 years ago

I think you can get used to this interface, but the one you are suggesting here is a LOT easier and more intuitive. Since we use "m" to multiple edit stuff, wouldn't it be a good idea, to press "m" if we want to select more checkboxes by clicking through them, and if we just want to select one (even if others are already selected) we just press "m" again.

Posted 4 years ago

danielpataki - couldn't agree more. Multi-edit mode should be used if you want to select (and therefore edit) more then one task. This just seems to make complete logical sense to me.

Posted 4 years ago

Adding my voice to the crowd.

Posted 4 years ago

ranbarton

I like the idea on no-multi-tasks actions until m has been typed. I think that's far more coherent than the current arrangement.

Posted 4 years ago

I vote for this change too.

Posted 4 years ago

I posted on the same issue. Completely agree!!

RTM people - please change this!!

Posted 4 years ago

One thing to consider, though, is that multi edit mode is simply ignored by many users, maybe a majority of us. The hotkey needs more visibility, even if a little dangerous.

Posted 4 years ago

This is my #1 complaint with RTM currently.

I design software for a living and the current method utilized in RTM is very dangerous. I find myself completing/postponing items that shouldn't have been because of this.

In non-multiedit mode, only one checkbox should be selected at a time. Adding a task should select that task and uncheck any current tasks.

I also like the idea of using Ctrl-Click to automatically go into multi-edit mode for that duration (not sticky, it would only add/remove tasks when you keep Ctrl held down) to be able to quickly select visible tasks to complete/postpone/etc.

PLEASE change this. It's extremely confusing to myself and everyone else I know using RTM currently.

Posted 4 years ago

Oh, and has anyone tried to create a Greasemonkey script to change the default behavior of RTM?

I took a quick 2 minute stab, but realized it'd be a little more complicated that I thought.

Posted 4 years ago

Why not make it as in gmail. If you click on the check box it is multi-select. If you click on the text it is single select....

Great work by the way ;-)

Posted 4 years ago

just to join the clamour... i've done this several times... a warning would be incredibly helpful.

Posted 4 years ago

Me too. It's my main bugbear with RTM.

Posted 4 years ago

Another me too. mugpet's suggestion makes sense to me (have it work like gmail, if you click on the check box it is multi-select, if you click on the text it is single select.)

Posted 4 years ago

+1 for this. As a newcomer, I found the default behavior non-intuitive as it didn't meet the principle of least surprise. Please require either mutli-mode or the dexterity to click the check box for mutiple selections at once.

Posted 4 years ago

I agree, I've been bitten by this usability issue several times since I started using it. I would also prefer EXPLICIT multiple select since that's what most all other apps do. I really appreciate what was intended from this, but I don't think it's going to work. : \

Posted 4 years ago

I vote for this.

Posted 4 years ago

please just let us select default behavior in settings

Posted 4 years ago

This is becoming a bigger pain as I transition to using RTM to manage my actual projects.

I've only made one mistake today and actually completed multiple tasks...but, I've only done this once because now I'm so afraid it will happen again and I won't notice. So I now have to be consciously aware of what tasks are selected even when I know that I only want to be editing one task at a time.

Has anyone seen any feedback from the RTM staff regarding this issue? I didn't notice any in this thread.

Posted 4 years ago

I haven't done so yet, but I am considering make a short Ghostscript (its a Firefox Extension) which will provide a temporary remedy for this, but it'll take me a few days to get it done. I'll post a link here once done.

Posted 4 years ago

mquirk

I'd just like to second this idea. It's far too easy to accidentally complete tasks.

Posted 3 years ago

dougireton

As a longtime RTM user who uses RTM on a daily basis to manage my life I completely agree with this. Please fix this!

Posted 3 years ago

ranbarton

As often as I have spoken up for better sorting, I think this is a more important issue to address. If I could arrange Bob's tasklist, this would be on top.

Posted 3 years ago

I'm a brand new user, but this is already bothering me. After I added several new items to my list, I ended up with all of them checked. I keep going back to the "select none" link out of paranoia. I'd like to vote for mugpet's suggestion:

If you click on the check box it is multi-select. If you click on the text it is single select....

Posted 3 years ago

Yes, please! I'm fine with either "can only select one item at once unless you're in multi-edit mode" or "blatant warning box pops up to say 'you are deleting/completing/postponing multiple tasks; are you sure?'", but right now it's far too easy to accidentally mess with multiple tasks.

(The little line from the task to the description box actually makes this worse -- I find myself assuming that only one task is selected even if there's another one off-screen that I've clicked.)

Posted 3 years ago

I agree. Been using it for a while, I accidentally multiple select all the time, the only annoying thing i've found in an otherwise great UI.
We should have to do something specific to multiple select, Ctrl + click seems the most intuitive. Or clicking the check box (vs somewhere else in the row) would work as well.

Posted 3 years ago

I posted separately on this and want to add my voice to the long list of folks begging for this change. Multi-select is inherently dangerous and shouldn't happen by accident.

Posted 3 years ago

apgordon

Another vote. Thanks RTM!

Posted 3 years ago

One more vote from me. Thanks!

Posted 3 years ago

i agree with the OP.

Posted 3 years ago

This gets my vote too. This is why I try to interact w/ RTM primarily through the RTM for Gmail interface, not the RTM website. It annoys the heck out of me.

Posted 3 years ago

jacksondn

+1

Posted 3 years ago

harveyd

please please please, don't make me grovel ;-)

This would be nice, with a key combo to select multi and an option to keep it as it is for those who love it now.

I am new to RTM and this is a little un-nerving at the start

Posted 3 years ago

apgordon

I'm still voting +1 for this, but if this isn't possible can there be some kind of change when selecting multiple tasks? Maybe something that pops up above lists and smartlists, where that box comes up when you select multi-edit mode on and off.

Or maybe, when you select one task the background highlight color can be as is (yellow) but if you had more than one task selected it could be a different color, like maybe the blue when you hover over a task. Something so you'd know, even if you couldn't see the second or third task because they weren't in view, that you had more than one task selected.

Posted 3 years ago

I absolutely agree that this is a serious usability issue. I have accidentally "completed" or moved the wrong tasks because I didn't realize that they were still selected.

That said, I often find it useful to use the multi-edit feature for applying tags and such. I think the suggestion by danielpataki to allow multiple selections *only* in multi-edit mode makes perfect sense and would alleviate this issue for me.

Posted 3 years ago

apgordon

I like that idea, too. That would be very helpful. Good call, danielpataki .

Posted 3 years ago

+1 another vote in agreement.

I think the simplest solution is that if you click the text, select only that item. If you click the checkbox, then it can do multiple select.

I am a keyboard shortcut fanatic, and it really annoys me that I need to press "i" to select the item after navigating to it every time. And then afterwards, I need to press "i" to deselect every time too. So another solution I'm proposing is to have "j/k" shortcuts automatically select whatever item you are on. If you use "i" or "x" to check the item, then it can do multiple selects.

Posted 3 years ago

I have a partial solution for keyboard navigation (j/k) using an existing greasemonkey script. If you use j/k shortcuts, it will select one and only one item as you move up and down. (sorry, I was not able to figure out how to do with mouse, the javascript is really obfuscated).

see the comment that gives the example for j/k configuration:
http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/22582

Posted 3 years ago

Totally agree with this!

Posted 3 years ago

I agree, this is the single really annoying thing about RTM

Posted 3 years ago

I am getting uneasy about the lack of feedback we are receiving in these forums...

Posted 3 years ago

apgordon

@finny388
+1. I don't mind not hearing back about most things, but this multiple tasks select on default is becoming especially annoying lately, and it's clear a lot of people are interested. What's up, RTM team? Any chance some of the ideas laid out here will go into effect? My favorite is the toggling of multi-edit mode on and off for selecting multiple tasks.

Posted 3 years ago

I agree that this needs to be addressed. I would love to have a multi-edit mode where I could edit due dates, tags, etc. for multiple tasks at the same time, but would prefer that multi-edit NOT be the default.

Posted 3 years ago

aroussos

I TOTALLY agree that the multi select is confusing. My suggestion would be a separate mode like some other users have suggested

Posted 3 years ago

+1 - This has happened to me so many times! I click on another task thinking the other selected one will be automatically selected... but it's not! So I have to go back an unselect the first task in order to edit the second one... THANKS :)

Posted 3 years ago

rcamner

I'd add my voice to this. It's quite the annoyance (and dangerous!). Presumably, though, the RTM design folks did this on purpose, not to annoy their userbase :) So, does anyone know the rationale for the behavior?

Posted 3 years ago

apgordon

... Emily? :)
Any word on this issue?

Posted 3 years ago

i add my vote

Posted 3 years ago

I add my vote. I find the multiple selection very annoying even with small lists.

Posted 3 years ago

I'll add my vote too. It's rather annoying.

Posted 3 years ago

This is my #1 complaint with RTM. It is way too easy to delete multiple reminders. This has caused me many problems. I would like to see this corrected since otherwise RTM is a really great product. Thank you.

Posted 3 years ago

Agree with this too!

Posted 3 years ago

I'll add to this, too. I'm pretty new to RTM. I've been using it for just a few weeks. I mostly love it, but the multiple-select thing feels like a dealbreaker to me.

I've had it happen many times that I accidentally delete an item, or mark it as complete, or postpone it, without meaning to. That's bad bad. I imagine it'll happen less as I get more used to the system, but I don't see it going away...

I'll look around the forums and see if anyone has any advice on how to minimize this problem.

Posted 3 years ago

rajjan

Always press "n" before processing tasks.

Posted 3 years ago

What mugpet said.

Posted 3 years ago

I agree. +1 vote here.

Posted 3 years ago

Agreed.

Posted 3 years ago

yublocka

Yet another vote. This has bugged me for ages and still does!!!!!!

Posted 3 years ago

Yes please, this would be helpful.

Posted 3 years ago

madeleine.akeson

+1. I press n all the time to avoid this, but I still think it could be better handled as suggested above

Posted 3 years ago

Add my vote to the list.

Posted 3 years ago

Agreed 100%

Posted 3 years ago

kevindente

Absolutely agree.

Posted 3 years ago

Back to the top. This would be my preferred default action as well. In the meantime, I'll continue to press 'n' before doing anything to my tasks.

Posted 3 years ago

+1,000,000. Bad UI. No donut.

Posted 3 years ago

+1. Very unintuitive.

Posted 3 years ago

carlos1vallejo

+1.Please change it.

Posted 3 years ago

Well, I happened to stumble upon my own post on this thread from back in Dec 2007 requesting this feature and I see it still hasn't been implemented, people are still asking for it, and the RTM team have posted nothing on this thread. What a shame.

As for me, I got fed up with multi-select ages ago and have been using Toodledo very successfully for the last six months. I can highly recommend it. And it has no stupid auto select! http://www.toodledo.com/

Posted 3 years ago

+1

Posted 3 years ago

+1

Posted 3 years ago

I agree

Posted 3 years ago

I'd still like this too. It's especially annoying when I accidentally complete repeating tasks, because "undo" uncompletes the task but doesn't delete the newly created future task. A warning that I'm deleting or completing multiple tasks, or requiring the multitask mode; either of those would help.

Posted 3 years ago

--A colour change in the screen for multi edit would be good too---

I add my vote to the multi select - changing it to like google is great. I'm a new user (2days in and it's changed how I work) but i've already managed to wipe an entire project of tasks by forgetting multi edit was on, editing the name of a task using key short cuts and moving on to do something else before I realised I'd renamed 15 projects tasks all to the same name - totally wiping my memory of what needed doing.

I'd love it if multi select was accompanied by a screen colour change, like a pink background or something so there was a really obvious reminder it was switched on.

Posted 3 years ago

I agree. +1

Posted 3 years ago

virat.kadaru

Why not try something similar to gmail, by default only one is selected (the one that the arrow points to) and incase you want to do multiple you can use the checkboxes.

For Example:
when I move the arrow up or down using 'j' or 'k' I would like to see the details of that particular task without the need to press 'i'. On the other hand, if I want to perform an action on multiple tasks, then I could go about selecting them using 'i' and details box to the right should show common things and any actions on it should apply to all tasks.

Posted 2 years ago

I agree as well +1! This is a real usability issue for me. I've lost work and wasted serious amounts of time due to this problem.

Posted 2 years ago

I agree with this too - Did anyone get greasemonkey to patch this in the mean time?

Posted 2 years ago

mosius

Agreed!

Posted 2 years ago

yeah, this is driving me insane..

Posted 2 years ago

Single task edit mode - radio buttons on the left column.
Multi edit mode - check boxes.
Very attractive IMHO.

Posted 2 years ago

+1

Posted 2 years ago

torfason

+1

Sheez, it's been a year and a half since ranbarton noted that "This is a genuine usability issue that has cropped up repeatedly over the past 2 years".

Posted 2 years ago

graith

I agree too. Default must be single select and if user needs, can select multiple tasks

Posted 2 years ago

Ctrl for multi-select is pretty standard across the board...

I agree 100% with this request.

Posted 2 years ago

jaap.kramer

Adding my vote for this request

Posted 2 years ago

Agreed - this screws with me every time i use the web interface

Posted 2 years ago

+1.

Making the orange status box float would also be useful.

Posted 2 years ago

chad.burkins

Boy, as a new RTM user, must say that this "feature" is most difficult to learn. Please change RTM so that only one item is selected. Use "Ctrl" for multiple selects.

Posted 2 years ago

I agree, this should fixed. I won't consider upgrading to pro until this is addressed.

Posted 2 years ago

mahinirb

+1

Aside from making locations more user friendly and having customizable reminders, this is my #1 change request.

Posted 2 years ago

+1 This needs to be changed.

Posted 2 years ago

+1 it's so counterintuitive

Posted 2 years ago

i'd like this to be changed too

Posted 2 years ago

demod

+1

The current behavior is counterintuitive and dangerous.

Posted 2 years ago

foosel

+1 from my side as well

Posted 2 years ago

+1 vote

Posted 2 years ago

New version of remember the milk fixes everything. Thanks guys!!! :)

Posted 2 years ago

jonty1982

no it does not. the issue still seems to be there. or have I missed something?

Posted 7 months ago