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 at 3:06am on November 6, 2007

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 at 6:57pm on November 9, 2007

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 at 3:23pm on November 14, 2007

Another vote for this from a software engineer :)

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

Posted at 8:16pm on November 15, 2007

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 at 1:23am on November 29, 2007

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 at 8:26am on November 29, 2007

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 at 12:42am on November 30, 2007

Adding my voice to the crowd.

Posted at 3:48pm on November 30, 2007

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 at 4:56pm on November 30, 2007

I vote for this change too.

Posted at 11:55am on December 1, 2007

I posted on the same issue. Completely agree!!

RTM people - please change this!!

Posted at 6:52pm on December 2, 2007

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 at 11:28pm on December 2, 2007

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 at 5:50am on December 5, 2007

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 at 5:52am on December 5, 2007

mugpet

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 at 9:08am on December 5, 2007

inbetweener

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

Posted at 6:12pm on December 5, 2007

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

Posted at 4:44pm on December 31, 2007

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 at 7:14pm on January 1, 2008

+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 at 4:52am on January 2, 2008

progrium

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 at 1:46am on January 3, 2008

we.kanes

I vote for this.

Posted at 3:25am on January 3, 2008

please just let us select default behavior in settings

Posted at 3:08pm on January 3, 2008

we.kanes

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 at 5:37pm on January 7, 2008

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 at 11:40pm on January 7, 2008

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

Posted at 10:22pm on March 12, 2008

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 at 2:23am on March 13, 2008

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 at 6:56pm on March 24, 2008

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 at 4:07am on March 25, 2008

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 at 2:18pm on March 25, 2008

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 at 4:59pm on April 7, 2008

jfriend

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 at 5:33pm on July 21, 2008

Another vote. Thanks RTM!

Posted at 8:05pm on July 21, 2008

jyan

One more vote from me. Thanks!

Posted at 10:38am on July 22, 2008

i agree with the OP.

Posted at 8:30am on July 24, 2008

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 at 2:46pm on July 24, 2008

jacksondn

+1

Posted at 4:13pm on July 26, 2008

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 at 10:51pm on August 3, 2008

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 at 6:36pm on August 6, 2008

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 at 6:58pm on August 6, 2008

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

Posted at 7:04pm on August 6, 2008

+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 at 12:46am on August 7, 2008

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 at 11:33am on August 7, 2008

Totally agree with this!

Posted at 8:59pm on August 11, 2008

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

Posted at 2:54am on August 12, 2008

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

Posted at 3:22pm on August 13, 2008

@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 at 3:39pm on August 13, 2008

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 at 4:53pm on August 13, 2008

aroussos

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

Posted at 8:24pm on August 13, 2008

+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 at 2:09am on August 19, 2008

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 at 4:23pm on August 26, 2008

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

Posted at 4:07pm on September 8, 2008

i add my vote

Posted at 9:27pm on September 8, 2008

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

Posted at 10:03pm on September 8, 2008

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

Posted at 12:09pm on September 15, 2008

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 at 9:48pm on September 25, 2008

Agree with this too!

Posted at 5:02pm on September 28, 2008

misha.glouberman

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 at 5:42pm on October 23, 2008

rajjan

Always press "n" before processing tasks.

Posted at 6:03pm on October 23, 2008

What mugpet said.

Posted at 6:56pm on October 23, 2008

I agree. +1 vote here.

Posted at 12:55pm on October 29, 2008

Agreed.

Posted at 10:24pm on November 1, 2008

yublocka

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

Posted at 10:01am on November 2, 2008

Yes please, this would be helpful.

Posted at 7:39pm on November 2, 2008

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 at 1:49pm on November 3, 2008

Add my vote to the list.

Posted at 2:46pm on November 3, 2008

Agreed 100%

Posted at 12:51am on November 18, 2008

kevindente

Absolutely agree.

Posted at 8:07pm on November 18, 2008

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 at 10:37pm on December 3, 2008

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

Posted at 5:27pm on January 6, 2009

+1. Very unintuitive.

Posted at 9:02pm on January 6, 2009

+1.Please change it.

Posted at 9:41pm on January 6, 2009

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 at 12:13am on January 8, 2009

+1

Posted at 10:42am on January 8, 2009

+1

Posted at 10:03am on January 9, 2009

cswrcole

I agree

Posted at 6:58pm on January 12, 2009

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 at 11:15pm on January 17, 2009

--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 at 4:36am on January 21, 2009

I agree. +1

Posted at 1:32pm on January 30, 2009

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 at 9:14pm on February 2, 2009

maxmuller

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 at 5:34pm on February 26, 2009

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

Posted at 11:23am on March 2, 2009

mosius

Agreed!

Posted at 5:37am on March 3, 2009

cshonea

yeah, this is driving me insane..

Posted at 12:12am on March 4, 2009

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

Posted at 10:53am on March 6, 2009

marmarou

+1

Posted at 9:14pm on March 11, 2009

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 at 4:57pm on May 8, 2009

graith

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

Posted at 4:40am on May 11, 2009

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

I agree 100% with this request.

Posted at 2:12pm on May 12, 2009

Adding my vote for this request

Posted at 11:41am on June 12, 2009

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

Posted at 3:48pm on June 19, 2009

frankhebbert

+1.

Making the orange status box float would also be useful.

Posted at 12:04am on August 15, 2009

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 at 12:37pm on August 17, 2009

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

Posted at 12:19am on August 19, 2009

+1

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

Posted at 2:07pm on August 20, 2009

funkeye

+1 This needs to be changed.

Posted at 5:36pm on August 20, 2009

+1 it's so counterintuitive

Posted at 6:15pm on August 24, 2009

i'd like this to be changed too

Posted at 8:26am on August 25, 2009

+1

The current behavior is counterintuitive and dangerous.

Posted at 10:45am on August 26, 2009

foosel

+1 from my side as well

Posted at 10:46am on August 26, 2009

+1 vote

Posted at 5:53am on September 4, 2009

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

Posted at 9:09am on September 13, 2009