"Locations" needs upgrading
mahinirb says:
It's a great idea -- and it's what drew me to RTM. I want to be able to see my errands geographically so I can coordinate them together. But the execution is lacking (no offense, this is constructive criticism).
Some things I'd like to be able to do:
1. Pick multiple locations for a task.
2. Pick a company (like Home Depot) or type of business (like hardware store) -- which Google map could search for -- so I can check the map when I'm going to an area to see if I can knock out an errand.
3. Be able to get directions on the Locations map.
4. Be able to send the Locations map to Google My Maps.
5. Integrate locations entered into Google Calendar (or other calendars) into the Locations map so we can coordinate errands with our schedule better.
6. Be able to just add an address to the task's location line (which the map will find and tag automatically) without having to go through the current laborious process of creating a location first.
Anyway, there are some thoughts. I think we could use a Locations 2.0 overhaul, so here are some ideas to make it more useful. Please feel free to provide your own, or let us know how you use the feature to get around some of these shortcomings.
Some things I'd like to be able to do:
1. Pick multiple locations for a task.
2. Pick a company (like Home Depot) or type of business (like hardware store) -- which Google map could search for -- so I can check the map when I'm going to an area to see if I can knock out an errand.
3. Be able to get directions on the Locations map.
4. Be able to send the Locations map to Google My Maps.
5. Integrate locations entered into Google Calendar (or other calendars) into the Locations map so we can coordinate errands with our schedule better.
6. Be able to just add an address to the task's location line (which the map will find and tag automatically) without having to go through the current laborious process of creating a location first.
Anyway, there are some thoughts. I think we could use a Locations 2.0 overhaul, so here are some ideas to make it more useful. Please feel free to provide your own, or let us know how you use the feature to get around some of these shortcomings.
davide.del.vento says:
Yep, all of those would be very useful.
I'd add also another one, which I already mentioned in this post
http://www.rememberthemilk.com/forums/help/3807/
This one would be very, very easy to implement! Just add another string field for the location: in addition to the "google location" (say, the street address), I'd like to have a place where to put the room number or whatever comment I want (floor, apt, etc)
A possible workaround is to make a DIFFERENT location for every single room/apt. But this workaround is *very* ugly since the map view will be a mess, and the user will lost the ability to select a "single" location (eg. building), and view everything he/she has to do there (in possible different rooms).
Another workaround is to put the room number in a tag, but in my opinion that's ugly too, since you will have many many tags, and lot of clutter.
Thanks,
;Dav
I'd add also another one, which I already mentioned in this post
http://www.rememberthemilk.com/forums/help/3807/
This one would be very, very easy to implement! Just add another string field for the location: in addition to the "google location" (say, the street address), I'd like to have a place where to put the room number or whatever comment I want (floor, apt, etc)
A possible workaround is to make a DIFFERENT location for every single room/apt. But this workaround is *very* ugly since the map view will be a mess, and the user will lost the ability to select a "single" location (eg. building), and view everything he/she has to do there (in possible different rooms).
Another workaround is to put the room number in a tag, but in my opinion that's ugly too, since you will have many many tags, and lot of clutter.
Thanks,
;Dav
stucox says:
Yeah, just being allowed to write text straight into the box without RTM parsing it would be very useful for me - would it not be possible to make it parse it if it can, or just leave it if it can't (rather than rejecting it)?
(closed account) says:
I noticed that when I click on a location and get the bubble with all the tasks for that location, task priorities but not due dates show up. Due dates would help. Also, within the bubble, if I click on one of the tasks, I end up in my general tasks list. It would be better if I went to the specific task I clicked on. Also, within the bu
I think the Locations feature is probably the weakest part of RtM right now. However, I'm confident that it will be updated someday, and then it will be great. I've noticed that RtM features sometimes take a while to change, but the changes are always well thought-out and implemented, so I'm happy to wait.
I think the Locations feature is probably the weakest part of RtM right now. However, I'm confident that it will be updated someday, and then it will be great. I've noticed that RtM features sometimes take a while to change, but the changes are always well thought-out and implemented, so I'm happy to wait.
drgnsyr says:
Number 6 is my big concern and would make this tool so much more useful for me and less laborious.
kevinv says:
Number 6 is bugging the heck out of me at the moment. Leave the text as is if it doesn't match a location already setup.
Very nice when someone calls "lets have coffee at xxx tomorrow" and you e-mail the reminder but if you don't have xxx already setup the information is discarded.
Parsing policy should be keep info, parse what you can, discard nothing.
Very nice when someone calls "lets have coffee at xxx tomorrow" and you e-mail the reminder but if you don't have xxx already setup the information is discarded.
Parsing policy should be keep info, parse what you can, discard nothing.
dougal.phillips says:
Another vote for these, particularly no.1.
stefeq says:
+1
simpig says:
Another vote for #6, being able to add a location "on the fly" - especially using the email-from-phone functionality.
....and then create another "task cloud" of locations as well so I can see everything to do at a specific location.
Today my work-around is to put my locations in as tags, but it gets messy...
....and then create another "task cloud" of locations as well so I can see everything to do at a specific location.
Today my work-around is to put my locations in as tags, but it gets messy...
skroyer says:
Suggestion regarding numbers 1, 2 and maybe 6:
I think the intent of numbers 1 & 2 could be accomplished by simply adding an optional Location Group to each saved location. When designating the location for a task, you could search by matching group first, by name second, and then parse 3rd (this would be #6 -- allow any text supplied inside a certain set of designators to be applied as the location name when parsing an ad-hoc location).
The benefit of the groups would be to be able to enter, for example, multiple different Grocery stores into a Grocery location group. Then we can specify Grocery as the location for a task, and, hopefully, the mobile apps can use the current location to match the nearest location in the Grocery group...or suggesting locations from the Grocery group which are near locations specified in other tasks.
That should make for some fun query design!
I think the intent of numbers 1 & 2 could be accomplished by simply adding an optional Location Group to each saved location. When designating the location for a task, you could search by matching group first, by name second, and then parse 3rd (this would be #6 -- allow any text supplied inside a certain set of designators to be applied as the location name when parsing an ad-hoc location).
The benefit of the groups would be to be able to enter, for example, multiple different Grocery stores into a Grocery location group. Then we can specify Grocery as the location for a task, and, hopefully, the mobile apps can use the current location to match the nearest location in the Grocery group...or suggesting locations from the Grocery group which are near locations specified in other tasks.
That should make for some fun query design!
craigdpenn says:
I think skroyer's idea of having one location list for 'Groceries' and grouping multiple google map locations under that single location list a much more elegant approach than the request to tick multiple location lists.
jef says:
I love OP's ideas. Let's have them. Woohoo! Go go mahinirb.
Give me a Ma.
"Ma!!!"
Give me a Hin.
"Hin!!!"
Give me an Irb.
"Irb"
What does it spell?
"Mahinirb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Give me a Ma.
"Ma!!!"
Give me a Hin.
"Hin!!!"
Give me an Irb.
"Irb"
What does it spell?
"Mahinirb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
vishal85 says:
How does one go about connecting a grocery list with a location? For example, I have a list of 20 items I would like to purchase at (wal-mart). The only way I can do it now is individually select each task and assign the location "wal-mart" to it.....can I do this to multiple items?
rasand says:
@mahinirb:
I KISS YOU!!!
@vishal85
Just press "M" on your keyboard to switch to "multi-edit" mode - that should do the trick.
I KISS YOU!!!
@vishal85
Just press "M" on your keyboard to switch to "multi-edit" mode - that should do the trick.
(closed account) says:
Horray for Locations 2.0...
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