Leave Remember The Milk simple and cute
muradju says:
Fix whatever you must fix, but please leave RTM simple and handy, don't go Facebook way. You could consider removing an old feature whenever you add new feature.
gordonmc says:
Always a hard balance, but I'm sure some web stats/analytics can show you the areas of functionality people use?
martinhughharvey says:
In general, agree.
Forgive me if I offend anyone, but this is not a sensible request. What is considered 'simple' for one is wildy complicated for another user. Also, comparison to FB makes no sense.
Maybe a better way to put it is "do not add any new features", which is a much more concrete position to debate.
I would agree that RTM should not get any features that have nothing to do with maintaining structured lists of tasks. So no built-in fora to communicate within the team, or ways to have notifications sent to people that share tasks, or a built-in calendar view, or whatever.
I would, however, welcome further developments in more (capable) search terms, or a way to express sorting in the definition of a smart list (i.e. get sorting parameters into a URL), or more ways to have RTM understand times, dates and exotic repeat patterns. Also, more work on getting tasks into RTM other than the API. Translations (especially when trying to understand times and dates) could use work.
So, please: be specific in what you do and/or do not ask for.
Maybe a better way to put it is "do not add any new features", which is a much more concrete position to debate.
I would agree that RTM should not get any features that have nothing to do with maintaining structured lists of tasks. So no built-in fora to communicate within the team, or ways to have notifications sent to people that share tasks, or a built-in calendar view, or whatever.
I would, however, welcome further developments in more (capable) search terms, or a way to express sorting in the definition of a smart list (i.e. get sorting parameters into a URL), or more ways to have RTM understand times, dates and exotic repeat patterns. Also, more work on getting tasks into RTM other than the API. Translations (especially when trying to understand times and dates) could use work.
So, please: be specific in what you do and/or do not ask for.
Apps removing features is one of the most maddening things ever. It is years since I stopped using facebook, but as I remember it, it was the removal of things, not the adding of things, that made it dysfunctional.
Having said, I'm greatly in favour of not redesigning any app or program around some sort of new supposedly improved idea... it rarely is...
The trick is adding things to the existing layout without too much extra complexity - that is, by adding extra options to existing menus, or extra drop downs that can be opened if you want, or having more access to and options for changing underlying settings, that you don't have to use if you like it as it is.
I'd really love a simple calendar view or proper integration with the local calendar: I find it extremely confusing managing to-dos and appointments on seperate apps. But there is a lot of difference between adding a "see calendar view" to the bottom of an existing menu, and redesigning the whole thing to work around the calendar such that it is much less functional. This seems to happen worst with team communications - everything else seems to take second place as soon as that is available.
The trick seems to me to be adding extra features to an app such that they don't get in the way and are easy to not use...
Having said, I'm greatly in favour of not redesigning any app or program around some sort of new supposedly improved idea... it rarely is...
The trick is adding things to the existing layout without too much extra complexity - that is, by adding extra options to existing menus, or extra drop downs that can be opened if you want, or having more access to and options for changing underlying settings, that you don't have to use if you like it as it is.
I'd really love a simple calendar view or proper integration with the local calendar: I find it extremely confusing managing to-dos and appointments on seperate apps. But there is a lot of difference between adding a "see calendar view" to the bottom of an existing menu, and redesigning the whole thing to work around the calendar such that it is much less functional. This seems to happen worst with team communications - everything else seems to take second place as soon as that is available.
The trick seems to me to be adding extra features to an app such that they don't get in the way and are easy to not use...
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