Super-productivity: "forgot to start timer" alert

[papernoise]

I find the idle alert timer very handy for when you forget to stop a timer and take a break. I use it all the time and it works really well! Well done. I was wondering if you had any plans for the other scenario: when somebody starts to work on a taks, but forgets to start the time. Right now it's a bit hard to backtrace your steps, maybe the application could also track when you have no timer running but are not idle?

Your Environment

• Operating System and version: MacOS Catalina

[johannesjo]

Hey there! I have thought about this scenario but was not able to come up with a good solution. If nothing is being tracked maybe we can open up an (optional) banner which counts the time since the last time, time was being tracked and offers to track it to whatever task?

[papernoise]

If nothing is being tracked maybe we can open up an (optional) banner which counts the time since the last time, time was being tracked and offers to track it to whatever task?

That would definitely be a viable option in my opinion!

Just to give you a bit of background, I was previously using Toggl and when I was forgetting to start a timer I would just look at the time when the last logged entry was (Toggl is much more focused on start/end times). Having something do that for me automatically (taking idle time/breaks into account) would of course be a great upgrade! Ideally I would make that similar to the idle timer, where you can log the unlogged time just to a task, or to a mix of task+break.

Before using trello I used to work with an application who's name I can't remember, which would prompt you after x minutes of inactivity asking if you if you were fogetting to start the time.
This was coming in the form of an OS notification, which was a bit invasive and annoying.
I like your solution, with a more in-the-background banner in the app itself, much better. Most of the time one does not need to be reminded actively. At least I do realize after some time that I forgot to start the timer. All I need is something that tells me how long I've been going since the last tracked time or break and let me add that to a task right away.

[johannesjo]

Thanks for your feedback. I also like the general idea. I'll try to implement the feature as soon as I can.

[johannesjo]

So I just wanted to start working on this, but then I thought it might be good to talk about the exact conditions when this banner shows up before implementing it. I'll outline some basic rules. Please let me know if you got anything to add to this (and also if you don't :)).

The timer should start counting on:

• app start
• whenever there is no current task set for tracking time

The banner should be shown when:

• after X minutes without being idle and without tracking time
• (maybe we can use the idle setting here + a little bit on top)

The banner should not be shown or hidden (and the timer be reset) when:

• idle is activated
• when time is tracked

[papernoise]

I thought it might be good to talk about the exact conditions when this banner shows up before implementing it

Absolutely!

I think your reasoning is solid! Though let me try to imagine some scenarios just to see if anything else comes up.

When the app starts there is four possible situations:

1. I click on a task and start working
2. I organize my tasks or perform other "householding" actions inside SP
3. I do nothing (sometimes I start the computer but then do things away from it, so it runs idle)
4. I start to work but did not start a timer

3 is covered by the curent idle detection and that already works really well for me
4 should be covered by the new "forgot timer" function

Then let's say I have a timer running and I stop it, I can then imagine these scenarios:

1. I start a new timer and work some more
2. switch to another task, but forget to start the timer
3. I move away from the computer, or do not use it for some time (maybe I'm taking a break, maybe I just need to do something that does not involve the computer).

Again 3 is covered by the idle timer, 2 would be a case for "forgot timer".

As far as I can see, everything I listed is covered by your conditions above!

[johannesjo]

Implemented and should be available in the current pre release. Please let me know what you think and if something should be improved (preferably in a new issue).