MyChores Plans and Ideas
I have several ideas buzzing around in my head … i’m really excited and keen to get started with some of them, but just for now i’ll make a note of them here so that you know what’s coming, and so that i don’t forget anything.
Summary
- Improve the invite process – this one’s quite urgent actually.
- Make it possible to delete completions – thanks to jinkies for the idea.
- Introduce a “Skip” feature – thanks to otterylexa for the idea.
- Customisable workload list. Yes i know i’ve been talking about it for months. It will happen in 2007 i promise!
- Introduce a “Quick Create” feature.
- Possibly: optional assigning of points to tasks, maybe based on how nasty they are to do, and/or how long they take to complete.
- Possibly: text message notifications.
Details
Improved invite process – the limitation with the current invite process (inviting to join a team, i mean) is that the new person has to sign up with the email address that was used for the invitation. So if they decide to use a different email address it doesn’t recognise them, and hence they don’t get added to the team. This will be made more reliable by use of a special code.
Deleting completions can also be thought of as un-ticking a task. Basically you ticked it by accident, so you want to cancel/undo. The complication with this will be that the next-due date will have moved on, and perhaps a different person assigned. I have yet to decide whether this will be a complete undo, or just delete the record that it was done. We’ll see how hard it is.
The Skip feature is simply to say “I don’t need to do this task right now”. The next due date will move on without the task being marked as done. This feature is really simple and won’t take long to code – actually it’s just waiting on Customisable workload lists … you’ll be able to include a column that says “Skip” right next do the “Done” column.
Customisable workload lists. Ahhh. I’ve spent so much time thinking about this. I think it’s a really good idea – it’s just HARD! Basically, the columns we currently have on the workload list are:
- List & Task (in one column)
- Due date
- Assigned to
- Done
In the future i will add extra columns such as:
- Team
- List (as a separate column)
- Task (as a separate column)
- Recurrence
- Points (if i decide to do points)
- Skip
Everybody will be able to choose which columns are shown and which are not.
I have actually put in a bit of preparation for this already, with the way preferences are configured and stored, and the ‘Workload preferences’ tab. The new themes introduced last week use screen space more effectively, to allow the workload list to stretch to fill the whole screen.
“Quick Create” is inspired by Google Calendar’s Quick Add. I think it will help people enormously in getting started because you’ll be able to go to a multiline text box and type in a whole load of tasks like this:
Vacuum floor - every 4 daysWipe down white goods - every 10 daysWipe fridge inside - every 3 weeksWipe down cupboard fronts - every month
Press GO and all the tasks are created all at once! I hope i can figure out how to code this because i’m sure it would be a really useful feature.
Points for tasks … Hmm. I’ve been discussing this with otterylexa but i’m still not sure. The idea is that each task may be assigned points, so that cleaning the toilet scores more points than watering the plants, for example. In some ways i think this might be good, but i’m also really cautious because i don’t want to over-complicate things and put people off. Nor do i wish to encourage people to compete or compare themselves against each other. If i do implement this, it will be very clear that it’s optional – an added extra for those who want it, but by no means necessary.
Text message notifications … yeah, i’d really like to do this, because it will mean you don’t even have to go online to check your email/MyChores. If i do implement this, it’ll be via email gateways – basically if you have an email address that delivers to your phone you’ll be able to enter that. You’ll also be able to select a time of day for your message to arrive. You’ll get one text message a day, and it will tell you today’s tasks – it won’t list your overdue tasks. Oh, and i think i’ll make it for Site Supporters only! ;)
So there we go … lots to keep me busy in 2007! Shame i have a job and other commitments … i’d work full-time on MyChores if i could, heheh!
Comments are very welcome on any of these ideas, or any other ideas you might have.