How to choose the right context?

[Kornet]

I have a next action to browse the Internet for some information. I can do it on my Mac and my iPad. Should I put it into @Mac Online or @iPad context or both?

[TesTeq]

I have a next action to browse the Internet for some information. I can do it on my Mac and my iPad. Should I put it into @Mac Online or @iPad context or both?

Create a general @online context.

[Toby Jarvis]

I currently use a nested @Online context, namely:

@Online

@Web browser

@Email

etc.

My understanding is that a context is the one critical/irreducible thing (location or resource) that is required in order to perform a next action. Which means, I suppose, that if there is no single identifiable limiting factor, there is no context (or the context is @Anywhere).

Nesting seems to be one way to enable you to identify the irreducible limiting factor for a next action (e.g. web browser), while giving you less individual lists to browse when deciding what to do at a broader context level, e.g. I'm in the office and online, so I look at my broader @Office and @Online contexts and I see all the sub-context next actions within.

I wonder how other GTDers deal with the ambiguities and choices around context buckets?

[mattsykes]

Should I put it into @Mac Online or @iPad context or both?

While I don't know your full workflow situation, those two contexts jump out at me as being ripe for trimming down into one. There will always be things that overlap (eg most of the phone calls on my list I end up doing at work). Your contexts should be based on a key indispensable driver. So if you have @Mac, @Mac Online and @iPad, I'd suggest the last two just be @Connected - the point is that you're online not that you're at a particular device.

It's good that you're asking this question - in my experience getting your contexts exactly right for your personal environment is critical - getting it wrong can mean you get tangled up real quick.

Good luck!

Incidentally - I'm not a big fan of nested contexts. The simpler the better, and nesting adds a huge conceptual complexity.

[mthar1]

First, there will always be some stuff that could be one or the other way around, so if this is a one off thing, then just go with either and don't waste time on it.

Since you ask the question, it seems reasonable to assume this is a recurring problem. Then I'd ask the question: Where would you do it? If the answer is either, then you seem to need to create a context for stuff that can be done on either the Mac or the iPad. Without knowing what other contexts you have and what tool you use, I could suggest either simply just a new context @Internet, or that you take a step back and look at all your digital contexts and see if you can see what are the limiting factors in your using your digital tools. Maybe you can reduce it all to just simply @Mac and @Internet without the need for any @iPad context or maybe you're better of eliminating both @Mac and @iPad and replacing them with @Internet only, moving a few things to other contexts, depending on what really is your limiting factors.

[SeanJada]

Create a general @online context.

how to create a online context

[TesTeq]

how to create a online context

Just create the @online Next Actions list.

[SeanJada]

Just create the @online Next Actions list.

How to create the list

[SeanJada]

Just create the @online Next Actions list.

OK Thank you,

[Petr]

Some sites are better suited for iPad and Mac, others for iPhone. Not all of them can be named with @online. IMO.