The @computer context: how do you break it up?

[JakeInBrighton]

I know that lots of other people also find that their @computer context can get quite big and unwieldy. Here are my distinctions or sub-contexts for this, to help break up the list:

@online (self explanatory)
@offline " "
@web research (all the googling/browser based searching around tasks)
@encrypted login (I use a separate login for all financial stuff, so this context means that I can do all those tasks when I switch logins)

I'd love to hear how others break @computer up into smaller contexts.

[Oogiem]

I'd love to hear how others break @computer up into smaller contexts.

Right now I have a bunch of @computer contexts due to a lot of things going on. I tend to break them up by application where possible.

I have a category for @Computer Mac and within that my separate contexts are

@ misc Mac
@Omnifocus
@LibreOffice
@Scrivener
@DEVONThink
@Quicken
@Android Programming
@Lightroom
@Finder
@Calendar
@Scanners
@Silhouette Cutter

Then I have @Computer MacBook, @Computer iPad, @Computer iPhone, @Computer Grassroots and then another larger category @Computer Internet with sub categories of

E-mail
Safari
GoDaddy
Fetch

For me switching applications is my biggest time waster so I try to do everything in one app before I switch.

[mcogilvie]

I've played with breaking @computer up, but I've found it to be artificial, with too many choices. My major contexts are study (home office), work, home and out.

[Pontussorlin]

I agree that breaking up a context can be viewed as superficial.

But I think it can be worth trying to do it anyway to see what results you're getting out of it.

I have broken up my previous @computer context into:

@vaio

@ios/macosx/

@iPad
@iMac
@iMacV
@iPhone
@macmini
@connected to macmini (screensharing or remote access)
@b ipad (my son's iPad)

@Anydevice/
@search
@mediaplaylist

This has enabled me to think a bit more specifically about how and where I would work on something. The edges between the contexts makes me think differently than just to put an item into a computer context. It forces me to make a decision about what the best place would actually be to do a certain task. That wasn't really the case when I had the computer context. I would just dump stuff there, and they wouldn't get done. I think I get more inspiration about doing the tasks when the computer context has been broken up (down?).

[vbampton]

I'm currently on:

@Computer
- Write
- - Outline
- - 1st Draft
- - 2nd Draft
- - 3rd Draft

- Listen

- Watch

- OSX
- - Mac Pro
- - MacBook Pro
- - Server

- Windows

- iOS
- - iPad
- - iPhone

- Software
- - Filing
- - Processing Retouching Photoshop Lightroom
- - Testing Lightroom
- - Mindmaps Diagrams
- - Word Excel iBank
- - Quickbooks
- - InDesign Scrivener
- - Website Management

- Surfing
- - Forums
- - Google Research
- - Shop Online
- - Downloads

It sounds like a lot, but I live on computers, and OmniFocus allows me to see the whole lot in one go or split down into any combination.

The logic is fairly simple - it's broken down by specific machine, where a particular machine is needed, or by mindset where it could be done on any machine with suitable software. Actions quite often end up in a parent context (i.e. OSX) if they don't need to be quite so specific.

[JakeInBrighton]

Thanks so much for all the feedback. Lots of food for thought!