Cannot assign a tag when the tag is "dropped"

[DrJJWMac]

I have a tag that has a status of dropped. When I view a task and want to assign this tag, I cannot see it in the popup list of tags and I cannot assign it manually.

UGH!

What am I missing here?

–
JJW

[Lars]

What is the purpose of the Status of a Context?

Setting a context to ‘dropped’ is similar to deleting it, except it doesn’t actually remove it, so if you look at any previously completed actions which were associated with that context, you’ll still be able to see that association. You wouldn’t be able to see if it you deleted that context entirely from your system.

In short: Once you dropped it, it doesn’t make sense to add it to still active items.

[DrJJWMac]

Thank you for the reference. This approach defeats the idea of selecting a dropped tag as a way to tag a task as dropped. Essentially, a dropped tag is in an intermediate state between something being used and something being in the trash. You know it is there, and you have to pay to get it out. Hurmph! Sounds like what Dante had in mind about getting caught in purgatory. 😕

—
JJW

[MultiDim]

Correct, the ‘Dropped’ status of a tag only applies to the tag itself (unlike the ‘On Hold’ status of a tag, which puts the actions on hold).

It’s for when the tag was applied in the past and you want to keep it for the actions in your archive, but is no longer useful and you want to remove it from your current tag hierarchy. I do this because because I want to have the least cluttered view of things in OF as possible.

To mark actions as dropped, I use a ‘Dropped’ tag which has the ‘Active’ status, therefore it can be added to actions and shows up in the tag pop-up list. I apply the tag and mark the item complete. To avoid confusion, this tag could also be called ‘Cancelled’ or ‘Dropped Action’.

[DrJJWMac]

I face two points of frustration.

• We can set Projects as on-hold or dropped to indicate their status. We cannot do the same with tasks.
• A dropped Project is one that is no longer active while a dropped tag is one that is no longer to be used.

To mark actions as dropped, I use a ‘Dropped’ tag which has the ‘ Active ’ status,

I have reverted back to this setup.

–
JJW

[MultiDim]

Yes, there’s an inconsistency in the product terminology. It would be clearer if the ‘Dropped’ tag status was instead called ‘Hidden’ or ‘Archived’, to avoid confusion with dropped projects.

Going a step further, it might be better if it wasn’t a tag status but a separate option of the tag. Thus you’d have:

• The tag status which can be toggled between Active and On Hold, and this affects the behaviour of the actions which have the tag
• The tag show/hide option which is just about being visible in the tag hierarchy and doesn’t affect the actions.

In other words, tag status would impact actions, just like with Projects. With this, it would even be possible to add a true ‘Dropped’ tag status, which would drop the actions (in the same way as the ‘On Hold’ tag status puts actions on hold) and be used for dropping isolated actions.