The Simplest (and Most Powerful) Way to Navigate WorkFlowy – Hands Down

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June 2, 2016

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About a quarter of a moon ago I happened upon this tweet by Lea Verou, a veritable rock star in the world of CSS:

This post is my response to Lea’s tweet… and then some.

I’ve put together a little video to showcase the incontestable speed and versatility of (1) Workflow Tags and (2) List Title Tags in getting to those far, far away lists, faster than you can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious… literally. You’ll see:

No matter how phenomenal WorkFlowy’s zoom, there’s no way I’m about to zoom in 1 bullet at a time to get to a list buried 7 or more layers deep. And bury my lists as deep as I want, I must. The heart wants what the heart wants. Yes… I want to have my cake and eat it.

Basically, Lea Verou is looking to add quick-access shortcuts to parent lists right from her home page, so that she can reach any children list(s) therein in a snap – no matter how deep they might be. I think the use of tags as demonstrated in the video is a clear contender.

List title tags and workflow tags – a brief explanation

This is the little tip that goes a looong way. A little power tip. It’s no coincidence that I wrote about this in my very first post in this space. I’m going to give you a quick show and tell below, but also do go ahead and download these 2 chapters from my book, just for making it past the intro and the video. These 2 brief chapters will give you a crystal clear understanding of the dynamics I’m going to be showcasing today.

Here’s the gist of it:

  1. You add a unique tag to the parent list wherever it might be and the same unique tag to any child list downstream that you’re wanting to get to.
  2. That way, when you click on your “List Title Tag” on the home page (or wherever), the child list you want gets filtered for. Whoomp there it is. Now just click on its bullet.

Above I’m fast tracking to a list of interviewees for blog posts.

  • You can also convert a keyword in your parent or child list into a tag by prefixing it with “#” or “@”.
  • You’ll see that I’ve gone a step further and created an index of tags on my home page, each of which represent either an important part of my workflow or a full-blown project or database I need to access at the drop of a hat. They have replaced the list titles themselves, and given me a minimalist interface through which to get anywhere I need within my one zoomable document with ridiculous ease.

The benefits of using tags as shortcuts

  • You can call them what you want
  • You can convert any keyword(s) in your list to a tag
  • They cut down on clutter and tend towards a minimalist environment
  • They can be removed by exploding (Alt+Click)
  • I love that they show a hierarchy of parent lists when filtered for. You get context.
  • You can build custom “menus” (as seen in the video)
  • You can diversify your strategy since we have “@” and “#” tag nomenclature
  • If you search for a tag as opposed to clicking on it, we have the Tag Helper Menu thingy.
  • Tags filter “downstream” (children lists), even in sibling (adjacent) lists, so you don’t have to have your tag in the exact parent list of a child list you want to locate. That’s why any tag anywhere on your home screen filters your entire WorkFlowy. That’s the premise of my setup.

Search a tag from anywhere in your account with “WorkFindy”

Clicking on tags filters downstream, not upstream (up a hierarchy). So if you’re buried deep in a list and you wanted to search a tag globally within WorkFlowy without first going back to the home screen, there is rawbytz’s WorkFindy utility (bookmarklet and Chrome extension), so it can be used in any browser, including on mobile.

And then some…

I use List Title Tags and Workflow Tags all day, every day… but I also make use of 5 other fantastic ways of navigating around WorkFlowy, no matter what list you’re in:

  • Internal hyperlinks (included in the free download). You might also want to take a look at this post. Scroll down to, “A saved search index”. There’s an animated GIF.
  • Custom keyboard shortcuts to reach any list anywhere: Take a look at this post. Scroll down to “feature 1”. This is also a simple power tip you’ll want to take advantage of!
  • A tailor-made WorkFlowy bookmarks and bookmarklets system. Here’s the post. I use this a fair amount.
  • WorkFlowy’s Starred Pages Menu: Scroll down to the animated GIF under the section, “Your Unicode on demand.”
  • WorkFindy. I’ve already mentioned it above. Do yourself a favor and play around with this fantastic tool.

Getting back to where you were

This would not be complete without mentioning the keyboard trick to navigate back where you came from after clicking on tags or links, etc. This is primordially essential. I obligate you to try this out.

  • Please, for the love of Pete, do not tell me that you’re navigating back by hitting your browser’s back arrow… or the WorkFlowy toolbar arrows…
  • Do yourself a favor and try Alt+Back/Forward Arrows. There is a trick to it, though: You need to hit your Alt key once to take the focus to your browser and then Alt+Left Arrow to navigate back. Once you’re at your destination, you can hit Alt again to focus on your WorkFlowy document once again. Practice makes perfect.
  • On the (Chrome extension) desktop app you can use Ctrl+[ and Ctrl+] to navigate back and forth.

Go forth and tag

No amount of explaining is going to convince you. Make your life easy and start tinkering around with this. Have fun! And comment below. Please.

Twitter

Also, you could comment on, like, retweet, mention or scrapbook this post’s tweet:


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nameanyone
7 years ago

Thanks for pointing out WorkFindy. It’s not very convenient though, having to copy/paste the tag. Would be much better if we could, say, Ctrl-click a tag to make the search global. A trick I found is to remove the current list id from the address bar after clicking on a tag. The resulting URL takes me to the global search.

frank.dg
frank.dg
7 years ago
Reply to  nameanyone

You can highlight the tag (or any search phrase) and then activate WorkFindy. I think that would be quicker than fiddling with the URL. Also… did you know that you can create a keyboard shortcut for the WorkFindy extension? So: (1) Highlight your tag… (2) hit your KBS. IOW, WorkFindy is more dynamite than you realize. It’s also great for building your search syntax without being walked through an incremental search as you go. Did you know you can also call up WorkFindy and hit Enter… and that will take you to your home page?

rawbytz
7 years ago
Reply to  nameanyone

Also, you can convert any child search to global by selecting the text in the search box and then activating WorkFindy. Defining a keyboard shortcut is def the way to go. I never use the toolbar icon; in fact I keep it hidden. (In Chrome, right click the icon, and select “Hide in Chrome Menu”)

I’ve debated adding a feature where activating WorkFindy when viewing a child search would automatically convert that search to global. (Selected text would override this) I haven’t done it, because personally I don’t run into that situation much.

kingsinger
kingsinger
7 years ago

Seems like so-called link tags are similar to labels in Gmail, in that they can be made to behave kind of like a folder, but they are more flexible and powerful, because the same line item can live in more than one place, depending upon what tags are attached to it. So you can use lists/outline structure as a more physical structure, bucket, taxonomy, to allow for navigating to items via zoom, etc., but then you can also use the link tags to create new buckets, taxonomies on the fly with a couple of clicks.

frank.dg
frank.dg
7 years ago
Reply to  kingsinger

And a post is never complete without insight like this…

Ksenia
Ksenia
7 years ago

Thank you Frank for introducing this new way of using tags! I’ve nicknamed them link tags (sorry 🙂 ) – if tags and links ever got together, link tag would be their lovechild.

Prior to reading your book I always thought of tags as various attributes that can be attached to each entity (i.e. list item), and then later be used to filter on. The issue I always had with adopting tags is that in order for the tags to be useful, one has to be meticulous about assigning them. So I mostly settled for the proper organization of the lists and items within them so that I can find the necessary info, and only used tags sparsely.

Then we have links for navigation. Click a hyperlink and instantly you’re at the new location. Now, one could use the links as shortcuts to most used lists on the home screen. But it makes for a pretty messy outline. Even if you were to hide the link itself in a note (on the second line so that it wouldn’t show unless the note is clicked on ), you’re still limited to one link per bullet/line.

Enter the new era of link tags (list title tags). It’s a tag that filters and doubles as a link. Click on it once and it filters all the locations that are marked with that tag, click on one of those bullets and just like using a link you’re teleported to the chosen location. Here are some of the benefits in no particular order:

– They work better than starring the pages because you can have more than one buried list tagged with the same tag. So clicking on a tag on the home page will filter for the lists in that context first.

– Unlike links, you can fit multiple link tags in one bullet (by frequency of use or by category or by alphabet, etc.)

– It doesn’t have to be tabs vs link tags. One can have the link tags on the home page for easy access to everything and then setup multiple tabs if needed for the task at hand.

– Being able to get anywhere, no matter how deep it is, within 2 clicks, feels just as magical as zooming in on a list.

The link tags on my home screen are like the mostly used apps on my iPhone home screen, and the top row collection of link tags is like my iPhone dock.

And a few more tips for those who use Stylish. Being limited by only 2 tag denominators, I found it useful to group some tags together. So all my font tags start with #f-, while list tags start with @l-, and date tags are #d-. Whatever grouping you might find useful. This makes it easy to sort for a group of tags. It also helps when you’re adding a tag as the autofiller will show you up to 8 tags that match what you’re typing. Taking it further, just like one can color code the tags, one can color code a group of tags. So, for instance, all link tags can be blue and stand out from the rest. The nice thing about color coding a group of tags is you don’t need to update the Stylish code every time you add a tag. Here’s a snippet:

[title*=”@l-“] {

background-color: blue !important;

}

frank.dg
frank.dg
7 years ago
Reply to  Ksenia

Hi Ksenia,

You should have written this post! You succinctly explained the difference between the regular use of tags to group/ filter like items and that of linking. I should start calling those “link tags”. I coin a lot of names, but I can’t say they’re always the most exact, haha!

Thanks for the tip on grouping colored tags with a wildcard (*) dynamic. Really creative 🙂

Ksenia
Ksenia
7 years ago
Reply to  frank.dg

I was trying to make the title^=”@l-” work (more precise matching on the beginning of the string only). But for some reason it just doesn’t want to work on my PC (Windows 10, Chrome). Maybe someone knows why…

rawbytz
7 years ago
Reply to  frank.dg

As long as you include the tag character with the * switch, you are effectively doing a “starts with” filter since the title class only affects tags… and tags only start with tag characters.

Not sure why ^ doesn’t work, but I do remember having that issue when I first played with tag styling.

Ksenia
Ksenia
7 years ago
Reply to  frank.dg

Awesome! Thanks for a quick reply, rawbytz. You saved me from another night of racking my brain and excessive googling to no avail.

farf
farf
7 years ago

I just can’t get the Alt+Left/Right arrows to work. I am on a Mac and tried both Chrome and Safari browsers. On the (Chrome extension) desktop app I can successfully use Ctrl+[ and Ctrl+] to navigate back and forth. I looked at your book and added the “Rabbit Hole” list to my account following your advice, “The only way to use the Alt+Right Arrow shortcut would be if you hit the ‘Add it to my account’ button when viewing that shared list online” thinking that there was some magic in there, but its probably just that the shortcut only works in your own account. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

frank.dg
frank.dg
7 years ago
Reply to  farf

Hi Paul,

We’re looking at 2 different things here. Alt+Left/Right Arrows to navigate history and also to zoom in and out of a list. You might be confusing both… but let’s take a look:

1) To zoom in/ out of a list you can practice that within your own WorkFlowy account… or you can add the list in my book you mentioned to your account to try it. If you want to try it out online, add a “?demo” to the end. Try this out: https://workflowy.com/s/TfbY8UDU1E?demo … so Alt+Right Arrow will take you down the rabbit hole… zooming in one list at a time (you need to place your cursor in a list). This is not navigating your history.

2) Navigating your history: On the Chrome desktop app – Ctrl+[ and Ctrl+]. In your desktop browser: Alt+Left/Right Arrow… but the trick here is to hit alt once, which will take the cursor out of WorkFlowy… then use your shortcut. While your cursor is still flashing in WorkFlowy, the Alt+Arrow shortcuts will become a zooming in/ out shortcut.

Hope that makes sense 🙂

rawbytz
7 years ago
Reply to  farf

Alt+Left/Right is a Windows thing. For Mac, I think Cmd+Shft+> = zoom & Cmd+Shft+< = unzoom.

MADDENINGLY WorkFlowy hijacks the built in history shortcuts (with zoom/unzoom) in virtually every Windows browser. Getting around this is the "trick" Frank is talking about. I wish they would change zoom to Alt+Down and unzoom to Alt+Up for Windows Chrome, Firefox, IE, and Opera. Then we get Alt+Left/Right back for browser history, without the need for Frank's trick… like every other tab in your browser! (climbs down off sandbox)

Paul
Paul
7 years ago
Reply to  rawbytz

Thanks for clarifying the difference between zoom and history navigation that I had failed to appreciate.

Paul
Paul
7 years ago
Reply to  rawbytz

Thanks for clarifying. This reply along with Frank’s allowed me to get things going.

Here’s what works for me on a Mac running chrome browser:
⌘ + [ and ⌘ + ] moves through history in both the browser and chrome extension – no trick required.
⌘ + > – zoom in
⌘ + < – zoom out

Thank you both for your knowledge and super speedy responses.

frank.dg
frank.dg
7 years ago
Reply to  rawbytz

Paul, that’s fantastic! Thanks for giving us the full Mac side of things 🙂

Bob
Bob
7 years ago

Don’t know why after 3 years and constantly revising my WF list structure it has taken so long to appreciate the power of tags to navigate quickly in WF . It is amazing that WF can be so simple when starting off, but can grow in complexity as a user needs it to. It is a little foggy when I read some of the ways you guys are using WF, but Frank and WF extension contributors who have have replied to this post have inspired me to start using date tags like #06-05, #07-04, for current year entries and #06-08-2017 etc, for next year entries when I place a new entry into my INBOX so that I can quickly move it to the calendar date, or project it needs to be assigned to. Thanks for your contributions to WF. Frank the video and music background made your instruction even more enjoyable for me.

frank.dg
frank.dg
7 years ago
Reply to  Bob

I’m glad you liked the video Bob… as basic as it was, it took a crapload of time to put together – it was the first time I’d attempted this sort of thing. Next time it’ll be easier 🙂

Tom
Tom
7 years ago

Frank – I really enjoyed your book and your WF blog posts. I know that you are also a big Evernote guy. I also use Evernote a lot! However, it seems that more and more I’m using WF. I’m wondering if you would share your thoughts on what you use WF and EN for.

frank.dg
frank.dg
7 years ago
Reply to  Tom

Hi Tom,

I do all of my “doing” in WorkFlowy. Every last eensy weensy scrap of it. Everything I plan, everything I write… It just allows for a much better organizational structure. I know you know what I mean. Evernote is good for sharing visual stuff by way of notes and notebooks. You’ll have seen that in my book. I must say that Dropbox is currently more useful than Evernote for me. That’s another story. But mostly I have some cool, geeky databases in Evernote. I’ve used it to set up a subtitles databas: anylineyouwant.blogspot.com and a couple of comic strip databases, where you can search for words within images with their OCR technology. Here’s an 18,000-note database that will help you to find words and phrases within the entire Peanuts collection: https://www.evernote.com/pub/frankman777/peanuts

Here’s my advice: Eat, drink and have your fill of WorkFlowy 🙂

Stephen Dewitt
Stephen Dewitt
7 years ago

Hi Frank,

Thanks for this post – After reading this yesterday, and the relevant sections of the book, and implementing some of it I definitely understand where you are coming from – especially with keyboard shortcuts to home, specific common lists, the recentlychanged search, current-type tags like ‘@wip’ and Rawbytes workfindy I have come to see how you could definitely work with fewer or just one tab (I was using many previously).

The one thing I feel I could never give up is having two instances, one anchored to the left of the screen and one anchored to the right – I simultaneously do both writing (I use it for this a lot, both my thesis, and fiction) and have notes / thoughts in workflowy so having the page I’m writing on at the left hand side and the notes at the right, just as I might once have had word on the left and a pdf on the right, I think is indispensible for me, and I use it this way constantly. I do think however with these new shortcuts my days of multiple tabs on each instance is probably over – there was always the issue there of forgetting which tab was which which probably slowed me down more than a quick keyboard shortcut anyway, but I have a firm primary / writing on the left, notes / thoughts on the right rule when using two instances so that seems to work nicely.

I think I am at least ‘starting’ to get the perspective shift -the sheer speed of navigation in workflowy does seem to be another major but less talked about second ‘super power’ after zooming – going back to evernote (my first productivity love) afterwards can be quite painful (although they are making some good improvements to be fair to them!).

Thanks,

Stephen

frank.dg
frank.dg
7 years ago
Reply to  Stephen Dewitt

Hey Stephen,

Having a side-by-side split screen (2 windows) is essential for a number of use cases… which has become all the more aesthetic (and practical) for Windows users since the advent of Windows 10 with the more minimalist window frames.

It looks like you’ve run the gauntlet I laid out and tracked down everything I linked to. Tailor-made keyboard shortcuts for WorkFlowy lists are insanely fast, right?! My only gripe with implementing this through a text expansion app like PhraseExpress or AHK is that they doesn’t work while in full-screen mode (F11). I’m sure there’s a way around that with at least one of the keyboard shortcut extensions out there. Just need to tinker…

You’re spot in about WorkFlowy’s navigation being a 2nd super power.

Another thought on tabs: If one does have multiple tabs open, a fast way to move between tabs without clicking on each would be to use Ctrl+1, Ctrl+2, etc. which is native to most browsers. Of course, this works in full-screen mode too. Talking about a shift in perspective, seeing as one can go into full-screen mode and essentially hide a range of WorkFlowy tabs and use KBS to move between tabs (because you know their position), This would be identical to using tailor-made shortcuts to shift between your lists in one tab, since you’re only seeing one screen at a time anyways… and WorkFlowy remembers your last cursor position within those lists. Zero difference (unless you need a split screen). So you could easily set up Alt+1, Alt+2, Alt+3, etc, to mimic what would have been Ctrl+1, Ctrl+2, Ctrl+3, etc. You could also set up, say, Alt+C for your calendar, Alt+J for your Journal, etc. At least on Windows, I’ve found Alt key combos to be freed up 🙂

rawbytz
7 years ago

I tend to be a tag-minimalist, but I do use my #week tag for this. It’s part of my “tag header” at the top of my home page. This week’s focus items get tagged, and everything is one click away. I also used Starred pages for a handful of current projects.

In the “internal links” (and shameless self-promotion) category, I recommend Clip to WorkFlowy to quickly create links between bullets, be it on your home page or where-ever. And as long as I’m promoting, I really love WorkFindy for general navigation. It’s just a mindless activation of the keyboard shortcut (I use Alt+W), anywhere in WorkFlowy (or Chrome) then type keywords or tags and go.

cflat7
7 years ago
Reply to  rawbytz

I know what you mean regarding your #week tag. The one use-case for which I find tabs extremely useful is in one project I have a fair number of sub-projects, each with a various status values, which I represent as tags. At the top of the sub-project it is one click, as you say, to filter out just the sub-projects that need attention this week or this month.

frank.dg
frank.dg
7 years ago
Reply to  rawbytz

Rawbytz, I’m a huge fan and shameless promoter of C2W, WorkFindy and all your other brainchildren :-). People should bookmark and/ or subscribe to your blog: https://rawbytz.wordpress.com/

kingsinger
kingsinger
7 years ago
Reply to  rawbytz

I’m more of tag-moderate than a tag minimaist. I use a #currentfocus tag to filter down to the projects that are currently active. Works great. I don’t typically have multiple tabs open, but it’s a nice option. I’ve not used internal links much, but I can see how they could be useful. Love the clipper plug-ins and workfindy, though.So great you made those rawbytz.

That said, I try not to over tag. Too much time tweaking the taxonomy can sometimes distract from getting stuff done.

To save time, I use templates for most projects that automatically create a bunch of project, client, and context tags for each line item. So a line item looks like this:

Draft: #Sample_Agreement_Project | #Sample_Client | @Computer-Online

If I click on a client, project, or context name, I get all of the items matching those tags. I use the starring to store some of those searches. Works kind of like perspectives in Omnifocus.

I started the templates back when I used Omnifocus for GTD. It had a great applescript for creating them. I’ve since recreated that in MS Word using a word add-in called simpleprompter to create prompts for filling in the variables in the template. It’s not as elegant as the OF solution, but it works well. Create the template, copy it, paste it into WF.

The whole basic project outline is populated with all the needed tags. Then, if I want to tweak, I can tweak, add line items, change tags, etc.

Cool to read this thread, because it underscores that there are lots of different ways to approach this stuff. To me, the key is simply finding approach that’s quick enough you’ll actually use it consistently.

kingsinger
kingsinger
7 years ago
Reply to  kingsinger

One more thought about templates. The goal is to try and rationalize processes where you can, so you’re not constantly reinventing the wheel. I was a slow convert to this kind of approach, but I sold on it at this point.

Client intake is going to be the same for me pretty much every time. The same is true on the back end when it’s time to send invoice. There’s stuff that needs to happen every time. It’s easy to forget that stuff sometimes too. Did I file that signed fee agreement?

If I can populate all those tasks with a template, including all the tags, then my taxonomy is more or less built right out of the gate. I don’t even need to think about it. Then, all I need to do is fill in the tasks in between. Many times, those tasks are the same too, so I have templates for them as well. Then, I have a road map.

Obviously, everybody situation doesn’t work that way. But if you try to stay aware at the level of pattern recognition, most situations have workflows that repeat. The key is finding a level of granularity or abstraction that is appropriate to your situation. Making templates for that, and then filling in the remaining specifics as they arise and become more clear.

cflat7
7 years ago

: Thanks for the tip about the middle click on the bullet. As for pinning, you’re right, it hides the title… when I have like 5 or 6 projects in an instance that I go to all the time, I just know by the order of tabs which one is which. If they weren’t pinned they would spread all across the browser page; I therefore find it convenient to have them bunched together and since I know what they are by their order, there is no need to read their titles.

cflat7
7 years ago
Reply to  cflat7

(I also meant to mention regarding pinned tabs… I keep the Worklowy tabs pinned, which leaves the rest of the “normal” tabs (related to that given project) can spread out to the right. It is thus easy to differential the WF tabs from the others)

frank.dg
frank.dg
7 years ago
Reply to  cflat7

I cringe at the prospect of having multiple WorkFlowy tabs open… but just maybe you’ll make a believer of me yet. Moving around WorkFlowy within one tab would most definitely be a challenge if you had multiple things happening… and did not employ some really powerful (yet simple) dynamics. Tailor-made Hotkeys (Keyboard shortcuts) are incredibly powerful, too. I use a number of methods to move around my account effortlessly. Quick factoid: did you know that when you revisit a list within the same tab, your cursor remembers the last place it was, including keeping highlighted what you’ve selected before moving away to another list? It’s “little” things like these that are powerhouse features… and which may very well be taken for granted.

The power of tags for navigational purposes deserves an entire book to itself. You can be as pinpointed as you’d like. Being able to get to the exact place you were last in any list, to me (tags or not), is the same as seeing those lists the way you leave them in a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th open tab… No difference whatsoever. In challenging workflows that I have, I sometimes get this urge to open another tab… but when I think through what I’m doing, I realize that it is just as easy, if not easier (and quicker) to stick to one tab. There are some phenomenal happenstances (which are actually desirable attributes) which you’ll discover once you’ve stuck at it for a period. But it requires quite a shift in perspective to see it… and, of course, the tools to go along with it.

Having said that, there are the rare use cases in which I might need to open a 2nd tab.

But basically, whether I have list title tags on my home page or within projects (and also other navigational strategies mentioned), they afford me the benefit that many open tabs would – except they’re always in a predictable place, within a structure/ outline… and you can have as many as you want. IOW, they’re infinite. And all on demand. They also work within one tab (including URL hotkeys, etc.) without reloading your WorkFlowy tab.

Isn’t it amazing that we only have one brain, but we’re able to access all the information we need (hopefully), even if we can only focus on one thing at a time. WorkFlowy’s like that… but a better external brain. I am convinced that different WorkFlowy strategies are all in the mind. Quick example: if you give all the projects you’re working on right now a @wip tag (or whatever) and you filter for that tag by clicking on it or by way of a keyboard shortcut that searches for them account-wide, in a flash, you’ve got multiple nodes in a menu that you can cherry pick from. You can also reorder their roots so that you get those lists in a specific order, if you wish… but the thing is, when you zoom in on any any bullet, you’ll go to the last place you left your cursor. That’s what multiple tabs do for you. Workflow tags are temporary, and reflect the changing landscape of your work. List Title tags or KBS for key lists take you to predictable, fixed structures within your account. There are many equally-as-valid ways of being highly efficient and fast… just that it would be a pity to miss out on some powerful dynamics that could potentially rewire the way you do things.

cflat7
7 years ago

Very cool, and a reminder of the power of tags. I have to admit, though, I only using tags here and there. This is mostly because I’ve come to rely on multiple instances of Chrome (one for each major project, and I have about 10 of them), and then within each instance I have numerous pinned tabs (typically 3-5) , each pinned tag containing some node buried several levels down within the project. So instead of filtering on tags and jumping back and forth in one page, I just click on various pinned tabs to instantly navigate within a project, and switch instances of Chrome in the Windows toolbar to switch between projects.

And what happens when I have to reboot? No problem, the “Session Buddy” Chrome add-on remembers / restores all my instances complete with all my pinned tabs. Like I said, I still use tags here and there but I definitely don’t depend on them for general navigation. 🙂

frank.dg
frank.dg
7 years ago
Reply to  cflat7

I remember this email conversation all too well. So I haven’t been able to reform you. Aaargh!

Your setup is quite a nice one… for tab-minded people 🙂

cflat7
7 years ago
Reply to  frank.dg

What’s a few tags and tabs between friends? 🙂

cflat7
7 years ago
Reply to  frank.dg

I suppose I should have added, I’m a tab-minded person probably because in the work I do, I have to often have respond to various “emergencies” in different projects (and work on several things “at once”), and so being able to immediately/instantly go back to something I was working on is important (and having the context still there and waiting is essential).

With tabs, keeping track of navigating up and down a linear path across many projects and sub-projects (alt-back/forward arrow sort of thing), can be tedious and I find it easy to get lost. And if you divert to a new forward “path”, the previous forward path is lost and you have start back at your list of tags at some higher level.

I like having all my main projects/sub-projects open in pinned tabs and Chrome instances, and with one or two clicks I can get back to anywhere that I have been working. And to set up a new sub-project, it is easy to make a new pinned tab with Chrome’s Duplicate right-click option. 🙂

rawbytz
7 years ago
Reply to  frank.dg

I sometimes use multiple tabs too, but don’t pin since it hides the title. My favorite method creating a new tab is to middle click on the bullet.

Chip Boulder
7 years ago
Reply to  frank.dg

I’m a fan of using multiple tabs side by side. For example;
1. Mini-intranet – having this permanently open in a tab can be pretty useful. For example new employees;
– Process – They have their Policy & Procedure manual with (reference docs, links, procedure checklists) on-hand along side their working tab.
– Training – With all the new hacks that I’ve learn’t (thanks to you WF Jedi’s)
– either using the simple chrome extensions for image hover over, and youtube hover over, provide a very easy way to deliver some checklist driven training.
– By having a second tab the onboarding process could be quite enhanced. One tab for the delivery and the 2nd tab could be used as a template form for the employee to provide answers to questions relating to the training. The question in the header, and answer to be provided in the note.
– embedded docs/forms – this could be taken up a few notches with Franks tamper monkey trickery.

2. Dashboards – This I just thought of as I read CFlat7 comments about working on multiple things at once and it reminded me of Frank’s recent proof in the pudding post.
– If you had a dedicated screen with multiple windows open running an instance of workflowy you could have a pretty cool dashboard.
– low volume helpdesk / incident tracking and reporting. with coloured tags, highlights. Inline screenshots, could be quite visually effective.
– Inline/embed youtube is so ‘last month’ – how about inline live streaming web feeds 🙂

The list could go on for ever/

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