Frequently Asked Questions
This Site
Can I use this site to organize my self / business / church / band / office / other-organization?
Yes
When was this site started?
2005
Which web browsers can be used with this site?
The site is developed to standards and tested with the latest versions of
Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera,
and Safari.
How secure is this site? How reliable?
Servers are located in an underground data center with redundant power and cooling and 24x7 physical security monitoring. The site has been continuously available for three years, and will continue to be reliably available in the future.
Account
How do I change my email address or password?
Use the account settings page.
Can I change my username? How does this affect my account?
Your username can be changed at any
time. The "assigned" field on all tasks is automatically updated.
Tasks
What is the difference between a CLOSED task and a DELETED task?
Deleted tasks are permanently erased and cannot be retrieved. Closed tasks can be viewed,
searched, or even re-opened.
What is a DEFERRED task?
Deferred tasks disappear until the specified future date, at which time they automatically
reappear as opened.
How many tasks can my account have?
There is no limit. In addition closed tasks are never deleted, they can be
searched/referenced indefinitely.
What is a hidden category?
Hidden categories, and their member tasks, are not displayed in the main view. Hidden
categories can be searched however.
Why hide a category?
When an entire category of tasks is no longer used it can be deleted. However
hiding the category may be preferable so that member tasks still show up in search
results. Hidden categories can be restored. Deleted categories are erased forever.
What is the backup feature?
Using this feature all tasks can be exported to a file and saved locally. The format of
the exported file is comma separated values (CSV) which can be opened in any spreadsheet program, such
as excel. This feature can also be used to migrate tasks between onlinetasklist.com and other
applications.
Projects
What is a project?
A project is a group of users that share a set of categories and tasks. All members of
the project see the same categories and the same tasks in those categories. Tasks can be assigned to any
project member.
What is a project leader?
Any project member can be designated a project leader. Only project leaders can: edit or delete
project categories, edit project membership, or permanently delete tasks.
Can there be multiple project leaders?
Yes. One, two, or even all members of the project can be made project leaders.
How do I add an account to my project?
Click on the "Projects" menu item, select a project, then click "Add New Project Member..." Enter
the username of the account to add. The indicated account must exist before adding it to a project.
What is the "default" project?
A default project is created along with each account. The newly created account is the project
leader and the only member.
If I join a project, can I keep my own tasks private?
Yes. To accomplish this simply continue using the default project for private tasks and
categories, and do not add other members to that project. To share some tasks create an additional project and
add to it shared tasks and project members.
How many projects can I create? How many projects can I join?
There is no limit.
Instructions
Account Setup
Settings on this page affect only the current user.Display Closed Tasks
Closed tasks can be displayed in a distinct color at the bottom of the task list, or not displayed at all.Display Deferred Tasks
Deferred tasks can be displayed in a distinct color at the bottom of the task list, or not displayed at all.Show Columns
Checked columns are visible in the main view.Task Color Scheme
The color scheme used to display tasks.SMS Text Email
The email address used to send text messages to your mobile phone. A list of common formats for this email address can be found in this table:| Provider | Format |
| AT&T | <phone number>@txt.att.net |
| Sprint | <phone number>@messaging.sprintpcs.com |
| T-Mobile | <phone number>@tmomail.net |
| US Cellular | <phone number>@email.uscc.net |
| Verizon | <phone number>@vtext.com |
| Many Others | Web to SMS gateway table |
Project Setup
Settings on this page affect all project members.Public Categories
Tasks in public categories can be viewed by the general public. Login is not required. Edit project settings to select the URL at which public categories will be available. To embed a public task list within your own web page, use the following HTML:
<iframe src="http://www.onlinetasklist.com/pub/yourProjectURL" width="90%" height="350px"/>
Recurring Tasks
Use the recurring tasks view to create, examine, and edit tasks that occur periodically. Tasks are automatically copied from this view to the main view each time they occur.Three fields are used to specify when tasks occur:
- frequency: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly
- multiplier: A number 1 to 99
- next occurs date: A date specifying the next occurrence
Example 1: Create a task that occurs every other Thursday. To accomplish this select: Every 2 Weeks, Next Occurs 2008-Oct-9. Where 2008-Oct-9 is a Thursday.
Example 2: Create a task that occurs on the first day of each quarter. To accomplish this select: Every 3 Months, Next Occurs 2008-Oct-1. Where 2008-Oct-1 is the first day of the next (4th) quarter.
Backup
Export Tasks
Use this feature to save tasks locally. The export file format is Comma Separated Values (CSV) which can be opened and edited by spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel or Open Office Calc.Import Tasks
Use this feature to import tasks from an existing CSV formatted spreadsheet. - The import file column header names must match those present in exported task files.
- Not all columns are required. For instance, a CSV file containing only one column, "Description", can be imported.
- Dates and other fields must be formatted as found in export files.
- Use UTF-8 encoding to import non-English/Latin Unicode characters.
File Attachments
The Files page displays all files attached to tasks in the current project. Use this page to find, view, or delete any attachment. To add an attachment first edit a task, then click the attach file link.Tips
- To update a task quickly: In the main view, click directly on the value of the task description, category, priority, or assigned value and edit in place.
- To enter tasks quickly: On the task edit page, type the task description then just press Enter to save.
- To skip directly to editing: From the main view click the Edit icon
of an existing task. - To be sure the correct time is displayed: Select the correct time zone on the account settings page.
- To save time next time: Use the details section of each task to add notes on the steps taken to complete a task. Later if this issue comes up again the closed task's detail section can be referenced. Closed tasks can always be found via the search feature.