LostInTechnology

A Guide to Online List-Making

Posted on 22. Jan, 2009 by DavidPierce in Internet Tools

Advertisements

I make lists like you wouldn’t believe- more than I’d care to admit. Lists of things to do today, lists of reasons I’m really fantastic, lists of items of clothes to put on in the morning- you name it, I love making it into a list.

The Web is a great place to satisfy my bizarre love affair with lists. There are a ton of applications out there that help you make lists, in any way shape or form you can imagine. Whether you want your lists to be simple, complex, or far too difficult to be used, there’s a solution for you.

Regardless of the type of person you are, there’s a list-making application for you.Here are the best of the list-makers, by type of user:

Uber-Simplistic: Ta-da List

Ta-Da List may be the only application that can claim to be simpler than paper. Signing up for an account takes about 13 seconds. Then, you simply create a list in the only box presented to you. Press enter, then start typing tasks- they’re added as quickly as you can type them and press enter. Each one has a checkbox, which you check off when you complete it.

There are no due dates, no priorities, just a list. For many people, that’s the best thing about Ta-Da Lists. You can’t do anything but create a list, and that means less time figuring out what to do, and more time actually getting them done.

Do it When?: Doomi

Doomi, an Adobe AIR application that downloads to your desktop, is similar to Ta-Da Lists, with one added feature- reminders. Entering to-do items is incredibly simple, and so is checking them off and seeing what you’ve already done. If you want, though, you can set Doomi to pop up on your screen reminding you of a particular task. Reminders are simple to set up and simple to ignore, and Doomi’s an excellent solution for the Ta-Da List lover who wants a desktop alternative.

Groceries Plus: Grocery List Maker

One of the lists I make the most is the “stuff to buy” list. If I go to the grocery store without a list, I come home with fruit snacks, Nutella, and a whole lot of Soda- and just about nothing else. Using the Grocery List Maker, you can create your Grocery List using their easy interface. Go through and select the various foods you want, as well as the quantities of each one. If they don’t have what you’re looking for in their large list, add your own. Then, print the personalized list, and head to the store! It’s easy to use, and a great way to prevent the impulse-buys at the supermarket.

Lists Like Crazy: Zenbe Lists

Zenbe Lists is one of my favorite list-making applications. It can take all the lists you throw at it, with any kind of information. I have everything from my “stuff to buy” list to my “life goals” list in Zenbe, and it’s a great way to manage huge numbers of lists. There’s also a great iPhone application for viewing and editing your lists, which is great for the on-the-go list-making. You can associate due dates with items (or not), share lists (or not), and make it the hub of all things lists in your life.

Task-Manager: Remember the Milk

There’s one word to describe Remember the Milk: features. iGoogle, Gmail, SMS, due dates, priorities, Twitter, and so on and so forth. It’s a fully-fledged task-manager that can do anything you want it to. If you’re just looking to make a list, RTM’s probably overkill. If you’re looking for a killer way to manage your tasks, though, make sure you give RTM a try.

If you’re looking to make a list, any of these options will do. There are others too, but these are great places to start with your listing obsession. Somehow, there’s just nothing so much fun as checking things off a list…

How do you make lists? Online, offline, paper, Web?

Image credit: Ebby

David Pierce is a college student, Ultimate Frisbee player, and tech geek. He loves to watch movies, play golf in thunderstorms, and break stuff to figure out how to put it back together. In addition to writing for Lost in Technology, he writes his blog, The 2.0 Life, about how to make the most out of a digital world. In addition, you can follow him on Twitter , or just send him an email.

Related Posts

• Todofrog: Online List Manager
• 30+ Apps Making Facebook Your Business Tool
• Ultimate Freeware List: Application Launchers
• Store Sticky Notes Online with Listhings
• Verb: User Focused Task Management and Sharing

Tags: adobe, doomi, grocery, lists, remember the milk, rtm, tadalist, tasks, to do, zenbe