Ability to create abandoned logs

Today during the development call @Symbioquine @Farmer-Ed @fosten and I talked about the challenge in modifying a log to show that the action the log represents will never happen as originally planned. We think it makes sense to add an abandoned status to logs that can be used to represent that a log will never be completed as specified. This allows the log to keep all of its metadata about the action that was originally planned to happen, without being modified or deleted. We thought “abandoned” is strongly worded (maybe too much?), but it’s also quite clear, and better than “closed” or “wont do”.

Current workarounds to represent this situation could be:

  • Delete the log and lose all evidence of the planned action (we want to keep the data!)
  • Keep log as planned - but this will appear in the Upcoming / Late tasks dashboard
  • Adding relevant notes to the log and marking as done to remove from dashboard
  • Creating a log category and assigning to log
  • Creating a custom flag and assigning to log
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I’d say it belongs in the status field : abandoned.
It’s not done, and not pending any more, so I’d want it out of sight, but easy to pickup later.
And it seems natural to change this in the status field.

I think a flag draws unneeded attention to something you want out of the way.

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That was more or less the discussion for a new option in the status field.

I’d agree that while keeping the log may be useful a flag would draw unnecessary attention to a log that would better ‘almost’ hidden.

@paul121 I think although a bit strong Abandoned is not an awful word, although the description ‘will never happen’ or ‘won’t do’ is probably not right either, it’s more ‘postponed indefinitely’ as there is always the chance an Abandoned log may be picked up later if circumstances change. Although I suppose in most circumstances if it runs into a new season then a new log may make more sense anyway.

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I like this idea.

We would also need an “Abandon logs” bulk action, so that you can easily abandon all of last year’s pending logs at once.

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Aha, there is actually an issue to add a “canceled” log status. Would that suffice? Do we prefer “abandoned”?

It seems this was briefly discussed in a previous chat we had… lol IRC logs for #farmOS, 2022-08-18 (GMT) | irc.farmos.org

https://www.drupal.org/project/log/issues/3304608

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I don’t have a strong opinion either way.

@Farmer-Ed It was you and I who originally chatted about this and suggested “canceled”. Maybe that’s a bit less strong than “abandoned”? :slight_smile:

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Ah, I’d forgotten about that conversation completely.

“Canceled” or “Abandoned” are equally strong in my opinion and fairly definite “Not Happening”.

I think I like Abandoned slightly better, Canceled may read more like canceling the log itself, rather than the event? I wouldn’t lose sleep over it either way though.

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Maybe abandon the canceled discussion then? :rofl:

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All in favor of abandoning canceled and adopting abandoned! Aye!

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Personally, I like “abandoned” a bit better (it might just be the sound of the word :thinking:), but either one would work for me.

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Sometimes I’m more of a dreamer than a farmer…
Is it better to abandon or cancel those “hopes and dreams” :thinking:

Canceled probably better fits for well planned cessation of a goal.
In my head abandoned also covers it just can’t / won’t happen as planned.
(or maybe I just prefer the sound of it too… :slightly_smiling_face:)

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Hi all,

“Abandoned” sounds good in Spanish. It suggests one has moved on without making a decision about it.

I like “abandoned” to flag an active task that somehow have lost importance over time and is still hanging at the bottom of the list because somehow the user doesn’t feel like deleting it.

A bulk action (as @mstenta suggested) could archives all those “abandoned” logs that fall in a specified period of time (“older than two months”; “older than a year”; etc.) to get them out of the list (as @pat suggested)

A query including key words matching those of the task could bring it up again (for example, for when there is money surplus and those old development ideas can be revived)

3 Likes