Auto-reschedule delays the start
Chris Powers
The auto-reschedule feature doesn't work very well. For instance, I will have a 45 minute task starting at 3pm and then I put another 45 minute task and accidentally put it at 3:30pm. Instead of just pushing this second one to start at 3:45, it reschedules the first one to later and then puts the second one after. So it had the first one starting at 3:30pm and then the second one starting at 4:15. I'm not sure why having a conflict at a time would mean you couldn't do ANYTHING during that time.
Chris Powers
Hi Alex, I recorded a screenshare of the problem. I had "Book of Powerhouse" at 1pm, and then when I did a small overlap it moved that to 2:20pm and now there is nothing scheduled at 1pm. Maybe others like this autoschedule but it doesn't work for me. (I like autoschedule, just want it to auto like i want it to!)
Alex Cunningham
Hi Chris Powers, the auto-rescheduler works to deconflict tasks. So in your example, you've created a conflict at 3:30, so Sunsama will deconflict other tasks by moving around the one you're timeboxing.
In this scenario, would you expect Sunsama to automatically split up the 3PM task? Or shorten it? Or something else?
Chris Powers
Alex Cunningham I wouldn't expect it to move the task away from 3pm. It happens pretty frequently when i try to put tasks back to back. I put a 30 minute task at 3pm, and then another one at 3:30pm but whoops, i put it at 3: 25pm. I do not expect my schedule to suddenly be clear at 3pm. I just scheduled something in that time. Just move it after that task is scheduled to be completed.
Alex Cunningham
Chris Powers Gotcha, thanks that's helpful. In the event that happens, and overlap is fine, you can simply undo with CMD Z to undo any auto-rescheduling and the task will go back to where it was. You can also preemptively override auto-rescheduling when timeboxing a task with the shift key: https://help.sunsama.com/docs/auto-rescheduling#controlling-auto-rescheduling--528
Chris Powers
Alex Cunningham It's not that overlap is fine. It should just auto-rescheduling ONLY the rescheduling the new event. Or at least that's my opinion.
Alex Cunningham
Chris Powers I'm not sure what you mean here. Do you mean it should auto-reschedule the task you're timeboxing after you timebox it?
Chris Powers
Alex Cunningham If I schedule a task at 3pm. I don't want that task to be rescheduled because a different task overlaps by 5 minutes. Just push it back 5 minutes. The auto schedules makes it so i don't have anything scheduled at 3pm. Why would it make me free during that time? Sorry if i'm not clear. Can you reread what I wrote at the beginning? I think it makes sense. Right now when there is a conflict for a time - it doesn't schedule anything during that time. It just avoids it completely. That doesn't really make sense to me.
Alex Cunningham
Chris Powers thanks and sorry for the delay (family emergency last week). I've re-read, and I think I understand now.
Have you made use of the auto-scheduling shortcut? I was thinking that might help avoid this issue where you accidentally schedule a task where it overlaps just 5 minutes, thus creating conflict and triggering auto-rescheduling.