Spreadsheets (Part 2 of 3) - What's in A Name?

The task of putting a name onto something is an extremely important matter.  As humans we name everything – people, animals, buildings, companies, software.  Naming is not simply putting a tag on a ‘thing’ but it is a powerful way of prescribing character and purpose.  When we were trying to name our little corner of the universe, we thought long and hard about the character and purpose we wanted to bestow onto the world.  What did we have to offer?  What did QuickBase have to offer?  Within this context it was easy to see why we used the term ‘collaborative’ in our company name – it’s not just because we like really long names!

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Avoiding overwhelming information or just Getting Things Done

“If you don’t have a clear sense of the totality of your obligations, you will always overcommit. And commitments occur on multiple levels, from ‘why I’m on the planet’ to ‘need butter.’ But the elevation most amorphous for most is the plane just above your physical activities—your projects. I have a radical definition of a project: Anything you’re committed to finish within a year that requires more than one action to complete it. Given that broad designation, most people have between 30 and 100. Where’s your list? How complete and current is it?”

-David Allen, of Getting Things Done (GTD)

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