While I can see how that would be useful to some, I think you could create a lot of that functionality via tags and smart lists.

To get started, I'd have a smart list that showed all tasks without a status tag, and then I'd use the multiedit feature to batch assign status tags to the tasks. Once I had the tasks up and running, you would use the tag cloud or you could make smart lists to show just the tasks with a given sub-status.

Hope that helps...

While I agree this can be done with tags, it would be a lot easier with status field rather than using tags. I would also add a "waiting on someone else" and/or "waiting for reply" to the possible status fields.

I agree, I really think a progress drop down box of some sorts, or even a progress slider bar (45% complete, 90% complete) would be great.

I believe users dont bother about setting the progress bar on each little tiny task, so why not make the progress bar increase with, like 5% every time you click on a task.

Then RTM would handle this automatically almost without you knowing it... or if you want it to be a specific value, click several times! And maybe a double-click would decrease the progress bar.

I agree there should be some status drop down choice. I have Smart lists: Home, Family, Work, University, MyProjeckts. If I implemented that by tags and Smart Lists I would have 15 Smart Lists. This is situation when I want to implement only 3 statuses.

You can see now there would be some mess in my RTM panel and I use it to arrange everything not mess.

Adam

I would be happy with just being able to mark a task as "In Progress". I have only been using RTM one day and not having this ability has already been an issue. For instance, one of my tasks is Laundry. It is a repeating task. It may take a couple of hours or take all day to complete this task on any given instance. If I could mark the task "In Progress", I could see at a glance the things that have started, but will take a while to finish. This would also help with tasks that may take multiple days to complete. I saw the forum thread asking for a start date. A start date in combination with "In Progress" and "Waiting for Someone Else" status options would be amazing. I've used these task statuses in Outlook for years and they have been invaluable for keeping track of tasks that are a bit more complex. With these status options, these tasks don't fall through the cracks. Also, adding these status options makes it much simpler than trying to make it happen through smart lists, duration and whatnot.. I've tried smart list and duration finagling and it is just too much trouble for something so simple.

I just noticed that this suggestion has been on here for years. I'm surprised because when MS Outlook added these status options, it was practically a revolution in task functionality in that program. It made using tasks practical and simple for every type of task.

I said it five years ago, and I'll say it again: tags and smartlists.

I don't agree with the option to use tags and smartlists. I personally like to see all my tasks of today with a status field or better, a status color and/or status-icon. I don't think that can be done with tags.

The problem with using tags as a catch all is that it becomes very convoluted.

+1 for progress/status

I'm with those who would like to see status options. I understand that tags and smart lists could be used as a workaround, but combined with all of the other reasons to use tags, it could quickly become unmanageable.

Some have suggested quite a few statuses, others just an 'In Progress.' May I suggest either creating a single 'In Progress' status, an ability for users to define their own statuses, or perhaps using something along the lines of Franklin Covey's:
- Completed,
- Forwarded (unnecessarily because of the ability to postpone, I guess),
- Deleted (would be nice to be able to keep track of what one had planned to do but decided not to, instead of deleting it permanently or marking complete),
- Delegated (already available),
- In Progress.

+1 for status

I am beginning to really want this as so many tasks are started or waiting for someone else and I don't want them to drop off the list or have more lists or tags - thats the integrity of the task. A status helps to view my work versus follow-up for later type of tasks.

I agree --- Have an update with people and have items not started - more smartlists and such, just more clutter on the screen. Would be great if an option for the tasks, for those of us that use it for tracking more then just a single to do, but the progression of an item.

A progress bar from 0 to 100% would be very useful for most of my tasks

Really bad idea for RTM. Try pivotal tracker if you need that.

This is the only functionality now that is stopping me from moving fully to RTM

A thought on how this could be implemented: Add a button next to the 'complete' button that is a drop down to change the status. Add status on the left menu like locations/tags/etc. where you can add, edit, remove statuses. Like the original post said, status should also require that define the "state" of the task so behavior can be understood (i.e. open, waiting, completed). This would allow it to more easily integrate with a kanban type view as well.

I cannot believe nobody cares about task statuses (which is quite an important feature for many RTM users) for so many years... I stopped using even better products as soon as they showed this level of "we do not develop anything any more" stance.

I am currently doing this using tags (I have blocked, not started, in progress, scheduled and pending tags), but it is painful on recurring tasks as RTM will update the tag/s to match on all task instances (i.e. the current task and the next future dated task) instead of just the specific instance I'm editing. For me personally, a specific field I could edit that was independent to each instance of the recurring task would be ideal. If anyone has a workaround to address this though I'm all ears!

I agree with ranbarton - tags and smart lists will easily accomplish this, IMO.