To macro or not to macro

In my spare time, I've been working on a few macros that will make it easier to efficiently use macros that I have created (or downloaded and installed).

How cool (or sick) am I? :nerd_face:


As I've been doing this meta project (future tutorial possibly coming), I've discovered a whole slew of macros that are cool and useful, but haven't been recently used.

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What this does not take in to account is accuracy.

Automating things serves multiple purposes:

  • Saving time, sure.
  • Producing consistent results - equally, sometimes more important.
  • Reducing frustration.
  • For the fun of it.

A macro that produces a consistent report, for example, might never pay back the time taken to make it, but might result in an totally consistent report allowing you to appear more professional, and adding value in being able to easily compare different reports.

A macro that removes something that is tedious and frustrating might never pay back the time taken to make it, but might aid in other ways, such as reducing fatigue or burn out or conflict or improved morale.

10 Likes

One of my most useful macros for work is a "project dashboard" that streamlines input and standardizes some of the data before sending it off into different systems (omnifocus, Finder, Bear, KM Dictionary...). This saves be a ton of steps, but it's also one example of the multiple benefits (time, accuracy, frustration) @peternlewis mentions in that it reduces human error and inconsistency.

For example, it generates a project tag that I use across several apps, which is built from the event name and client name. Following a consistent naming convention makes it very easy to search/filter, even when some of the apps that will see it have only basic search. Putting the tag and other fields into a KM Dictionary also makes them easily retrievable for other uses.

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Hello Rob (@griffman):wave:

This is terrific..
:flushed:
even thinking about comparing the built time for this Macro based on how fast or slow someone is building it without any automation, compared to let him/her building it using automation for every single step based on this Macro without the time need to Think which steps are done how, will give a terrific result on how much time would be needed to spendā€¦.

A Great Macro - this could be used as a starting template for Projects in terms of time tracking and reviewing the spend time using automation compared to what was if the time was spent on doing the Project without automation.

Greetings from Germany :de:

Tobias

Hello Oli (@olifrost) :wave:

I hope you donā€™t mind that I changed the Tirle of this Topic and moved it here.

It sounds a lot better and reflects clearly a discussion based Topic for which the Outback Lounge is designed to be. Even though there was a Macro shared by @griffman.

Greetings from Germany :de:

Tobias

Makes sense to move it. @Nr.5-need_input Can you please change the title back to the Shakespearean one?

I have returned the original title, as I don't think it's our role as "normal" forum users to change others' words without good reason, but @peternlewis will have to weigh in on that.

I understand the desire for better searchability, but changing what others wrote without their permission is a slippery slope: Why don't we also edit their actual posts to "clarify" what they were trying to say, fix typos, correct logical errors, etc.? Where should we draw the line?

I also don't think this topic should be in the Lounge, because access to the Lounge is restricted, and there's some information here that could potentially benefit any Keyboard Maestro user, not just those with the right experience level to see the Lounge posts. But again, I'll let Peter make that call.

I don't want to start a debate on the subject of editing titles and moving posts, because none of us have the authority to make that final determination. That's Peter's call, and I'd like him to clarify what he expects from us non-admin users with edit capabilities: Should we be editing titles and moving threads aroundā€”specifically into the Lounge? I understand and support moving threads that are obviously in the wrong topic, i.e. questions in the macro category. (This question excludes spam, which I think we all agree should be dealt with quickly, editing as needed.)

-rob.

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Perhaps the moving of question posts to the questions forum that have been erroneously posted in Macro Library or other category where it isn't possible to mark a reply as a solution also belongs on the exception list? I just remember this coming up as an issue before when an OP couldn't mark an answer as the solution.

Another excellent point. The person who shared the Relevant XKCD :tm: cannot access this post now it's in the Lounge.

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Just to be clear: the first topic in every forum Category defines what sort of topics belong in that category. For instance the Outback Lounge definition is this;

Anyone who wants to create a new topic about whatever subject but is unsure as to which category they should post to can consult the category definitions for guidance.

In this vein I, for example, today moved a topic out of the Macro Library cat. to the Questions and Suggestions cat. simply because what was posted did not include a macro and was asking about a macro that might replicate some functionality in some other app.

At the end of the day, we should just use common-sense and correct obvious mistakes as they crop up.

As for actually editing the content of a post I would not dream of doing that except when the post is offensive in which case I'd just use the flagging facility and let the moderator(s) make the final call.

It may be that this post of mine has gone way off topic in which case it, too, is worthy of being flagged...

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I agree; my question should have been more specifically about the Lounge, given its restricted nature. And yes, this is off topic now, so I hope @peternlewis will split/delete it once he has a chance to read it and weigh in. But as it's in the Lounge, it's not widely visible at the moment, and I felt it important to ask for some guidance on title/post editing.

-rob.

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I know of one (long-standing) forum user who would spend considerable time amending the titles of topics to make them look consistent e.g. appropriate capitalisation, correct spelling, spacing, etc. They don't do it any more but it did make reading lists of topics much easier.