[teampractices] Impressions about the switch from Trello to Phabricator

[Matthew Flaschen]

On 05/13/2014 08:35 PM, Steven Walling wrote:
>   * /Task assignment:/ in Trello tasks can't actually be assigned. You
>     can only have card members and subscribers. We work around this by
>     talking about it, but it is nice when a task has a clear assignment,
>     especially when we need to work more asynchronously.

Also, Phabricator allows CCing other people, rather than only yourself 
(this is distinct from assignee).

>       o To expand on this: the big problem is that there is no
>         correlation between the Resolved/Open status of a task and the
>         status of the task in a workboard column. For example, I can
>         leave a task at an "In Review" column I made, and also Resolve
>         it. Resolved tasks are then hidden from the workboard, and can't
>         have their status updated. Example screenshot:
>         https://i.imgur.com/RfQrCMQ.png This means that if you want to
>         keep your workboard and task list in sync, you need to first go
>         manually update the workboard, then edit the task status. In
>         other words, maintaining a project workboard duplicates effort.

If we just set a convention that there is no Done column, it makes a lot 
more sense.

While the task is not done (i.e. Backlog, To Do, Doing, In Review), it 
will show on the workboard and be Open (not resolved).

Normally, it should not be marked resolved unless it's completed review. 
  So just say that done tasks are Resolved In Review, whereas tasks 
actively still under review are Open In Review.  This is not confusing 
because only open tasks show in the workboard.

If the Growth team is okay with this, I'll make that change right now 
(eliminating Done column).

This is pretty similar to Trello, except that Trello calls it 
"Archived", not Resolved.  Trello has no built-in concept of done 
whatsoever.  So for example, I can go to an ancient card 
(https://trello.com/c/nDRDlDQl/217-migrate-our-labs-projects-to-ashburn-eqiad) 
(long in the Done list and Archived), and it will still tell me I'm 
"past due", since the Done list is just an arbitrary label.

In Trello, it is possible to have archived items in any list.

>   * /Editing tasks/. It sometimes takes way too many steps to get to
>     editing. I immediately missed Trello focus on direct manipulation,
>     e.g. you click in to a comment, task description, or other field and
>     you're immediately editing it. One simple solution might be "double
>     click to edit" or similar in Phabricator.

It's true there's no "click text to edit", but you can click the pencil 
on the workboard, for anyone that missed this (instead of going to the 
separate task page).

>   * /Attachments/: Trello shows the attached mockups or other materials
>     as cover images, and overall is slicker. Phabricator does have
>     annotations though they're not super usable.

It's true the UI could be improved here.  However, there are some nice 
aspects too, like versioned mocks (so you can improve a mock over time, 
instead of simply deleting it, or telling people, "no, look at the other 
one").

A mock can also be linked to more than one card, without copy/paste.

Matt Flaschen