Great to see someone taking customer service so seriously and having worked some more with the software I have taken the plunge and bought the software and am extremely happy with the purchase.

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Sorry that our nomenclature is not clearer. Yes, we sometimes refer to the Goalscape format as "a goalscape"; when we are referring specifically to the multi-level pie chart though we try to stick to the term "goal map". The section on the right that contains information about the selected goal is the "panel". I realise that some of our older videos may need updating…

We also call the .GSP files "goalscapes" to differentiate them from online "projects" in Goalscape Connect. As you know, the two versions of the software are essentially similar in functionality and 'look and feel'; they use slightly different data formats though, so when you upload .GSP files from Desktop to Connect (and download online projects as .GSP files) there is a conversion process.

I respect your refusal to "go into the philosophical debate around whether this is actually desirable or valid" – nice dodge! We try to avoid it too: if people want to use the term 'tasks' to refer to bottom-level subgoals (which may be binary – ie either 0% or 100% complete), that's fine. And if they are sequential (one must be finished before the next can begin), they can be placed clockwise around the parent, using the relevant Start and End dates to constrain them. Relative importance still applies; and the importance of a task is still reflected in its contribution to progress in the parent when it is completed.

For the task list function you can also use Export to XLSX, open in it in a spreadsheet application and use the Sort Data function to produce task lists by date, subgoal area, responsibility, etc. As you say, we are investigating additional task management functionality and/or integrating with third party tools. See our online survey here (you can vote on some proposed new features and suggest your own ideas).

Yes, you can store your Desktop .GSP files in the cloud – and of course the Goalscape Desktop licence is perpetual (it includes full support and free upgrades for life) and provides a free 6-month subscription to Connect.

Goalscape Connect also has several advantages (even for a single user working on solo projects) including convenience and security. You can read and update your online projects from any computer anywhere in the world; and (should you lose a laptop, have a break-in or suffer a disastrous hardware crash), losing your equipment does not mean losing all your work.

For businesses and anyone working in teams on shared projects there are significant extra benefits:

• The online project is always the latest version.
• All participants can access and update the same project at the same time.
• Project administrators can set access privileges for participants individually (View, Edit, Admin).
• Anyone working on a shared project can see who else is in it and what they are doing (with appropriate warnings about simultaneous updates to the same goal).
• You can roll out a central coaching (or organisational) model and use it to communicate with others in different locations
• Ideal for distributed teams and remote coaching, as well as for liaising on projects with clients and suppliers.
• Goal Chat: instant messaging on individual goals, with in-line attachments and email notification options.
• If you make a project public you can send the URL to anyone and they will be able see it (View only) – even if they do not have their own Connect account.

Since Connect involves additional server and admin costs (as well as our ongoing development), we charge for it by subscription: €89.00 (c£75) for a year or €49.00 (c£40) for 6 months. Each user account includes 5 GB of storage.

“I am the author of the article in Oughterany and I own the property where Mary Watson lived in Baltracey. Unfortunately nothing remains of the house where Mary lived and nothing further has come to light of Mary or her child. As a member of the Society of Friends she was treated better than other christians who gave birth to a child out of wedlock in 18th century Ireland. Her relative Margo who lived subsequently in Larchill also had a tragic life. She was orphaned at a young age, married off to her first cousin for property inheritance reasons and died childless aged fifty. ”

Many thanks to Seamus for taking the time to follow up the post.