In This Article: Learn how Ontario transforms tasks into collaboration hubs where teams coordinate work, share updates, and maintain visibility. This guide covers using comments to communicate context, understanding the upcoming @mentions feature for direct notifications, filtering between user and system activity, tracking the complete history of task changes, and establishing effective patterns for asynchronous coordination across your projects.
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Task Comments: Your Collaboration Hub
Ontario's task system goes beyond simple assignment and trackingâevery task includes a full commenting system that serves as the central communication channel for that work. Comments create a permanent, searchable record of discussions, decisions, and context directly attached to the task itself.
Quick Reference: Adding Comments
- Click on any task name to open the task detail pane
- Navigate to the Comments tab (alongside Details, User Access, Workflow)
- Type your message in the comment input field
- Click the blue Post button to add your comment
- Your comment appears at the bottom of the thread with your avatar and timestamp
Screenshot: Task Comments tab showing the comment input field, existing comment thread with user avatars and timestamps, and the Post button for adding new comments
Comment Anatomy
@Mentions for Direct Notification COMING SOON
While posting a comment makes it visible to everyone with access to the task, @mentions will ensure specific team members see critical information immediately. This upcoming feature will bridge the gap between passive communication (posting updates) and active communication (ensuring specific people are alerted).
Coming in a future update: The @mentions feature is currently in development and will be available soon. When launched, you'll be able to tag specific team members in task comments to send them direct notifications. This section describes how @mentions will work once the feature is released.
How @Mentions Will Work
Start typing to see user list
Name appears highlighted
Comment is published
Immediate notification sent
Knowledge Check: When to Use @Mentions
Which situations will call for an @mention? Check your understanding:
Example: "@Jordan can you confirm the budget approval?"
Example: "@Sam analysis complete, ready for your review"
Creates notification fatigueâpost without @mention instead
Example: "@Alex we need vendor access to proceed"
Use @mentions strategically: Once available, reserve @mentions for situations requiring direct attention or action. Overuse creates notification fatigue where important alerts get lost in the noise.
Filtering Comment Views: Users vs. System Activity
Task comment threads accumulate two distinct types of entries: user comments (conversations and updates people post) and system comments (automatic logs generated when task properties change). Ontario's filtering controls help you focus on what matters most at any given moment.
Screenshot: Comments tab filter dropdown showing options to filter by "System Comments"
Filter Guide: When to Use Each View
| Filter | Use When You Want To... |
|---|---|
| All Comments | See complete chronological history mixing user conversations and system changes |
| User Comments Only | Focus on team discussion without system log noise; understand reasoning and context |
| System Comments Only | Audit what changed and when; troubleshoot workflow issues; conduct retrospectives |
| @mentions me COMING SOON | Find where you were specifically called out; identify action items directed at you |
System Comments: Your Automatic Audit Trail
System comments document every property change made to the task, identified by the Ontario logo icon instead of a user avatar. Each entry includes what changed, who made the change, and the exact timestampâcreating unambiguous accountability.
Common System Comment Types
Task was assigned to [user] by [user] at [timestamp]
Task moved from [To-Do] to [In Progress] by [user]
[user] attached [filename.xlsx] at [timestamp]
Folder [path] was archived/moved by [user]
Task Activity History and Audit Trails
Every task maintains a complete activity history through two complementary views: the Comments tab (with system comments) and the Workflow tab (focusing on stage transitions). Together they create a comprehensive audit trail showing what work was done, who did it, when, and in what sequence.
The Workflow Tab: Your Process History
Screenshot: Task Workflow tab showing progression through stages with timestamps and user attributions
What Can I Learn From Activity History?
How long tasks actually spend in each workflow stage vs. expectations
Which stages consistently take longer; where work gets stuck
Exactly who made which changes and whenâno ambiguity
When problems were introduced; sequence of events leading to issues
Effective Collaboration Patterns
Getting the most value from task collaboration requires establishing team patterns and norms. The difference between helpful coordination and bureaucratic overhead often comes down to these usage patterns.
Do's | Don'ts
"Beginning analysisâwill review vendor data first"
"Choosing approach B because vendor API limits make A impractical"
"Jordan, can you confirm this matches requirements?"
"Regarding the calculation approach (annualized vs. point-in-time)..."
"Working on this"âadds no meaningful information
"FYI team"âwhat do you want them to do?
"Quick question about the calculation..."âwhich one?
Creating noise drowns out important information
Build a commenting culture
Treat task comments as thinking out loudâsharing context, raising questions early, and documenting decisions as they're made. This creates a rich knowledge base embedded in the work itself, rather than requiring separate documentation efforts after the fact.
Collaboration Workflows in Practice
Let's see how these collaboration tools work together in common scenarios:
Scenario: Handling a Blocked Task
- Post comment explaining the blocker and what you need
- Direct your question to the person who can unblock you
- Update task status if you can't proceed (move back to To-Do)
- They see the comment and respond in the thread
- Complete record of issue and resolution captured automatically
"Marcusâblocked on vendor API access. Can you escalate with IT? Need credentials to proceed with the data integration."
Scenario: Multi-Person Task Handoff
- Analyst posts comment when starting analysis
- Analyst directs comment to manager when ready for review
- Manager reviews and directs comment to director for approval
- Director approves and directs operations for implementation
- Workflow status updates provide high-level progress visibility
"Sarahâinitial analysis complete and model attached. Ready for your review. Let me know if you need any clarification on the assumptions."
Scenario: Understanding Task History
- Workflow tab: Get timelineâwhen created, time in each stage
- System comments: See detailed change logâassignments, files, properties
- User comments: Understand narrativeâthinking, problems, decisions
- Layered approach lets you zoom in on what you need
Complete understanding without getting overwhelmed by chronological activity feeds that mix everything together.
Screenshot: Task comment thread showing a handoff sequence between team members with clear context and directed questions
Collaborating on Mobile
Full Access, Anywhere
Ontario's task collaboration features work seamlessly on mobile devices. Read comment threads, post replies, and respond to task updates on the go. Tap a notification to jump directly to the task's Comments tabâkeeping coordination moving forward regardless of where you are.
Collaboration amplifies coordination: Ontario's task features embed conversation directly in tasks, make activity history transparent, and provide clear communication paths. This reduces coordination overheadâfewer status meetings, fewer questions falling through cracks, and work becomes more visible without constant reporting.
What's Next: User Management
With task creation, workflows, and collaboration covered, the next section explores how to build and manage your team within Ontarioâfrom inviting users to defining roles and organizing groups.
Adding and Inviting Users
Learn how to bring new team members into Ontario, manage the invitation process, and ensure smooth user onboarding for your organization.
Managing Users and Groups
Discover how to organize team members into groups, manage user details, and structure your organization within Ontario for efficient collaboration.
User Roles and Permissions
Understand Ontario's role-based access control system and learn when to use Admin versus Member roles at both the environment and project levels.
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