Why I built it
Most time trackers felt over-engineered for my daily flow. I needed three things only: fast start, reliable stop, and useful stats—without pop-ups, feature bloat, or vendor lock-in. So I built MyTracker, focusing on clarity and speed: login → start task → stop → see insights.
What it does today
- Authentication with a clean, distraction-free login.
- Quick Start: pick a Type and Activity and press Start.
- Live timer with Stop, Edit, Notes, and Delete.
- History & analytics:
- Breakdown by Type (e.g., Work/Study, Finance/Trading, Personal).
- Top activities with share of period and total duration.
- Daily rollups and detailed session list (start, end, duration, notes).
- Simple admin to manage Types and Activities from the main screen.
Screenshots: Login · Main (Open/Closed activities) · History/Stats.
Design choices
- Frictionless flow: one screen per job to keep attention on the work, not the tool.
- Quiet UI: neutral palette, large primary actions, consistent spacing.
- Honest stats: totals, shares, and daily breakdowns that encourage reflection, not vanity.
- Think in three objects: Type → Activity → Session. That’s it.
Tech stack (lean & dependable)
- Backend: PHP 7+/MySQL with secure sessions.
- Frontend: HTML/CSS/vanilla JS for speed and low overhead.
- Patterns: reusable components for cards/tables; server-side validation everywhere.
- Performance: lightweight queries, indexed by foreign keys on Type/Activity/Date.
Data model (simple by design)
- types: id, name
- activities: id, type_id, name
- sessions: id, activity_id, started_at, ended_at, duration_sec, notes
This keeps analytics straightforward while remaining flexible for tags and exports later.
Security & privacy
- Session-based auth, password hashing, and server-side checks on every action.
- No third-party trackers; data stays where you host it.
- Clear separation between admin functions and daily tracking.
Roadmap
- CSV/Excel export (period, type, activity).
- Tags and searchable notes.
- Idle/Pomodoro options and gentle reminders.
- API & integrations (Google Calendar, Trello/Jira).
- Privacy-first mode: local/portable storage for personal use.
- Team view (optional): shared types, per-member analytics.
Who it’s for
- Professionals and students who want to measure to improve.
- Solo builders who value control, speed, and clarity.
- Teams that prefer no lock-in and an essential feature set.
What this project says about my work
- I start from a real pain point and translate it into a minimal, working product.
- I balance UX discipline with clean, secure backend design.
- I ship fast, iterate with data, and keep the scope honest.
Try it / talk to me
Want a short demo or a quick code walk-through? I’m happy to show the flow (login → start → stop → stats) and the key decisions behind it.
Call to action:
- Message me on LinkedIn for a demo.
- Interested in using it in your team or integrating it with your tools? Let’s chat.
FAQ
Why build another time tracker?
Because I needed less, not more. MyTracker is about focus and truthful analytics.
Can it export data?
Export is on the roadmap (CSV/Excel); it’s designed to be straightforward.
Is it open source?
I’m considering it. A public roadmap and a lightweight API are planned.
Will it integrate with Jira/Trello/Calendar?
Yes—integrations are in the roadmap, starting with read-only calendar overlays and simple task links.
