My so-called pre-inbox.txt:

Figure out why dairy cows have spots
Paint interior of crawl space
Research anti-virus programs for my Mac
Install crown molding in attic

Stop.

Not everything that falls out of your head is worth doing—no more than every tweet in your timeline is worth reading.

I completely agree with David that automating batch entry of inbox tasks isn’t worth it:

I’m still adding tasks from a text list manually. I do this because quite often something that seems like a good idea when I peck it into a text file, like perhaps running with scissors, doesn’t pass the sniff test when it comes time to add the tasks to OmniFocus.

Moreover, this type of automation can come with a cost. As bitter a cocktail as it may be to the reader base of this blog, Bill Gates really nailed it:

The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.

Let your thoughts flow, and jot them down freely, but apply as much human judgment as possible when deciding what to actually work on.

Pursue the right things. Don’t discount your wetware filter, and don’t let your past self become some idiot boss that gives your future self busy work all day.