Web capture : impossible to edit HTML content

[FWRON 4]

All my notes are based on Web articles captured with the Clipper and later "enriched" with my comments. Since I upgraded to V10, I cannot edit HTML content anymore, including previous notes I had edited with older versions. The edit toolbar is now greyed.

Did I miss something ?

Thanks for any help

[Jaya Shekarraju 75]

@FWRON Clicking on the web clip shows an object bar. If you click on the below icon, you will be able to edit the web clips.

 

[bluthlessons 8]

Hi Jaya,

Yes, clicking on the magic wand makes the HTLM content editable, but doing this DESTROYS the actual content -- pictures sometimes disappear, formatting disappears,  social media buttons from the site are converted into huge and ugly URL's, blocks of text are cut up randomly with no rhyme or reason.   The orderly clipped content becomes like a warzone of visual chaos.  

I really am confused about this -- why would we LOSE the functionality to edit HTML content in this new version?  The old version allowed us to do this perfectly well!!  

90% of my notes are Webclips.  I use a Chrome extension hi-liter to hi-lite articles on the web as I'm reading them, and THEN I clip them into Evernote.    Making the HTML content within Evernote "editable" erases all my hi-lites! 

Also, I often will later continue to add content to my clipped notes WITHIN Evernote -- e.g., add additional hi-lites, add my own notes WITHIN the text, etc.     MANY of my friends use Evernote in the same way!  It's extremely frustrating to lose this extremely basic functionality.  

Thanks for listening,

Jon

 

 

[TriXim 2]

I hope they find way to fix this. Almost all of my notes are web clips - and the original formatting has been ruined. Instead of what seeing what I had originally clipped the information is now placed in many strata of "HTML Content, etc." completely ruining any sort of flow or ease of readability. I will attempt to try the legacy version which is disappointing. I wish they could at least apply this new setting to future notes or something.

Does anyone know if there is any sort of poll or thread where I could support fixing this, thanks. 

[Michel Loiseau 0]

I have the same problem for the edition of the WEB CLIP. All my capture is from the web. I view many people on other forum cancel the service for this reason.

I am close to do the same action if evernote  doesn't fix the problem !

[agsteele 2,964]

The issue for Evernote is how to faithfully replicate the original content.  They've chosen to do this in an HTML container.  As you have found, as soon as you simplify the formatting to allow you edit the content then the original HTML is often lost.

I run the legacy version alongside v10.  I find that if I make a small edit to the content in the legacy then the formatting in v10 is often more amenable to further editing.  Or I just make my changes in legacy. 

For now, legacy may be the better option for you.

[PinkElephant 8,242]

It depends what purpose the clip has:

If content is important, clip simplified

If the whole web page is important, clip the full  page

If you have clipped the full content and decide to edit it later, create a duplicate of the note, and simplify the copied content

[Michel Loiseau 0]

Where i find the clic for "full page" ?

[PinkElephant 8,242]

When you open web clipper, there are 5 options:

1. article
2. simplified
3. fullpage
4. bookmark
5. screenshot

More than simplified is either opt.1 or opt. 3.

[Michel Loiseau 0]

I no that for long time. This choice is for the moment you capture. The problem is not at this stage, the problem is at the moment you tri to edit the capture.

Please return to the version before 10, you remember the version work perfectly..... 

[PinkElephant 8,242]

EN decided they want to conserve the clipped content as good as possible. This is why they created that new HTML container. This is a clear design decision, like it or not.

You can always decide to simplify the clipped content, which at the same time makes it editable.

If you want to preserve the clipped page, draw a duplicate and simplify that.

Everything works, and whether it works exactly  how you think it should work will probably not make any developer switch even a single bit from 0 to 1.

Personally I focus on things that still do not work at all in v10, and thou the list is shrinking, it is not empty yet.

[Michel Loiseau 0]

EN decided they want to conserve the clipped content as good as possible (is perfect before....)

You can always decide to simplify the clipped content, which at the same time makes it editable. (This action destroy the DESIGN...)

If you want to preserve the clipped page, draw a duplicate and simplify that. ( And after that I have two versions, wouaw. One whit the good design and not the right texte. And one whit the right texte and ruined designs....)

This is a clear design decision, like it or not. ( For me is a very bade decision for design and marketing )

Everything works, and whether it works exactly  how you think it should work will probably not make any developer switch even a single bit from 0 to 1.

Personally I focus on things that still do not work at all in v10, and thou the list is shrinking, it is not empty yet. ( Sorry for this two lignes, my english is not so good to enderstant the content)

[Mike P 2,718]

10 hours ago, Michel Loiseau said:

EN decided they want to conserve the clipped content as good as possible (is perfect before....)

It wasn't perfect for me. For a simple web page with no complications I agree that the old system worked well. However as web pages become more and more complex I find that the conversion from html to EN format caused lots of problems. I do hope that in the future they come come up with a way to at least be able to highlight the content or even add annotations as pop up boxes.

[PinkElephant 8,242]

Personally I don’t think they will start to mess with the code contained in the clipped container. They probably want to leave it as it is, because it makes clipping more straightforward from a code base / presentation aspect.

It is a trade off between being able to clip whatever can be clipped, and allowing for editing. So they decided to show the container „as is“, and to simplify the code before allowing any changes.

[Michel Loiseau 0]

Ok gang, i give you my opinion. Now it is your job.

Have a nice day!

[eurekargos 2]

By the way, I came to this thread, as I did a search if the problem of "editing" HTML has been fixed and whether people complain.

I do not use the new evernote as it has (i) this problem and (ii) a degrated editor (can you believe that this is possible? Older one is so bad; how can the newer one get worse!!! Hard to believe but it is possible.

 

 

FYI, I use the Evernote applciation for what the name of the product mentioned: to maintain for EVER , my NOTES!!!!

How can I do this and keep learning and editing, if my editor is broken and i have no way to accruately annotate text!!!

Hello EVERNOTE team: Please read the above two lines!!!!  What are you doing?

 

 

So, I agree with the posters that complaining about not being able to edit clipped content, in exactly the same way the older evernote does. 

 

For this particular reason, I use the older version of Evernote!

It is not only this: the whole  color formatting options are now entirely different. Older evernote is better  (still terrible in editing)

 

Going back to issue here: Evernote needs to (i) bring back the ability to download CLIPPED document like before; and (ii) bring back funactionaility like the  classical editor and enhance it (by allowing us to add  menus of rmany options which in turn would allow users to use keyboard shortcuts!!!

 

Without these changes, New evernote is really useless.

 

[PinkElephant 8,242]

If this is what you think, I think you need to find an alternative.

I have no inside knowledge, but to me it seems you describe 2 very unlikely changes.

If I want to edit clipped content, I simplify it first, and can then edit it.

And the editor is just fine for me for note taking. For everything more advanced I use a word processor or page layouter.

You can continue with legacy, but one day it will stop working.

[braswels 1]

@PinkElephant, please do not respond to me. I find some of your comments back to posters a bit abrupt and self-serving .  This is not really helping the Evenote company.  These customers also have a right to complain on a product that they love when a feature they used (and loved) was taken away and they are now told; deal with it,  do a work-around (even if the work-around is a bit clunky), or go find another product.   If they did not care; they would go somewhere else.   Respect that they took the time to give their feedback.  (remember they were not allowed to give any feedback BEFORE it was taken away.)

 I have been with Evernote for years.  I usually stay quiet in the background but this one I need to say something.  Evernote gave us a product that worked wonderfully when capturing things on the web and where we could edit  those notes inside the web clipping. it was one of the fundamental features that made Evernote the company they are today.  It was easy to do and a no brainer.   Now with the latest, improved design; we have to do so many work arounds to get to what we had all along with the previous version(s). 

So my question is to Evernote:  What process do you followi when making these kinds of decisions. Is it considered BEFORE hand that it MAY affect the customer base in a positive way or,  in this case a negative way?  If you knew how widely used the web clipping item and editing feature were; would you have removed that capability?   Who (or what group of customers)  are you targeting when functionality is changing?    Suggestion: Do a survey BEFORE you make your decisions. (case in point:  Chrome gave a notice to the web developers that they were going to do away with the "console" in their web developer tool kit.  They allowed for customer feedback BEFORE they pulled the plug.  Well they got such a big response that they are no longer removing it but instead will be enhancing it. This feedback helped the company to keep the item and make plans to improve it.) Would this not be a great idea for Evernote to do its customerbase.       Suggestion: Please respond to feedback on the desktop and web clients.  Persons take a lot of time to report issues and there is no way of knowing if you even got it or are working on it.  

Yes, I love Evernote and like some of the impovements.  Yes. I want them to keep improving their products.  Just want them to consider the customerbase before they do something(or remove it) .  I do not have to like some of the decisions that have been made.  Why not take a survey now of what items persons want back?  

Thanks for letting me have my say.  

 

 

 

[PinkElephant 8,242]

You only reach other users here, like me (like it or not).

To send something into EN, use the feedback function build into the clients.

[Mike P 2,718]

On 11/16/2021 at 10:36 PM, braswels said:

Evernote gave us a product that worked wonderfully when capturing things on the web and where we could edit  those notes inside the web clipping. i

I disagree. With increasingly complex websites with all sorts of bells and whistles I found that EN was starting to make a very poor job of capturing and converting them into their own format. The current option is not ideal but does mean that in the vast majority of cases it is faithfully rendered within my note. Capturing as a simplified article or simplifying post capture (which in my experience can give subtly different results) allows me to modify if I need to. It would however be nice to be able to highlight the html content if that could be done without messing with the formatting.

On 11/16/2021 at 10:36 PM, braswels said:

Suggestion: Do a survey BEFORE you make your decisions.

I know that EN have done quite alot of user evaluation and there are also preview and beta progams. From memory this change was in the web version prior to V10. I don't think EN can really be expected to include everybody all the time and sometimes they will make changes without  our personal involvement or permission!

[PinkElephant 8,242]

Just an example: They ran a competition „Show us your dashboards“ here in the forum. From this they took input for the new Home function.

Most claims about „they don’t listen to us users“ in fact means „they don’t listen to me“.  A software with that many users and even more use cases needs to be a compromise. I think v10 is a pretty good compromise.

Some long time users (often declared as „power users“) have a larger problem, because highly optimized workflows have been interrupted. But most „average“ users IMHO have a better product now than they ever had with legacy.

[braswels 1]

@Mike P Thank you for your post.  You make some excellent points and will try your workarounds.  @eurekargos I too agree that there are times when you need the legacy version to solve an issue that the newer version has not quite got the kinks worked out.   I have worked in EV since 2008  in Desktop ( and Web versions).   I take my hat off with to the EV team for walking the fine line of deciding what stays and what goes.   (Feedback is important: EV can get feedback from customers either BEFORE they launch or feedback AFTER they launch.)  The main Goal:  improving the product.  Feedback now (after the launch) (whether longtime customer, heavy user, average user or new user) can provide the basis to help EV to work out the kinks for this new launch and plan for the future.  This is the nature of the beast.  It has to be difficult with how the web is constantly changing so again "hats off".  Web Clipping was only one aspect of notetaking for me and so that prompted me to say something.   I worked with the EV support team yesterday with logs and videos to show some of the features in the new design.  The support was very helpful and I have a work-around from the EV Support team for my particular situation. It is not ALL OR NOTHING when choosing the new versioin or the legacy one.  There will always be work-arounds.  Just find the work-arounds that work for you.

[LotsaCaffeine 0]

I can accept the requirement to use a "Simplify & Make Editable" tool.  What I would like is the ability to perform the action on more than one element at a time.

For example, use CMD+A (CTRL+A for Windows folks) to select an entire note. Then click the either the "Simplify & Make Editable" or "Remove Formatting" options and they actually work. It's odd the options show as if they're usable (not greyed out)...but do nothing. Am I missing a qualifier key (e.g. CMD, Option, etc.) to perform this function?

Is it possible I could use macOS's "Automator" to build a script that could open my Evernote library...search for "HTML Content" markers...and replace the markers or convert something inside the note(s) that when re-opened in Evernote would trigger a mass conversion to editable content OR removed formatting?

       Figure 1 of 3.

 

 Figure 2 of 3.

 

Figure 3 of 3.

!---------- [OR] ----------!

 

Figure 1 of 2.

Figure 2 of 2.

 

Version Information

 

Just curious. Maybe I'm just behind the curve and someone figured this out ages ago.

Thanks,

 

Edited November 19, 2021 by LotsaCaffeine
Wasn't finished with my post. Hit the ENTER key one too many times (I think).

[PinkElephant 8,242]

No, I think you can only use simplification on a single embedded web clip at a time.

Reason for that ? As another user I can only speculate. But EN notes are not plain text, they are in fact mini websites, based on HTML code themselves. A web clip is an embedded container in this code flow. When you simplify it, the action is restricted to code inside of that container. The container remains intact, and shields the code of the note itself.

Maybe selecting all would remove the HTML code from the note body as well, rendering it useless. 

Just my 5ct, however ...

[LotsaCaffeine 0]

PinkElephant,

Your suggestion about containers....for example "<DIV>some stuff</DIV>" would make sense.  I do imagine one of Evernote's software engineers could write a nice script that could walk through a Note and give you an option to convert items as it hits them...thus still adhering to the individuality you've described. Though I know a little about scripting...this one would be WAY over my head.

But...I can see it completely possible "right now". To maintain multi-platform compatibility, I would suspect such a script would require a multi-platform scripting package (e.g. Python, JAVA, etc.) 

So....who's up for the task? 

 

--Bill

[PinkElephant 8,242]

You can contact EN support, or send feedback.

Since EN is running inside of a framework, AFAIK all coding is done in JavaScript, for all platforms.

[TriXim 2]

Just echoing other's thought, have submitted internally to EN. But the Legacy version just simply worked perfect for clipping exact faithful representations of websites and further more editing them while keeping the original format. Bummer this isn't the case! They should continue Legacy forever or give an option to use old HTML version.

 

Pink Elephant, you mentioned switching from Evernote due to this change - do you have any suggested alternatives that would be a better fit? 

Thanks. 

[PinkElephant 8,242]

Oh - uh, how to say that ? OK, you asked:

First step is to get a decent computer operating system. It is sold in fruit stores … and it outperforms anything Intel or AMD have on sale for any mobile platform.

Because both of my favorite alternatives are Mac & iOS only, they do not run on Windows, and both devs have excluded a Windows option.

• Upgrading would be DEVONthink (more powerful than EN, highly configurable)
• Downgrading would be Apples own Notes (simple but powerful, since the latest update with tags)

For Windows, no idea.