Stop auto detecting business cards during photos/scans

[ChicagoGrl 5]

It's 2021, not 1990, and no one in my publishing business - paper based by the way - uses business cards anymore. Everything is electronic. Contacts get stored in phone books or other directories. It's really frustrating to batch scan documents in Evernote and have it constantly erroneously detect a document as being a business card when it never, ever is. If I do my monthly paperwork I would say that Evernote has more than a 50% failure rate by auto-detecting that a document is a business card when I've never actually scanned a business card in my Android app. I recognize that some people still use business cards, but they aren't that common anymore, even outside this pandemic. Perhaps you can offer us an option in preferences to turn off that function so that auto-detect never thinks that something is a business card, and always defaults to color document or our personal preference for scans. It would also be nice if that function would just be turned off and Evernote doesn't try to do the detection; let us decide what type it is.

In a related function, I'd like the "auto" detection for new photo-based notes to be turned on by default. I rarely save photos of items and nearly always save documents, and having to select auto every new document slows my processing time down. The app is already painfully slow for me on my Samsung S10+.

[mk161257 4]

I wholeheartedly support that idea. Whenever I scan bank account statements Evernote converts each page into a business contact when all I want is just to have  pic of that page stored. Needless to say, all important information gets lost during that process.

[PinkElephant 8,996]

Got my last Business card just this morning - it is still the typical choice, maybe except for people who want to make a statement for themselves (me, cutting edge nerd …). That EN tries to detect when you are scanning if it is a business card is a positive addon.

 It is very simple when it makes a wrong decision while scanning: Just switch the document type (while scanning) from business card to document or photo, and save it. It will create a normal note instead of a BC special note.

When I scan, it usually pics Document / Color as default setting. A wrong detection of a document as a business card only happens occasionally. A Photo as scanning format I need to pick manually in all cases. But maybe the iPhone works better than the Samsung, could be.

[brettmansdorf 7]

Oh for god's sake - better than HALF the receipts or items like a check or money order AUTOMATICALLY convert to a business card.  I've been here and PAYING for  >10 years - I've watched COUNTLESS additions to the core competency - and honestly. - most create hassles...

I use Evernote for archival storage, period - and I'd guess a mass majority of the users do the same.  EN doesn't compete with current workgroup programs (not even close) - and yet I see further automation which simply COSTS me more time to fix.

Perhaps it would be too much to ask - but I'd find it refreshing if you might remember us little guys that put you on the map (and paid you through some ridiculous updates).  Loyalty is a two way street - and I believe you owe us to maintain at least the core competency - one place for all things - or something like that.  

I need to scan something - and it show up as a PDF.  I've not had a physical business card - nor received one in well over 5 yrs - but yet EVERY couple of scannable items - I'm wasting time doing a screenshot (at much less resolution) and creating a new note and deleting the old...

Today you don't have too many competitors - but they are creeping up.  I've lost track of when I first subscribed (think 16 yrs ago) - and this year is the first time I'm scouring YouTube for alternatives - because it seems you have lost your way.

EASY IN, EASY to sort - that is what kept me here and happy for many years.   This idiotic idea that the masses are scanning in business cards and therefore you set the thresholds such that the scannable image defaults to a biz card - REALLY?   Most money orders I'm scanning are commercial check size - and yet more than half are interpreted (and stored) as a dinky 2X3 - that is an issue.

Scannable - snap the shot and import into my import folder - I don't need to name it - perhaps crop - but NOTHING ELSE - scannable is a TOOL to support EN, NOT A PRODUCT - and you people keep adding ***** to it that takes away from the core competency.  Its easy to use a competitor's and simply email the scan in - you used to be the BEST - simply and quick - now I have twelve thousand options (NONE I've ever wanted or used) and it makes you SLOW and looks like your are grasping for straws for more business, while you ignore why most people are here.

Snap a shot of a receipt or contract or whatever - convert to pdf and import to my import folder...  That worked - but today - its NO WHERE NEAR that simple.

Along the same lines - why on earth would you delete the import folder for Mac - (don't need an answer - it was idiotic, and simply made EN less useful - call it strike one).

At the rate you are going (ruining functional items I rely on), the end in nearing.

[agsteele 3,069]

@brettmansdorf I fear you are not reaching your target audience. These forums are primarily user-to-user. I can appreciate your frustration but none of us are able to do much more than suggest work around options. I can see the frustration of not being able to capture images/PDFs in form that you require.

Where I might disagree is your contention that the majority of users want an archival system. EN isn't designed for archiving but as a note taking product. 

[brettmansdorf 7]

I have active contracts from the early 2000's in there - and although they are linked/grouped with hand written notes, typed notes, and links - its an archival.

Perhaps you are correct - the masses of users just erase their files annually - I've 31K files - most are merged with approx 20 or so files (keeping things together).   I've a file size in excess of 250gb.  I put everything into Evernote - notes, links, screenshots, and an abundance of PDFs - most annotated.  I regularly search and pull up the notes/files - daily at least 20 times...   Thats was Evernote is to me - yes I have all my notes and annotations - but ultimately its about quickly finding what you are looking for and being able to link off to related items in you database.

Thats notes - all my notes for all my ventures - you call it archival, I call it an escape from paper.

As for taking notes - EN's Penultimate I used for years - but goodnotes and notability surpassed it 1/2 decade ago - but ultimately - my notes end up as PDFs in EN.  I do have a Fujitsu scanner as well - of course their support of that has been lacking as well.  However, 90% of my stuff come in electronic format (and the quality of the scans from a phone or iPad make the scanner sit dormant until you have a pile to work through).

I've no problem paying 100/mo if it works - but lately it seems EN is trying to compete with the likes of Monday and slack while (trying) to outpace ulysses and notion.  Each of those - like goodnotes - is a specific application that offers a SIMPLE solution with an EXCEPTIONAL user experience - not a list of workarounds.  EN just seems to be obsessed with being all things - and in the end they are failing at what I see as their core competency.  I was around when you threw it into EN - it was easily searched and easily linked.  The 2012 version runs circles around what we currently have - that which I see as their core competency.  You call it notes, I call it archival.  It was NEVER meant to be a workgroup sharing app - it was an ORGANIZATIONAL TOOL for an individual.

I digress, each request to support gets the same praise for my number, followed by suggested work-arounds.  I'm just tired of them forgetting what it is they are supposed to be.  I have ulysses, I have goodnotes, notability, apple notes, and notion.  Evernote will NEVER replace them - but that is just my opinion.  I'll likely shut up for three to five years, unless I find a simpler product that doesn't force me to use constant workarounds....

 

[PinkElephant 8,996]

A lot of words just to tell that EN is surpassing your personal use case with the direction they are taking.

Probably they are building a larger app than anybody of us users will put to use. But because use cases are not the same, they need more features than the individual user will honor. There will still be specialized programs (like handwriting or authoring apps) that do something specific better. And EN tries to get a hold into this groupware, work together business, because it probably creates a better cash flow when you have business customers, than just a bunch of individuals.

Personally I don't expect the direction EN is taking will change. They will continue to roll out new features, even trying to venture into new fields, like the addition of task management. You just need to find out whether you can define your own personal niche in all this, and skip what you don't like. If not I think it is likely you and EN will move down different paths sometime in the future.