Please pre-warn us about updates and *tell us what's in them*

[gazumped 11,667]

I started my system today and got an immediate notice that I had been updated to 10.56.8.  I'd had no pop-up requests to ask whether I wanted to update,  and beyond being aware that the process was likely to happen soon,  and had happed to others - in this specific case not always as a positive experience - I wasn't expecting it for me.  And then I opened Evernote and...

Informative,  professional and helpful?  A big fat zero out of three for all of that.  So I've put in a ticket #3681563 which (so far) says:

Wowee, baby! This is what I call the ultimate in hip! I mean, it's got more style than a Vogon poetry slam and more energy than a Krikketian battle fleet! I am totally, utterly, and completely stoked about this. But while I'm hip to the H2G2 factoid that the coolest froods in the galaxy hang out with their Evernote towels, I'm super-curious and I need you to help me out a little more. I'm looking to get some details that will ease the ache in all the diodes down my left side.

What, exactly, were the bugs that got fixed, and the performances that got enhanced in this (apparently) minds-blowingly coool update?

PS - while I appreciate it saves a lot of boring technical work not to update the trendy update announcement, it just seems unprofessional and lazy not to actually give details, even by way of a separate link if you don't want to bother most users with actual facts...

I'll let you know of any response! - but meantime: how many people would like a definite choice whether or not to accept an update,  which also included something more specific about what it was proposing to do to your system?

Voting, as always, in the top left of this page.

(And yes,  I'm grumpy today - but this sort of vague mindlessness freezes my proverbial buns )

[Paul A. 624]

I agree about providing more informative release notes. Unfortunately, they let go the gent who was writing them (among many other duties I'm sure), and it doesn't appear to have been re-assigned to anyone else. You may have only just noticed it, but these have actually been the release notes for several weeks now. I do hope they go back to providing more informative release notes.

As for auto-updating you without notifying you, is it possible that before you last quit the app, you missed a little text box that appears on the sidebar when an update is ready to install the next time the app is started? As you know, there were frequent complaints in these forums about being interrupted by an Evernote pop-up asking a user to update, and this change has been long-signaled (via blog posts and such) as being something in the works.

As for the practice of auto-updating in general, it's standard practice on mobile devices (unless you explicitly opt-out) and it's becoming pretty standard for desktop apps to also auto-update upon being quit / restarted. Note that this change now makes Evernote (directly downloaded from Evernote.com) consistent with how Evernote has always updated when installed from the Mac or Windows app stores.

Finally, this appears to be a trend amongst software companies both big and small. Off the top of my head, Chrome, Firefox, Signal, Visual Studio Code, 1Password, Google Drive, and more behave the same way. And now, Evernote too.

[PinkElephant 8,117]

Just a question: From where originate these release notes ?

We have revised our systems - and fixed a few errors right away.

We fixed bugs, improved performance and explored the infinite expanses of the universe.

We fixed bugs, improved performance and drank far too much coffee.

We fixed bugs, improved performance and then took the afternoon off.

Bug fixes, stability improvements, repairs to the space-time continuum.

If you find the answer, you may say they are only learning from the best …

But seriously: If a company releases anything on to their surprised users, I expect that at least they are able and willing to tell what’s inside of Pandora’s box.

[gazumped 11,667]

1 hour ago, Paul A. said:

is it possible that before you last quit the app, you missed a little text box

It is possible,  but I do pride myself on being an IT professional alert enough to spot any sneaky messages that say "we're changing things..." and - AFAIK - there was no such warning.