(Archived) HELP: Help me organise my shared notebook?

[spg SCOTT 736]

Hi all

As some are probably aware, I maintain a shared notebook containing some notes that explain some features of EN and offer some solutions to issues that my not be available in the KB etc.

This was something that came about after me realising that there were some unexplained things within EN that needed some "Documentation". I would like to continue with the notebook, and expand the content, so that it is truly useful to those finding it.

Right now, it is a little cluttered, and I think that I could try laying it out a bit better.

Currently it is listed in order of creation, with the oldest notes at the top, and a contents note contains note links to the rest of the notes.

Some issues that I see:

- Tags - Since they are not visible when viewing by the web, they aren't as useful as they used to be.

- There are only so many ways that I can order the notes, so finding the best way to order them may be an issue.

- The "Contents" note is just a long list of note links - How to improve on that?

- I am thinking about trying to include more categorisation in my contents/etc note and wonder how to do this.

- How to organise it so that it is useful from any way that it is easily viewed in all EN platforms.

- I understand that viewing the notebook on iOS may be problematic - though this is not something that I can solve.

-- Web issues - Not possible to navigate/scroll through notes.

-- iOS Clients - As I understand it, note links do not currently work.

Some ideas that I had

- Tags - Keep them anyway, for me and those that do link the notebook to their accounts.

- Ordering the notes, could be done with newest at the top, and forcing an arbitrary date to the contents note.

- Another order could be forced by choosing suitable titles (including numbers etc)

- Categorisation - Possibly multiple contents notes, containing the different categories could be included (along with all of the note links in the main contents note.

- Possibly include a method for suggestions on topics to include in the notebook.

- Possibly include some more platforms that I use (currently windows/web) - Maybe also those that I don't, though would need help including them.

This is also, I guess, a way of me trying to gauge how useful the notebook is, and what people would like to see from it.

The notebook: https://www.evernote.com/pub/spgscott/evernote-help

So, good, bad or indifferent. Let me have it

Thanks,

Scott

[jbenson2 2,147]

Super cool information, especially the navigation tips.

Also, I really appreciate your use of graphics to explain comments. It makes the explanation much more powerful.

[gazumped 11,663]

Very good information, though I'd suggest a new note (or notes) to group information in different ways. For instance your tips so far seem to fall under a dozen 'features' of Evernote use, namely:

1. Backup
   
2. Command Line parameters
   
3. Email
   
4. Icons
   
5. Image manipulation
   
6. Introductory video
   
7. Links & Shortcuts
   
8. PDF
   
9. Sorting
   
10. Tags
    
11. Views
    
12. Web Clipping
    

- and your existing "how do I" style of heading could be listed under each header as a link. Example: "Are there any extra commandline parameters for Evernote.exe?" would (Duh) go under "Command Line parameters"

This means your new note is a high-level list view of links by their core topic, and someone looking for a comment on Tags (forinstance) can jump directly to the link(s) that deal with comments containing tags. And you easily know where to fit future new notes into the current naming style.

Its a little clunky, and a bit like tagging the note directly, but for those who can't deal with tags this layout should make it easier to sore thumb through a long list and concentrate on the relatively few instances that really interest you.

[spg SCOTT 736]

jbenson2,

Thanks for the kind words

The navigation tips (From the Tips and Tricks note, correct?) are something that I noticed quite early on, but am not too sure that many people were aware of. There are all of the documented shortcuts that have a proper function, but none really explaining that you can get from search box, to your note, then to the title, content, etc...

I have always felt that images are the most useful in this situation, since they can show something very easily that may take many words to describe, sometimes not even that clearly.

gazumped,

Thanks for the suggestions. I agree with you there, the big flat list is problematic, even for me...

That is one idea I was thinking of, to force a categorisation, just in my organisation of the different topics. My question is, do I keep it all in one note, or separate them?

I am leaning slightly towards keeping them in the same note, since I would prefer (based on my own experience) that people didn't have to jump around all over the place for one note.

I guess with the categorisation, I could also include some "Related" items, as well at the end of them.

[gazumped 11,663]

I'd suggest separate notes unless EN come out with an anchor link to jump to different positions in one note. My thought was that you could have category headings and links in an 'index' note like this -

category one

<link to related subject one>

<link to related subject two>

-which doesn't prevent you from having the same link in two categories if there's any doubt as to which is best.

You could add all of this as extras to your current format, so no-one who uses the current content (including you) is discommoded by any changes, and if you build it in a seperate notebook you can do most of the work invisibly until it's ready for launch.

Once complete, someone looking for more information on 'tags' (forinstance) can have a quick look under that category to check for useful tips and jump to the relevant note(s) if they're interested. If any subject note refers to information that's already in another note, the comment can also be a link to that note. So you only ever have to explain things once.

You'll notice that I'm not volunteering to do any of the work, just suggesting where you could dig the holes - so the adoption (or otherwise) of any of the above is entirely your option!

[spg SCOTT 736]

I'd suggest separate notes unless EN come out with an anchor link to jump to different positions in one note. My thought was that you could have category headings and links in an 'index' note like this -

category one

<link to related subject one>

<link to related subject two>

-which doesn't prevent you from having the same link in two categories if there's any doubt as to which is best.

So you would have the <link to related subject one> populated with the note links to the actual content?

I like that idea of being able to separate completely from the other notes and only show relevant notes.

You could add all of this as extras to your current format, so no-one who uses the current content (including you) is discommoded by any changes, and if you build it in a seperate notebook you can do most of the work invisibly until it's ready for launch.

As always, gotta love the move option

Once complete, someone looking for more information on 'tags' (forinstance) can have a quick look under that category to check for useful tips and jump to the relevant note(s) if they're interested. If any subject note refers to information that's already in another note, the comment can also be a link to that note. So you only ever have to explain things once.

Yeah, that I need to work on. I have made a couple of notes on similar subjects that could benefit from a reference to a general method (I'm thinking the Registry ones, though I am working on something about those now)

You'll notice that I'm not volunteering to do any of the work, just suggesting where you could dig the holes - so the adoption (or otherwise) of any of the above is entirely your option!

I wouldn't expect you to Just need some ideas on what is the best method that will work.

[spg SCOTT 736]

gazumped, I have been having a go with the categories, using your initial response as a starting point.

Just that, to me improves the list and makes it much easier to find what you are looking for. Simple headers and then bulleted Note links.

I am thinking that, for now at least, one note containing all of the categories is sufficient. Since there aren't a huge amount of notes for each category, separating them all would be pointless at this point.

I think, in the future it will be somewhat necessary, as the volume of notes increase. I could however use the headings when the time comes as notes themselves.

Here is an example:

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s26/sh/90626b66-67b2-458e-822e-ae536b623414/365b75b2b85939b76493035f09003509

It wont show the links, being a shared note, but it gives the idea. I have also included some other notes that I have just thought of creating, which were a result of the categorising. It should give an idea of what it should look like with multiple entries.

Your thoughts?

[gazumped 11,663]

Exactly right, I think.. and yes, I meant to suggest one note for a set of categories, with links to separate notes for each item described. That means you can add extra categories easily. Like there's no current category for "Favorites Bar" although there's already one tip under "icons". You could add the extra category with the same link so that your viewers can find the item through either route. It tends to be more difficult to get the terminology right for sizeable look-ups designed for others to use - you might know you have a fix about icons on the favorites bar, but in a larger database would that be filed under 'icons' or 'favorites'? And if you're being international about this, we Brits tend to say 'favourites'!

All of this is academic for a small database that you can scan down in two minutes, but as this gets larger and even you lose sight of exactly what tips you've got stored here, things will get more interesting.

[spg SCOTT 736]

Did I really write favorites? Haha...that'll be the registry entry...

I'm a brit too

Adding a Favourites bar category would be a good idea, since I have more comments on that.

Multiple entries is also something that I will make sure that I will include, since pretty much every topic doesn't have just one category

Well, that is the challenge, to maintain it and keep it useful as it gets even bigger, lets hope I am up to the challenge