(Archived) Failure to detect conflict between web and Mac apps

[JDG Lab 0]

I recently lost a large update to a note, and have reproduced the problem. I started editing a note in one place via the web, and then continued editing that note in a different place, via the mac app (where I also force a sync as a matter of habit). Upon going back to the web version in the first location several days later, and continuing to edit, I suddenly realized that a log of the info that I added on my Mac was missing. I thought this wouldn't be a problem -- that the two versions of the note would get flagged as a conflict to be resolved, and I couldn't straighten it out later. I've run into this once before, when attempting to edit the same note on my computer and my phone; I resolved the conflict, and carried on.

However ... as best as I can tell, when using the web, the "edit" (pencil icon) and "done" button toggles the local mode with the synced cloud mode. This is sort of like having a temporary local app to edit a note. No conflict was created, however; when one of those "apps" is the web version, that version apparently trumpts all other versions of a note, and no conflict is created.

Obviously the work-around is to remember to hit "Done" everytime one walks away from the Web version of the app, but this isn't very fool-proof (e.g. me). Is there any chance Evernote could save me from myself on this one?

[gazumped 11,713]

Hi - welcome to the Forums; sorry that you had a problem here, because I don't think there's an immediate solution. I know from a recent personal situation that Evernote can't restore anything that hasn't hit their servers, and from the sound of it any changes you made to this note were lost from the web client end before they got sent out. Having said that, there does seem a bit of a logic gap if there are unsaved changes in a buffer somewhere and you navigate away from the page without warning. You'd expect to get a "you have unsaved changes - abandon / save before close" warning at least. If Evernote agree there's a step missing and decide to upgrade the web client in this way, you'll be warned at some stage, but meantime you're on your own!

(I'm sure you've already considered that a workaround might be to use another mobile client for your note taking that you can sync later...)

[GrumpyMonkey 4,320]

I haven't got much to add here, because I don't use the web app very much, but I would say that syncing is really good as long as you get the stuff onto Evernote's servers (as said above). I have overwritten my changes in the past (sometimes very much my fault) and it is kind of a hazard you cannot avoid in our current cloudy world. This isn't just a Web client problem. I am sure there is room for improvement here, but in the meantime, I recommend re-visiting how you do things. I have changed some of my habits, and create new notes whenever I think there might be any possibility of conflict. It is far easier to copy/paste or merge than to re-create content.

[JDG Lab 0]

Thanks for that. Now that I'm aware of the problem, hopefully I won't let it happen again. I guess I was under the unconsidered illusion that I was editing the cloud directly with the web app -- pretty dumb now that I think about it, but such is the nature of the cloud, that I've been lulled into this lovely sense that everything is just easier now, and one doesn't have to worry about the minuteia anymore minutiae anymore. Regarding using a different mobile client, unfortunately the place where I was using the web was a linux box, and the information being entered was too cumbersome to try to manage with my phone. I know I'm not the only one hoping for a linux client, so maybe the problem will solve itself before long.

Cheers!