Killed local note links (those that start with evernote://)

[mgsxx 16]

Another title: A Facepalm Story, or How to Make Your User to Want to Go Away. Again.

Not so long ago Evernote decided to do something useful for all of us. Well, it's not bad, isn't it?

From release notes: "Improved Notelink handling. When pasting a notelink outside of the Evernote client, it can be handled by your browser in case the recipient does not have Evernote installed."

Looks good. Local links (evernote://...) are indeed can be too technical for an average user. This is a widespread problem apparently. So they set out to deal with it.

And they dealt with it. With a grace of an elephant, broking everything in it's wake.
And I'm not talking about the new bugs. We are used to the bugs. You know what they did?
They changed the way "Copy Note Link" command works. It now copies to the clipboard https:// links instead of evernote:// ones.
Yes, they are opened in a browser. Yes, instead of the local client the note will be opened in the web client.

When I saw it there was only one question in my mind:

WHAT ABOUT ALL THE USERS WHO USED THE LOCAL LINKS?????

Local links are very useful. With them it's very convenient to use Evernote as the store of my data I want to store and use links to, well, link the stored data to a bunch of other apps I use daily. It's very convenient.

Correction: it was convenient. There is now no easy way to get a local link from Windows Evernote Client. Apparently, Evernote does not interested in the described usage scenario. Apparently, Evernote doesn't give a ***** about my needs. Well, it's old news.

What exactly kept Evernote developers from introducing a new commad like "Copy Local Note Link"? I don't know. "Nobody needs it" perhaps? Well, I'm that nobody then. Like I said, it's old news.

I tried to ask Evernote support about the new feature. I've got the answer: "send me your Action Log". Well, I'm Ukrainian, English is not my native language, maybe I was misunderstood. Maybe. But I don't think so. What I think is that they just not even interested in reading my message let alone in thinking about it. I doubt I will ever contact Evernote support again. I do not like to waste my time, your know. And anyway, judging from my previous experience, they are not really interested in any kind of feedback. So no more bug reports and fearture requests for you, Evernote.

If there were any good alternative to Evernote I would consider switching.
But there isn't. Simplenote is just too simple, Google Keep is, well, too Google.
So I'm staying. For now at least.

IMO Evernote is notoriously not interested in power user needs. This story is just a one of the similar issues illustrating the fact. We are alone and that's the fact.

So what does a programmer do when he (or she) is alone? He writes a program!

My dream is to write my own desktop client, just for myself. The Evernote cloud service is actualy good and useful. It's local clients that suck. But, well, it's no easy task and I have a family to feed so I have no time. Alas. But I can write a crutch in a matter of an hour or two. And here it is: EvernoteWTF.

If you, like me, suffer without local links and do not want to wait for a time when - if ever - Evernote will do something, than take a look at it.

What the program do? It lives in the tray and monitors the Windows clipboard. When a copied note url is detected it's changed from https:// form to evernote:// form. Alas, it does not work for linked notes. But hey, getting links to notes in linked notebooks is broken anyway. My client just syncs every time I click the "Copy Note Link" command for a note in a linked notebook and does not copy anything to the clipboard.

If you do want to get a https:// note link (they indeed can be useful from time to time) then disable EvernoteWTF from context menu of the tray icon or by double-clicking the icon.

 

Also the app will register itself in the Windows registry to auto start with Windows.

I hope it helps for a time being. Well, there is no telling when they just kill local links totally. Evernote developers, just do not register evernote: url protocol anymore, that will be enough. "Nobody" is using local links anyway.

[ScottLougheed 1,316]

Interesting application, I imagine some users will find that very helpful. 
 

I too can understand the frustration (though I am on a Mac where the older functionality for local link still exists). I paste local evernote:/// links into Wunderlist and to Calendar so that my wife or I can open open Evernote notes associated with the todo item or calendar event. The beauty is that this works on Mac and iOS (it launches the Evernote application on either device). The http:// link is definitely unnecessary and undesirable in these cases. 
 

There is a more detailed discussion about this particular change to the Windows client here:

http://discussion.evernote.com/topic/53834-evernote-for-windows-520-rc-a-much-better-sync/page-2#entry262886

[whitley 3]

I'm not entirely sure this solves the problem as I got a little lost in all the wordiness, but you might try this:

 

In the Evernote for Windows client, if you select your note(s) and then hold down Ctrl then go up to the menu bar and select Notes >> Copy Note Links then you will always get old behavior.

With the "old behavior" being the evernote:/// type of link

 

Quote pasted from here: http://discussion.evernote.com/topic/53834-evernote-for-windows-520-rc-a-much-better-sync/?p=264663

 

 

[ScottLougheed 1,316]

I'm not entirely sure this solves the problem as I got a little lost in all the wordiness, but you might try this:

 

In the Evernote for Windows client, if you select your note(s) and then hold down Ctrl then go up to the menu bar and select Notes >> Copy Note Links then you will always get old behavior.

With the "old behavior" being the evernote:/// type of link

 

Quote pasted from here: http://discussion.evernote.com/topic/53834-evernote-for-windows-520-rc-a-much-better-sync/?p=264663

Ah I was looking for that exact post to include in my response but couldn't! Thanks for sharing. 

[mgsxx 16]

I'm not entirely sure this solves the problem as I got a little lost in all the wordiness, but you might try this:

 

In the Evernote for Windows client, if you select your note(s) and then hold down Ctrl then go up to the menu bar and select Notes >> Copy Note Links then you will always get old behavior.

With the "old behavior" being the evernote:/// type of link

 

 

Thanks!