[Request] Why can't we have *separate* default notebooks per client?

[soundsgoodtome 155]

I use Evernote on 4 Macs and 2 iOS devices, and I tend to use each computer and device for very different purposes. But when the default-notebook setting is changed in one copy of Evernote, it gets changed on EVERY computer and device!

 

Why?!?

 

Why can't the default on my iPhone be my Household notebook, while the default on my personal Mac is my Personal notebook, and the default on a work Mac is a work-related notebook?

 

Due to this archaic limitation, I spend a lot of time moving dozens of notes into the "correct" notebook. I realize I could change the default before capturing notes, but when I do that, I forget to change it back — or I'm then in the position of having to check the current status every, single time I use Evernote.

 

Please, please, please make this a client-specific setting. Please!  :-)

 

Disclaimer: I realize that with software, there's always someone, somewhere, who prefers the existing behavior. So, to protect those users, this would ideally be a setting we could enable/disable in the preferences.

 

Thanks.

[gazumped 11,664]

Suggestion noted...

[ScottLougheed 1,316]

Good suggestion. 

One challenge would be figuring out what to do with content sent to Evernote from "around the back".... by that I mean stuff from the web-clipper, email, or any third-parties. The default notebook is used to determine where notes created this way should end up when no other location is specified. If you have 4 devices with 4 different default notebooks, which one gets the web clipper content? which one gets the article sent from Feedly (or Reeder, or Zite, or Flipboard....), which one gets the email you just forwarded without an @notebook directive?

 

The easy answer is, I suppose, to add yet another default notebook setting for these "server side" actions....

 

But, at this point I'll have given up setting default notebooks everywhere and just choose a single notebook to sort through later

 

Just being the devil's advocate. 

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

As Scott said, the default notebook is used for not just the client you're currently working in, but also any notes emailed into the account. Adding a default notebook by client could really confuse the issue and would need to be something added to all clients. (As opposed to something that would only need to be added to one client). And what to do if someone starts to use a different client without setting up the default notebook for that client? So I guess that's why it's called the "default" notebook.

[ScottLougheed 1,316]

I think one better solution would be to make notebook and tag assignment easier, especially on the mobile applications. This would make it less of a chore to move notes around or choose a location for notes immediately upon creating them. 

[soundsgoodtome 155]

Adding a default notebook by client could really confuse the issue and would need to be something added to all clients. (As opposed to something that would only need to be added to one client). And what to do if someone starts to use a different client without setting up the default notebook for that client? So I guess that's why it's called the "default" notebook.

 

Confuse the issue? With all due respect, what you've said is the equivalent of saying, "Solving the problem would confuse the issue."

 

No. Adding a default notebook by client would solve the problem. No one who cares about this problem would be confused by its solution.

 

 

Then, you write:

 

"And what to do if someone starts to use a different client without setting up the default notebook for that client?"

 

You've unwittingly answered your own question. The answer is: "When a new client is set up, make sure the user is asked what the default notebook for that client should be."

 

Simple.

[gazumped 11,664]

So;  since no one else has chimed in on this one yet - does anyone else "care about this problem"?  Is it worth spending R&D time to develop the option,  extending the set-up time (slightly) for a new installation,  and including a(nother) menu option for changes?

[Meaven 4]

It sound like a great feature that I would love to use on my devices. It does not necessarily need to complicate the set-up.

 

I think it should be implemented as an additional option that can be enabled on every device. It could look something like this:
 

Default notebook:
- use the account default notebook

- use another default notebook on this device

 

You could even make it a premium feature. That way the beginning users won't be overwhelmed by additional options but more demanding users will be able to use it when needed.

[soundsgoodtome 155]

It sound like a great feature that I would love to use on my devices. It does not necessarily need to complicate the set-up.

 

I think it should be implemented as an additional option that can be enabled on every device. It could look something like this:

 

Default notebook:

- use the account default notebook

- use another default notebook on this device

 

You could even make it a premium feature. That way the beginning users won't be overwhelmed by additional options but more demanding users will be able to use it when needed.

 

What Meaven said!

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

No one who cares about this problem would be confused by its solution.

And since apparently not many people seem to care about this issue,...

"You've unwittingly answered your own question."

It's always really easy to see *your* side of any issue when you aren't dealing with troubleshooting the problems other users are having with it. And absolutely, I'm sure this would generate a lot of confusion for many users. It's doubtful this would ever be added.

[reeveton 0]

Sorry for the slight thread necro and all, but I can't help but point out this feature was implemented in the Chrome web-clipper as discussed in this thread here more than three years before the OP above.

 

Also, I just started using evernote on android (mostly for dictating quick notes via Google's note to self command) and would find the same feature for that client very useful...

 

I acknowledge though that this feature has been desired for a long time and looks possibly unlikely as mentioned here, for example. Nonetheless I dare say there are many who would be grateful of it.

 

Thanks

reeveton

[lykoz 147]

Sorry for the slight thread necro and all, but I can't help but point out this feature was implemented in the Chrome web-clipper as discussed in this thread here more than three years before the OP above.

 

Also, I just started using evernote on android (mostly for dictating quick notes via Google's note to self command) and would find the same feature for that client very useful...

 

I acknowledge though that this feature has been desired for a long time and looks possibly unlikely as mentioned here, for example. Nonetheless I dare say there are many who would be grateful of it.

 

Thanks

reeveton

 

Thats a different situation... The clipper lets you chose what notebook to save in,...

It often saves to your last saved notebook...

[lykoz 147]

To Soundsgoodtome...

 

I am sorry but most people prefer consistency.. I dont see this as a feature that would improve the usability...

 

The human brain likes to continue where they left off... Not think about which PC they are on to see where their note will go... Just because you are at home... Does not mean you might not engage in work activity...

It is not practical... What happens if you are working on a foreign PC...

 

A lot of experienced users could may be able to handle this feature as an option.. (Most wouldnt use it, but it could be handled)

 

But new and novice users would completely get thrown off by it...

Basically each time you install Evernote on a new PC... It would ask for a default notebook...  Some people would name various notebooks for each device... This would compound the confusion of people not knowing where everything is... 

 

If it was a setting post-installation some people might activate accidentally and be lost... It would flood the forums with confused people just on this feature not knowing where their notes are...

 

Best practises dictate saving in your default notebook and then sorting it out to the relevant place... Or entering the notebook you want a note in, and just creating the note there.. Many times this can be done before it can even be saved. Like using clipper.. It often saves to your last clipped to notebook, that can be changed very easily from the clip webpage...

 

 

Thankfully your problem has a solution...

 

Evernote Allows you to have multiple accounts. I would take advantage of that... You can install different accounts with shared notebooks on each of your PC's. Everything you post in those accounts can be shared Notebooks between acounts...

 

I would support you if you were requesting premium give us ability to own more than one account (both of them being premium) i.e. not paying for two or three acounts... but paying a little bit more to get that privaledge... Maybe they could increase the price slightly for that feature to be operational... (something like a family pack subscription, and you could set it up that you personally have more than one premium account per user)

 

I.e. you have one account for work... Another for personal... You could make all your notebooks shared if you wanted to have access to all notes without switching accounts.

 

If you are using the free version, you could implement this suggestion right now without losing any features on certain PC's...

[soundsgoodtome 155]

To Soundsgoodtome...

 

I am sorry but most people prefer consistency.. I dont see this as a feature that would improve the usability...

 

The human brain likes to continue where they left off... Not think about which PC they are on to see where their note will go... Just because you are at home... Does not mean you might not engage in work activity...

It is not practical... What happens if you are working on a foreign PC...

 

A lot of experienced users could may be able to handle this feature as an option.. (Most wouldnt use it, but it could be handled)

 

But new and novice users would completely get thrown off by it...

Basically each time you install Evernote on a new PC... It would ask for a default notebook...  Some people would name various notebooks for each device... This would compound the confusion of people not knowing where everything is... 

 

If it was a setting post-installation some people might activate accidentally and be lost... It would flood the forums with confused people just on this feature not knowing where their notes are...

 

Best practises dictate saving in your default notebook and then sorting it out to the relevant place... Or entering the notebook you want a note in, and just creating the note there.. Many times this can be done before it can even be saved. Like using clipper.. It often saves to your last clipped to notebook, that can be changed very easily from the clip webpage...

 

 

Thankfully your problem has a solution...

 

Evernote Allows you to have multiple accounts. I would take advantage of that... You can install different accounts with shared notebooks on each of your PC's. Everything you post in those accounts can be shared Notebooks between acounts...

 

I would support you if you were requesting premium give us ability to own more than one account (both of them being premium) i.e. not paying for two or three acounts... but paying a little bit more to get that privaledge... Maybe they could increase the price slightly for that feature to be operational... (something like a family pack subscription, and you could set it up that you personally have more than one premium account per user)

 

I.e. you have one account for work... Another for personal... You could make all your notebooks shared if you wanted to have access to all notes without switching accounts.

 

If you are using the free version, you could implement this suggestion right now without losing any features on certain PC's...

 

So, because you don't need it, you believe no one else should. Because clearly all humans' needs are identical — to yours.

 

From my original post: "to protect those [who prefer the existing behavior], this would ideally be a setting we could enable/disable in the preferences."

 

You might consider adding the word "preferences" to your vocabulary. (Hint: It means the feature would be optional.)

[lykoz 147]

 

To Soundsgoodtome...

 

I am sorry but most people prefer consistency.. I dont see this as a feature that would improve the usability...

 

The human brain likes to continue where they left off... Not think about which PC they are on to see where their note will go... Just because you are at home... Does not mean you might not engage in work activity...

It is not practical... What happens if you are working on a foreign PC...

 

A lot of experienced users could may be able to handle this feature as an option.. (Most wouldnt use it, but it could be handled)

 

But new and novice users would completely get thrown off by it...

Basically each time you install Evernote on a new PC... It would ask for a default notebook...  Some people would name various notebooks for each device... This would compound the confusion of people not knowing where everything is... 

 

If it was a setting post-installation some people might activate accidentally and be lost... It would flood the forums with confused people just on this feature not knowing where their notes are...

 

Best practises dictate saving in your default notebook and then sorting it out to the relevant place... Or entering the notebook you want a note in, and just creating the note there.. Many times this can be done before it can even be saved. Like using clipper.. It often saves to your last clipped to notebook, that can be changed very easily from the clip webpage...

 

 

Thankfully your problem has a solution...

 

Evernote Allows you to have multiple accounts. I would take advantage of that... You can install different accounts with shared notebooks on each of your PC's. Everything you post in those accounts can be shared Notebooks between acounts...

 

I would support you if you were requesting premium give us ability to own more than one account (both of them being premium) i.e. not paying for two or three acounts... but paying a little bit more to get that privaledge... Maybe they could increase the price slightly for that feature to be operational... (something like a family pack subscription, and you could set it up that you personally have more than one premium account per user)

 

I.e. you have one account for work... Another for personal... You could make all your notebooks shared if you wanted to have access to all notes without switching accounts.

 

If you are using the free version, you could implement this suggestion right now without losing any features on certain PC's...

 

So, because you don't need it, you believe no one else should. Because clearly all humans' needs are identical — to yours.

 

From my original post: "to protect those [who prefer the existing behavior], this would ideally be a setting we could enable/disable in the preferences."

 

You might consider adding the word "preferences" to your vocabulary. (Hint: It means the feature would be optional.)

 

 

I think I clearly explained why I did not think its a good generic idea... Especially for new users.. And how it may complicate things... Even if it is an optional setting.

I think it devalues Evernote as tool altogether... We want more people using it, and sticking with it, not less... (Makes our lives easier, when everyone is on board)

 

I can understand your agitation... It is something you really want...

But I have every right to state the way I feel about it.

We don't have to agree...

 

There will be people who think its a good idea... And people who  think its a bad idea... Optional or not...

Evernote will essentially make a final decision. I can assure you, the more comments in this thread, the more likely they will read your suggestion and weigh it up. I personally don't feel they will go for it. But if they do I wont be complaining. You are right it does not take much away from me personally... Except for less experienced users getting frustrated and not sticking with the program, which does actually effect me in some way...

 

I dont see it as a feature that will draw more people to the program or make it easier or more efficient to use.

I think its a bad move for the company as a whole...

Also gazumped also asked how many people really want this... And if its worth spending valuable R&D time to get this done, over other many requested features... Ultimately they cant do everything everyone desires... Or the program would bloat up and become very difficult to use.

 

Again this is my personal opinion.

 

You don't have to agree with my opinion.

I respect your opinion.

 

Have a nice day.

[mathiepe 44]

I too would like to see more 'default notebook' options. Not necessarily the way Soundsgoodtome wants it, but why not? I think it is not an unreasonable question to get as an extra option, especially as I can image people using Evernote in different ways on either smartphone/tablet/pc.

 

More iOS specific, I would like to be able to set a different default notebook for each QuickNote action. For example: when I click on the 'photo QuickNote' I would like to get that note into a specific notebook called 'Photographs', 'checkbox QuickNotes' into 'Reminders'.

 

It doesn't hurt suggesting. If Evernote doesn't want to implement this: fine, no problem. Otherwise I don't think it's a bad idea to give people different options, especially when it can save users time. Those who don't want to use it have one default notebook, as is the case now, and may never even notice. There already is a 'Notebooks' section in the options of the iPhone app: that would be the perfect place to customise default notebooks.

[soundsgoodtome 155]

 

 

To Soundsgoodtome...

 

I am sorry but most people prefer consistency.. I dont see this as a feature that would improve the usability...

 

The human brain likes to continue where they left off... Not think about which PC they are on to see where their note will go... Just because you are at home... Does not mean you might not engage in work activity...

It is not practical... What happens if you are working on a foreign PC...

 

A lot of experienced users could may be able to handle this feature as an option.. (Most wouldnt use it, but it could be handled)

 

But new and novice users would completely get thrown off by it...

Basically each time you install Evernote on a new PC... It would ask for a default notebook...  Some people would name various notebooks for each device... This would compound the confusion of people not knowing where everything is... 

 

If it was a setting post-installation some people might activate accidentally and be lost... It would flood the forums with confused people just on this feature not knowing where their notes are...

 

Best practises dictate saving in your default notebook and then sorting it out to the relevant place... Or entering the notebook you want a note in, and just creating the note there.. Many times this can be done before it can even be saved. Like using clipper.. It often saves to your last clipped to notebook, that can be changed very easily from the clip webpage...

 

 

Thankfully your problem has a solution...

 

Evernote Allows you to have multiple accounts. I would take advantage of that... You can install different accounts with shared notebooks on each of your PC's. Everything you post in those accounts can be shared Notebooks between acounts...

 

I would support you if you were requesting premium give us ability to own more than one account (both of them being premium) i.e. not paying for two or three acounts... but paying a little bit more to get that privaledge... Maybe they could increase the price slightly for that feature to be operational... (something like a family pack subscription, and you could set it up that you personally have more than one premium account per user)

 

I.e. you have one account for work... Another for personal... You could make all your notebooks shared if you wanted to have access to all notes without switching accounts.

 

If you are using the free version, you could implement this suggestion right now without losing any features on certain PC's...

 

So, because you don't need it, you believe no one else should. Because clearly all humans' needs are identical — to yours.

 

From my original post: "to protect those [who prefer the existing behavior], this would ideally be a setting we could enable/disable in the preferences."

 

You might consider adding the word "preferences" to your vocabulary. (Hint: It means the feature would be optional.)

 

 

I think I clearly explained why I did not think its a good generic idea... Especially for new users.. And how it may complicate things... Even if it is an optional setting.

I think it devalues Evernote as tool altogether... We want more people using it, and sticking with it, not less... (Makes our lives easier, when everyone is on board)

 

I can understand your agitation... It is something you really want...

But I have every right to state the way I feel about it.

We don't have to agree...

 

There will be people who think its a good idea... And people who  think its a bad idea... Optional or not...

Evernote will essentially make a final decision. I can assure you, the more comments in this thread, the more likely they will read your suggestion and weigh it up. I personally don't feel they will go for it. But if they do I wont be complaining. You are right it does not take much away from me...

I dont see it as a feature that will draw more people to the program or make it easier or more efficient to use.

I think its a bad move for the company as a whole...

 

Again this is my personal opinion.

 

You don't have to agree with my opinion.

I respect your opinion.

 

Have a nice day.

 

 

But if someone requests a feature — and very clearly states that it should be a preference, so that users who don't need that feature never even have to THINK about it — why bother even commenting?

 

Features are added to Evernote all the time. Some I find useful, and others I don't. But I would never dream of lobbying to prevent a new feature that someone else finds useful — as long as the addition didn't affect me.

 

This feature, if implemented as requested, would NOT affect you in even the slightest way. So, what, then, is accomplished by lobbying against it?

 

Absolutely nothing.

 

Since it wouldn't affect the way you interact with Evernote, your dissent is neither constructive, informative, nor relevant. It's only selfish and mean-spirited.

 

Best of luck.

[lykoz 147]

 

 

But if someone requests a feature — and very clearly states that it should be a preference, so that users who don't need that feature never even have to THINK about it — why bother even commenting?

 

Features are added to Evernote all the time. Some I find useful, and others I don't. But I would never dream of lobbying to prevent a new feature that someone else finds useful — as long as the addition didn't affect me.

 

This feature, if implemented as requested, would NOT affect you in even the slightest way. So, what, then, is accomplished by lobbying against it?

 

Absolutely nothing.

 

Since it wouldn't affect the way you interact with Evernote, your dissent is neither constructive, informative, nor relevant. It's only selfish and mean-spirited.

 

Best of luck.

 

 

I disagree.. You brought a motion forward for the community to discuss...

 

This is a forum. And forums have different people with different opinions.

If you want only a pro-action/support... Put together a petition and get people to sign it...

 

Again... Respectfully. I am just a user with an opinion. If your argument is good enough to convince me otherwise, I might change my personal opinion..

 

You will often find that the best recommendations, often garner a lot of support.

 

Evernote is a very powerful tool that spreads very far and wide... However they are trying to keep it simultaneously as minimalistic and simple as possible...

 

This is a fine balance.

 

We have lots of suggestions on these forums all the time... We discuss these suggestions... They dont have the time to implement everything, every single user wants... Also Implementing everything would make the user Experience terrible...

They decide on a route to take..

They engage in the forums, and they read the arguments you put forward... Then they think how it will fit into the current user base and potential user base as a whole...

 

Good luck on your request.

[reeveton 0]

@mathiepe: I agree.

 

@lykoz: I wasn't expecting this to be such an emotive issue, but I really don't see the problem in adding one little option in the preferences to choose between using your account's default notebook and using a separate default notebook for the client in question. In the meantime, thanks for your helpful suggestion of using separate accounts with shared notebooks which I think I'll try. I have some apprehension of a proliferation of accounts that might be a little awkward to manage, but that may be ill-founded and I'll see how it goes.

 

@soundsgoodtome: Indeed this needn't be something that is presented to users on installation, although I don't see a major problem with that since it could just ask the user if they're happy using the account's default notebook or not. Nonetheless the best implementation may be to simply add it as an option in the client preferences. I don't see why anyone would object to that really.

 

Thanks

reeveton

[Metrodon 2,184]

Having been round here for quite a while it seems pretty clear to me that Evernote would really rather limit the number of user choices/preferences and instead deliver a very generalised tool that people can apply to many different use cases. I'd guess that the kind of configuration suggested here would be extremely unlikely to be implemented.

[lykoz 147]

 

 

@lykoz: I wasn't expecting this to be such an emotive issue, but I really don't see the problem in adding one little option in the preferences to choose between using your account's default notebook and using a separate default notebook for the client in question. In the meantime, thanks for your helpful suggestion of using separate accounts with shared notebooks which I think I'll try. I have some apprehension of a proliferation of accounts that might be a little awkward to manage, but that may be ill-founded and I'll see how it goes.

 

Thanks

reeveton

 

Hi reeveton.

 

Welcome to the forum. I love new posters. (I am relatively new on the forum's as a poster myself). I love a fresh insight into new ideas. Sometimes the old guys cycling through the same views, gets tiering. The older experienced user's add a lot of valuable input, but sometimes are resistant to any change at all. 

 

Sometimes a forum can be slightly overtaken by "groupthink".. Where they chase away new members and hold a closed guard... I really like people being able to exchange ideas and opinions, without making the debate heated in any way.

 

Dont think I was so emotive (arousing intense feeling) on my side. Just my personal opinion.

It was shared and said. 

For those of you who think otherwise. Please by all means continue bringing your views forward.

Everyone finds value in hearing what you have to say. Upon further discussion, you never know. I may change my opinion. As may you, upon hearing both arguments. I think I have already said everything I believe on my side. 

 

If you picked up anything valuable from my post, I am also happy. Hope to see you stay and engage on these forums, so we can exchange opinions, ideas etc.

 

Regards

[GenieBox 1]

On 7/12/2014 at 1:14 AM, gazumped said:

So;  since no one else has chimed in on this one yet - does anyone else "care about this problem"?  Is it worth spending R&D time to develop the option,  extending the set-up time (slightly) for a new installation,  and including a(nother) menu option for changes?

I realise I'm about 15 months late, but I have the same problem as the OP and stumbled upon this thread while searching for an answer. I use Evernote on 2 phones (personal, work), 3 laptops (personal + 2 work) and 2 tablets (both personal). I'd really prefer work devices to use one default notebook, personal devices to another, and the tablets to a household notebook.

The suggestion of using multiple accounts (even if they were free) seems excessive. That makes it significantly more complicated to achieve a per-device default notebook. Now I'd need to manage multiple passwords, login emails, etc, and which account is the one which actually gets billed, etc. Evernote is meant to simplify my life!

Finding notes is never a problem, as there's the "All notes" view (which can show you everything created recently at a glance), and the search is pretty stellar.

But getting notes into the right notebook in the first place is an extra conscious step which Evernote could solve so easily for me if only it had a per-device default notebook. The reason I use and love Evernote is that it takes the tedious labor of managing documents. Having to manually file each note is plain tedious.

On 7/17/2014 at 6:11 PM, Meaven said:

I think it should be implemented as an additional option that can be enabled on every device. It could look something like this:

Default notebook:
- use the account default notebook
- use another default notebook on this device

Yes! This implementation would suit me perfectly.

Don't explicitly prompt users to nominate a default notebook per-device. It's obviously a power-user feature. Just provide a preference for it in the menu.

Even better would be something like the proposed action rules stuff [https://discussion.evernote.com/topic/22086-rules-engine/] where you can specify a set of rules to define which notebook a note will go into, and then you could base it on all sorts of things including the device you're on. I imagine that's way too advanced to ever fly in Evernote though.