List functionality such as bullets and numbers are a categorical nightmare...!

[Slingshot_Fuel 4]

This is my second post (please see the following link for my first: https://discussion.evernote.com/topic/31179-long-time-user-1st-time-poster-evernote-bullet-lists-needs-to-be-fixed-now/page-3#entry277039) respecting the same issue:  Bullets and list functionality.  Actually, for the sake of accuracy, I should rephrase the previous statement to "sheer lack of functionality of bullets and lists".  

 

I was an avid user of Evernote.  I absolutely loved it.  The syncing feature and ease-of-use are second to none.  Sadly, I no longer use Evernote for my daily note-taking due to a single and ongoing systemic flaw in the software:  Lists!  I must reiterate the absurdity of a software provider, such as Evernote, priding itself on being an unparalleled tool for organization and taking notes, having ZERO functionality in the outlining category.  I need not bore any potential readers and forum members with the specifics; they are easily found and discussed ad nauseam on other topics and websites. However, I will quickly summarize the problem:

 

When taking notes on my Macbook Pro using the desktop software (version 5.6 Beta 9), I am utterly disappointed when attempting the expectedly simple function of copying and pasting an outline (whether bulleted and/or numbered) from Evernote into Microsoft Word, and vice versa.  

 

I was intending to utilize Evernote as a note taking tool during law school.  As a side note to any possible Evernote employees reading this post, I am not the only disappointed student forced to utilize other, and admittedly inferior software, to accomplish a task that your entire business model was built and conceived on.  

 

I am asking, once again (I decided to throw in the towel after this post) for the following functionality:  The capability of taking notes utilizing your built-in bullet and/or numbering tools in the Evernote desktop software.  Then, the capability of copying and pasting these numbered/bulleted lists into Microsoft Word and vice versa, without the formatting being completely and utterly annihilated.  Lists lose their tabbed spaces.  Bullets seem to disappear at a whim.  When importing from Word into Evernote, lists do not reproduce even close to being useful.  In short, Evernote is useless to anyone interested in outlining functionality (I ponder the percentage of current customers listing the outlining functionality as one of their favourite motivators for using your product).  Finally, this entire mess could be easily and elegantly remedied by adding another extremely important tool:  an automatic Table of Contents.  I am attempting to copy and paste my Evernote lists into MS Word for the sole purpose of creating an automatically updateable Table of Contents.  

 

To wrap things up, please fix and/or add the requested tools for your loyal customers!  I beg you!  I will pay for the premium version if you accomplish this Herculean task of software engineering!  I will send you e-cards publicly thanking you for your achievements akin to man's first step on the moon!  Please... Please... Do something about this.  It has only been 2.5 years since customers have made you aware of this issue.  If I were currently in an MBA program, I would use this very experience to write a comprehensive case study, which would ultimately and convincingly conclude with an analysis about the ignorance of customer desires and the promulgation of the rather hilariously hypothetical new marketing slogan for Evernote:  "A note-taking tool without the basic tools for note-taking".  (Excuse the lack of enthusiasm in the above paragraphs... You may be able to gauge my frustration from my cynical style of writing.  I assure you, I am grinding my f****** teeth).

[John in Michigan USA 140]

OT very similar problems on the Android side. Commiserations!

[anauenburg 0]

@Slingshot_Fuel : I too am a law student. Frustrated by the same things you describe. I was pondering the idea of taking my notes from Evernote and pasting into Word in order to create my outline following the book Table of Contents or similar to how the class was organized. THEN, pasting back into Evernote. 

 

Am I following you correctly: you did this and the outline (A. 1. a. b. c. d. 2. a. b. B. 1. a. ) doesn't paste back into Evernote?

 

[gazumped 12,222]

IME Simple lists do paste back and forth into notes without any problems,  though I wouldn't be sure about long heavily indented texts.  I tend to get around the problem by using Word (and Apps like MindManager and Notepad++) to take my notes,  and attaching the output file to an EN note.  Where the content doesn't display inline,  I'll either copy and paste the full content into the note - doesn't matter what the layout is,  but it does give me all the keywords - or I'll just do an 'exec summary' or add keywords in the note so I can find the 'source file' again.  Edits just mean opening the attached file and saving it back to the note.  Mostly I don't need to update the content because I just expressed it better or added some detail.

 

Not saying however that an editor overhaul shouldn't happen soon,  or include more features - but where do you stop?  You need indents;  others need outlines,  or coding highlights,  or foreign language spellchecks.  We could wind up with a Word-style menu bar if you include all the options...

[Slingshot_Fuel 4]

I appreciate all of the feedback and advice.  However, going through all of these intermediate formatting steps is ludicrous considering the entire REASON behind Evernote.  I am not asking for much... I believe this may be due to Evernote intentionally not wanting to work with MS Word.  I cannot imagine any other reasoning...

[jefito 5,598]

I appreciate all of the feedback and advice.  However, going through all of these intermediate formatting steps is ludicrous considering the entire REASON behind Evernote.

Sure, I understand the frustration with list and other editing glitches, but the "entire reason" for Evernote is not note taking, for many of us. Evernote is not just note-taking software, but is also a way to collect and organize content from, well, pretty much anywhere. I tend to use it for that more often than I use it for content creation, in fact. I do use it for writing up specs and lists and things, but it's pretty light-duty and seems to work pretty well for me, most of the time (Windows user; can't comment on the Mac experience).

I am not asking for much... I believe this may be due to Evernote intentionally not wanting to work with MS Word.  I cannot imagine any other reasoning...

You really believe that they'd go out of their way to not work with the #1 word-processing software around?

[Slingshot_Fuel 4]

 

I appreciate all of the feedback and advice.  However, going through all of these intermediate formatting steps is ludicrous considering the entire REASON behind Evernote.

Sure, I understand the frustration with list and other editing glitches, but the "entire reason" for Evernote is not note taking, for many of us. Evernote is not just note-taking software, but is also a way to collect and organize content from, well, pretty much anywhere. I tend to use it for that more often than I use it for content creation, in fact. I do use it for writing up specs and lists and things, but it's pretty light-duty and seems to work pretty well for me, most of the time (Windows user; can't comment on the Mac experience).

I am not asking for much... I believe this may be due to Evernote intentionally not wanting to work with MS Word.  I cannot imagine any other reasoning...

You really believe that they'd go out of their way to not work with the #1 word-processing software around?

 

I am ignorant as to user experiences on Windows platforms.  However, I can categorically state that the Mac experience is simply atrocious.  

 

You proof my point by stating that Evernote's core function is to "organize content".  At time of writing, Mac users are unable to do precisely that...

[Metrodon 2,188]

I use Evernote every single day on my mac to organise my content. I have no expectation that it will provide me with sophisticated word processing, column calculations, image editing or whatever.

 

I use it because it's a very useful general tool. If I want to do something specific then I'll use the right tool for that job.

 

For me that's the reality of where the application is right now. If you believe something different (maybe because of their own marketing) then I think you are going to be disappointed.

 

For outlining I use workflowy, it's a great app and content copies over nicely to Evernote.

[Slingshot_Fuel 4]

I use Evernote every single day on my mac to organise my content. I have no expectation that it will provide me with sophisticated word processing, column calculations, image editing or whatever.

 

I use it because it's a very useful general tool. If I want to do something specific then I'll use the right tool for that job.

 

For me that's the reality of where the application is right now. If you believe something different (maybe because of their own marketing) then I think you are going to be disappointed.

 

For outlining I use workflowy, it's a great app and content copies over nicely to Evernote.

The problem is not my subjective belief in their marketing promises.  If you take a look at some of the forum posts made by actual Evernote employees, they continually state that the CURRENT versions have remedied these precise issues.  It is truly baffling.  The programmers themselves don't seem to know left from right....

[chirmer 567]

What's funny is that EN bullet lists paste perfectly fine into OneNote -- just not Word. Testing on Windows on my work computer but can verify once home on my Mac. To me, that says something about the way Microsoft handles their software, not necessarily Evernote. But I'm not a developer so I honestly don't know. Just remember, there are two pieces of software involved here, so two potential sources of the problem -- not just Evernote

 

 

[BOAT Director 1]

I couldn't agree more with the frustration many of you have voices. EverNOTE is supposed to help take NOTES. A simple indent or an option to go from numbers to letters seems so rudimentary. I love EN, but this one thing drives me absolutely crazy.

[Jackolicious 808]

Pasting into and out of Evernote is an issue which requires both pieces of software play nice. Evernote for Mac 5.6 is conforming to the latest rich-text standards. We completely rewrote bullets for this version.

 

Please let us know how this is going and what other pieces of software are or are not playing nice

[Jackolicious 808]

Also, please see: https://discussion.evernote.com/topic/31179-long-time-user-1st-time-poster-evernote-bullet-lists-needs-to-be-fixed-now/?p=304471