Carefully sharing an Evernote account

[DSM 0]

I'd like to carefully introduce my wife and daughter to Evernote.  Neither are terribly computer literate.  On the one hand, I could set them up a separate account (with a separate Evernote's database), but I don't want that to get out of hand.  On the other hand, I could let them add notes into my account, but that seems dangerous.  My goal might be to let them go places and add notes about the places they go (using Evernote's GPS tagging capability).  Has anyone else had this problem and, if so, how did you solve it?

[ScottLougheed 1,316]

Definitely set them up with their own accounts. 

This avoids security issues, it avoids large numbers of note conflicts, it avoids your having to sort out what belongs to whom later, it avoids your daughter or wife forgetting to log out on the public library computer exposing not just their notes, but all of yours too, and so on.

 

It also gives them ownership of their content. It means they have full control of what goes in and out, they don't need to worry about hubby/daddy's notes and what might happen to them. 

 

I suggest sitting down with them and walking them through the account set-up, letting them choose their own passwords, and so on. Then, while you are all together, YOU set up a shared notebook to which they are each invited, and walk them through the process of accepting the invitation. 

 

Then demonstrate the difference between notebooks THEY own and which are not shared (specifically, their default notebook, how to rename notebooks, and how to create new notebooks), and notebooks that are shared by you with them. Perhaps prior to sharing the notebook(s) with them, add some "starter" content, perhaps a welcome note with tips and suggestions, or examples of the kinds of content you'd like them to produce (such as a few notes you make including location data and information about places you have gone). 

 

I highly, highly discourage anyone from sharing a single Evernote account. 

[s2sailor 2,191]

Scott's approach is definitely the safest, no argument there but I would like to add that every situation is different.  For your daughter I completely agree that a separate account it the way to go, but for your wife, maybe not.  I was in a similar situation several years ago and chose to give my wife access to my account.  She is not the most PC literate person around and I found it easier to help her with a shared account than having to manage two accounts with shared folders.  Occasionally she adds items that I might need access to and it easiest if she just leaves it in the default notebook than having to remember to move it to a shared notebook for me to access.  It hasn't been a problem and for us has been the right decision.  I do keep regular backups in case of trouble but so far (fingers crossed) there have been no issues.