Evernote for Mac 6: Context Feedback

[Jackolicious 808]

Hi everybody! We just launched an incredible new premium feature called Context. 

 

Context surfaces relevant content at the times you need it most. It displays related notes, people and high-quality articles based on intelligent indexing of your notes. As an Evernote Premium subscriber, you get (what is usually costly) relevant content for free from sources like the Wall Street Journal and more.

 

Here are two important facts:

 

1. Your data is private

• We never send your content outside of Evernote. All of our clever matching happens within Evernote with data provided to Evernote by our partners (like WSJ). 
  
• We do not monetize your data or your clicks. Context is not advertising. We are providing premium content to our subscribers for free.
  
• Context stays true to our 3 Laws of Data Protection.
  

 

2. You can turn Context off

If you want to turn it off, you can easily do so from the Preferences in Evernote for Mac.

 

We love using Context and hope you’ll enjoy it too! Get the latest version from http://evernote.com/download

[lykoz 147]

I'm having an enormous amount of trouble grasping how the information in my Evernote database can remain private to me if resources outside of my database can offer me "context-sensitive" information based on what I'm adding to my own database. For example, let's say that I work for a certain irreverant publication in Paris, and I'm compiling stuff in my Evernote database about drawings of the prophet over the centuries.

 

Explain to me, if you will, how information on that topic can be offered to me from external sources while I'm in Evernote without someone somewhere having access to the fact that the owner of my database is interested in that information because of what's in my database?

 

I can't begin to fathom how that can happen without some potential for a violation of my privacy.

 

Look I cant speak in facts or research the matter for you. If you have concerns you could press the issue in getting answers.

However I believe it is completely possible. 

Your info could be argued as not being protected simply by being in the cloud... This has nothing to do with context.

 

They could analyse your information in your own 'database' on the cloud... And match that analysis from an external analysis of external sources.

The match could be done 'internally' in your own space in the cloud...

 

I dont really think context is that much of a security concern compared to having information available on the cloud.

 

The data you right could just be doing an auto search and match to external sources.

[Okoboji 0]

I'm reading where people are irritated by the popups with Context.  I'd like to be irritated as I enabled the Wall Street Journal Context and I receive nothing from WSJ nor any Context information.  I've connected to the Context sources, enabled them, etc.  Any suggestions?  This is for Evernote for Mac.

TIA.

[lykoz 147]

I'm reading where people are irritated by the popups with Context.  I'd like to be irritated as I enabled the Wall Street Journal Context and I receive nothing from WSJ nor any Context information.  I've connected to the Context sources, enabled them, etc.  Any suggestions?  This is for Evernote for Mac.

TIA.

 

If you scroll to the bottom of your note... Often you will see context...

 

Its actually not really invasive at all..

 

Dont know why people are complaining about "pop-ups".

[Okoboji 0]

 

I'm reading where people are irritated by the popups with Context.  I'd like to be irritated as I enabled the Wall Street Journal Context and I receive nothing from WSJ nor any Context information.  I've connected to the Context sources, enabled them, etc.  Any suggestions?  This is for Evernote for Mac.

TIA.

 

If you scroll to the bottom of your note... Often you will see context...

 

Its actually not really invasive at all..

 

Dont know why people are complaining about "pop-ups".

 

Yeah, nada at the bottom of the notes.  It has to be Operator Error somehow.  Or maybe I just don't take notes about interesting and timely things.  :-)

[lykoz 147]

 

 

I'm reading where people are irritated by the popups with Context.  I'd like to be irritated as I enabled the Wall Street Journal Context and I receive nothing from WSJ nor any Context information.  I've connected to the Context sources, enabled them, etc.  Any suggestions?  This is for Evernote for Mac.

TIA.

 

If you scroll to the bottom of your note... Often you will see context...

 

Its actually not really invasive at all..

 

Dont know why people are complaining about "pop-ups".

 

Yeah, nada at the bottom of the notes.  It has to be Operator Error somehow.  Or maybe I just don't take notes about interesting and timely things.  :-)

 

 

Well yes often the notes need to have similarities between each other.... Or to stuff on Wall street journal for it to kick in....

 

Are you using a premium version of Evernote on you Mac?

 

Context is not available on the free version of evernote.

[Okoboji 0]

Yes, I am using the Premium version.  Context doesn't show on any of my devices quite frankly.  I just started using Evernote a couple of days ago so I'll give it some time to see if it "kicks in."  Thanks for the replies.

[jsrnephdoc 4]

I'm having an enormous amount of trouble grasping how the information in my Evernote database can remain private to me if resources outside of my database can offer me "context-sensitive" information based on what I'm adding to my own database. For example, let's say that I work for a certain irreverant publication in Paris, and I'm compiling stuff in my Evernote database about drawings of the prophet over the centuries.

 

Explain to me, if you will, how information on that topic can be offered to me from external sources while I'm in Evernote without someone somewhere having access to the fact that the owner of my database is interested in that information because of what's in my database?

 

I can't begin to fathom how that can happen without some potential for a violation of my privacy.

[krnrnee 1]

Hate this... it's no different than any other ad, which is something you buy premium subscriptions to get RID of... I went into settings and unchecked them all.  

[lykoz 147]

I was a bit unfair in my previous comments...

Edited One a bit....

 

I forgot to mention the positives..

 

Context is really great in finding correlative notes within my own notes in the database....

 

Negative comments was about outside sources having never added any value for me... Not once...

[Peter W. 2]

I liked the "Related Notes" feature. The "Context" feature sounds like it includes something like "Related Notes," except that I have never actually seen the "Context" feature. Once, while I was scrolling down a note, there was a little popup that said something about "Context," but then it disappeared before I could click anything. Since then, I have never seen anything about "Context" again. I went to "Preferences" (I'm on a Mac), turned it off, turned it back on again, quit and reopened—nothing worked. 

 

So as far as I'm concerned "Context" is just another name for "we got rid of Related Notes and now you have nothing in its place."

 

And I have to say that while I love the general concept of Evernote, it drives me absolutely crazy how often you people think you need to completely change this application.

[oliver-b 2]

hey,

 

a) I like context

b.) I think it´s decent in implementation, and no intrusive layout (not close to the talk of 'pop-up')

c) I am not sure about the data personal integrity, but for the moment take ENs word on it... hm...

d) what I am sure about is that 'selling' these kinds of sources as "most needed" and "relevant to research" is kind of lame to ludicruous. it supposes that all the world doing *research* is either into *Californian technology StartUps* or into *Wallstreet economics*, resp management. to not have *relevant*, *trustworthy*. *quality* sources there like Wikipedia, Science, Physics.org, Guardian, BBC, Global Voices and generally any non-US sources is just all about a blinkered "world-view" that does not really have to do with *research-relveancy* in any real, profound meaning – I hope this will get really serious by incorporating scientific, cultural, civil-society, globally diverse information...

e) someway to finegrain *scope and criteria of relevancy* of own(!) notes would also be nice. at the moment it works ok... but remains "obscure" in criteria of "similarity".

[oliver-b 2]

.... ok, here a PS to e) and the question of contextual relevancy of *own notes*

–which to my mind should unquestionably take precedence over external sources (that is if you are really not into this for advertising):

 

there is the wonderful function within EN to index several notes into another index-note. so far so nice!

– now, if you go on either the index-note or the notes indexed their most intimate relation does not show up as relevant contexts to each other :-o

 

so if this is not context, ... then what is? :-}

– and again you wonder about the criteria/mechanics of contextual relevancy here in general...

 

vb!

[oliver-b 2]

... and does anyone know why I get a nice preview of "related notes" (strictly own notes!) when I use the webclipper...

... but then can´t see those notes as related content once the content is *in* EN???

[Woody LaBounty 0]

I think this is disingenuous in the Context FAQ:

 

Is this advertising?

No. Evernote does not get paid based on the number of views or clicks. We have no financial incentive to show any articles or other content. We only show things that we think are useful to our users. We don’t share user account information with our partners and we allow users to determine which Context sources they want to see, or to turn the feature off completely.

 

How does Evernote make money from Context?

Evernote makes money by providing products and features end users are happy to pay for. We think Context is a powerful feature that will help people do their best, most informed work. It’s one of several features that people enjoy when they sign up for Evernote Premium or Evernote Business.

 

I get "links" (but not ads somehow?) to outside content providers unsolicited, but it's not ads? No money is changing hands? And that "How does Evernote make money" bit doesn't actually answer the implied question, which is how do you make money from context if it's not ads and no info is shared?

 

At least we can turn it off (for now...)

[TimesReader 0]

When will Evernote implement other, more relevant sources + non-US sources? I love the idea of Context but at the moment it's useless for me and my work as non-US citizen/non-IT-worker. 

[TimesReader 0]

Anyone???

[jayvee 0]

I think the Context feature could be extremely useful, but the sources are only focused on business and technology! For those of us who work in different fields, this is not particularly helpful.  Is there any possibility of adding sources like the New York Times or Washington Post or more general news and politics sources for those of us who work in the Social Sciences and media and politics? 

[lykoz 147]

Yea got premium and have been using context a bit...

Likes:

Contexual searching of my OWN notes is GREAT!

 

Otherwise: Extremely weak at the moment...

If I want relevance I will search with google... or google scholar...

 

The fact is your few subscriptions make for very limited searching and or relevance...

 

Again I will categorically say the only way I see this being usefull is if you subscribe to various scientific journals so that I can get results from areas that are paid and unavailable to google...

 

For example a subscription to American Orthopaedic Association... Would be of relevance to doctors and those interested in 'medical'...

Science-direct for various needs...

 

Maybe wiley-online library... for business Journals...

 

You could have your users pick... there theme of interests for access...

 

To get a rediculously reduced google search with a few paid wall street journal articles... (Which is popular media - and not worth its grain in salt)...

 

Is weak to say the least...

Your headed in the wrong direction with this...

 

No reliable work was ever done quoting the "wall-street Journal"....

[mattm9 13]

Please provide Wikipedia as a context source. It would be a great improvement of the Context feature for Evernote users to have that option.

[Trankil 0]

Is it possible to keep the note window opened by context pinned, so it keeps staying in front?

When using Evernote windowed it isn´t a problem since I can simple open 2 separate notes. However when using it in fullscreen mode, switching over to the note I was working on makes the context note automatically go to the back and out of view. 

[TedF 0]

So I'm a little irritated by this newer "Context" option introduced because it really feels, smells and looks like an advertisement! It's kinda like the old adage, “If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, it must be a duck”. So here is my scenerio and you tell me what you think. I was on Facebook, saw a post for a Recipe and posted into my notebook and viola, I get a "context" in the bottom of the screen.... "Think Outside the Pumpkin Pie Box 11/19/2014 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" click on it and up pop's up the full article. Okay... Yes it's relevant information, but my bigger concern is what happens when I'm storing confidential information like maybe clients information, passwords, bank account info, credit cards info, doctors notes, alarm codes, etc. You can't tell me that my information is 100% secure and confidential when you have to SUBMIT my information to The Wall Street Journal to see if they have an article that I might be interested in or could be relevant to the data entered in my notebooks.

 

I'm not some skeptic that thinks big brother is watching I just feel that I should be in control of my data. Yes I know you can go turn Context off in the preferences, yes I know you can control the sources in which you get info from. However... 1) You didn't ask me if I wanted this turned on.... I had to find out about it by seeing an ad on my premium account 2) Did you already upload my entire Evernote account to these services before I got the opportunity to turn off the feature or select who could have access to my information?

 

It's just my two cents.... I would be curious to hear what others think.

Evernote_Prem.tiff

[Metrodon 2,184]

Evernote Jack says 

 

 

• We never send your content outside of Evernote. All of our clever matching happens within Evernote with data provided to Evernote by our partners (like WSJ). 

 

So your data is not being submitted to WSJ and no one has access to your data that didn't have access before.

[Jackolicious 808]

Metrodon is correct. 

http://blog.evernote.com/blog/2014/10/02/context-work-enriched-smartest-minds/

[lykoz 147]

Not using Context - but am interested in the feature and as my daily use of Evernote increases I will most definitely become premium... 

 

Is the long picture of context to say get more subscriptions, maybe to reputable scientific Journals instead of just a news website like Wall street Journal...

 

So say you are doing research or trying to present something for a meeting...

And Evernote Context can automatically bring up Relevant Journals/citations/references to what you are typing? That Would be EXTREMELY POWERFULL indeed... AND a COMPLETE GAME CHANGER!

[klieber 0]

Hadn't used the desktop version of Evernote for a while and finally logged in today only to discover it was now shoving ads down my throat.  I get that you're couching this as an enabling feature that helps us do research better, but if that's the case, answer this simple question: is there a back-end revenue stream associated with Context?  If so, they're ads, no matter what you call them.

 

I turned this feature off, but I'm very disappointed Evernote decided to go down this route.

 

I do not want Context.  I will not use Context.  If you ever take away my ability to completely disable it, I will cancel my premium subscription immediately.

 

Which makes me realize an assumption I was making.  I shouldn't assume, so I'll ask it:

 

When I disable Context in preferences, is it **completely disabled** or are you still using my data or anything else in the background to support/enable the service?

[Jackolicious 808]

When I disable Context in preferences, is it **completely disabled** or are you still using my data or anything else in the background to support/enable the service?

If you turn Context off, it is off entirely. 

Whether Context is on or off, we never use your data to support the service for others.

 

More reference info:

http://blog.evernote.com/blog/2014/12/04/questions-answers-context-2/

http://blog.evernote.com/blog/2014/12/19/context-makes-informed-work-android-windows/

[Ushio 0]

@ziru, sorry, my problem is a windows issue. my bad. but thanks for asking:)

@jackolicious, you're right. sorry for posting at wrong place. glad you've fixed that issue. it kills me lol

[Metrodon 2,184]

I honestly can't remember a major feature creating more of a meh than this. Seems like people are so disinterested in it that they can't even be bothered to find a reason to get angry about it.

[jefito 5,589]

Whereas they get completely bent out of shape because of the mere presence of Work Chat...

 

Context is seemingly at its starting point. More sources would be helpful, and a way to hook into sources that you have access to (I'm not all that interested in the WSJ, myself).

 

It should also be able to find relevant content inside your own note database (I have a lot of software development articles).

 

We'll see how (or whether) it pans out over time.

[lykoz 147]

Whereas they get completely bent out of shape because of the mere presence of Work Chat...

 

Context is seemingly at its starting point. More sources would be helpful, and a way to hook into sources that you have access to (I'm not all that interested in the WSJ, myself).

 

It should also be able to find relevant content inside your own note database (I have a lot of software development articles).

 

We'll see how (or whether) it pans out over time.

 

The crux of the argument is it needs to be based on scientific, referenced, reliable literature that is over and above google's capabilities...

They could even charge me more to be "hooked up" by choice to the best journals in my field... 

 

i.e. give Evernote more access than google has to scientific literature... And a top up option for us to pay more for even more access in a specific Journal of interest... i.e. medical... Albeit cheaper due to strategic relationships.

 

They could have openAthens access for example as default to all users..... (A network of scientific journals most universities are subscribed too for their students...)

 

At the end of the day, I can easily find snippets to anything I want quickly, and seamlessly on google...

What evernote can do for me is bring more relevant and scientifically applicable reading material, that I can reference if I so chose... With reliable information in my industry... Information that may otherwise be restricted access to google...

 

This requires specific strategic relationships. And with their large userbase... They could change the game entirely, making scientific journals, and the latest reliable information affordable for all..

 

If they could do that it would be powerful indeed...

Anything less than that... And well.. the outside sources might as well be spam and advertisements... they add the same value...

[lykoz 147]

On a brighter note... context use within finding sources in my own notes is pretty cool...

 

My issue is the outside sources from the Web are weak.

[Ushio 0]

hi, i'd like to turn off context since it keeps popping up and disappear (trying to remind me) at the buttom right corner, which is really annoying:(

can't find anything in the option... (i'm not a premium user)

[ziru 11]

@Ushio Free users are not supposed to get Context Suggestions nor popups. Do you mind providing some more details about the popup issue you are seeing? You are seeing this on the latest Evernote for Mac client, right? Did you recently switch from Premium to Free? What does the popup say? What do you see at the bottom? Does the notification popup multiple times when you are viewing the same note, or when you are viewing different notes?

[Jackolicious 808]

Ushio and Ziru: the issue described is a windows issue. It should be fixed in the beta released earlier today. Let's keep this related to Mac feedback.