Alternote question?

[AlmostThere 0]

Hi,

 

I wonder if it is safe to use Alternote - http://alternoteapp.com/. Can the Alternote guys read my notes?

 

I know for example Google's API is giving only limited access for logins and such stuff, but is it the same way with Evernote API or I just have to "trust" the guys.

 

Kind Regards

[AlmostThere 0]

Because it makes more sense to ask Evernote about how Evernote is handling their own API and our privacy and security instead of asking Alternote if they can be trusted or not. I guess it makes more sense.

 

So, is an official Evernote support here to answer this?

[DutchPete 247]

Evernote support will not comment on 3rd party apps.

[AlmostThere 0]

OK, I hope an official support can answer how they handle their Evernote API and the permissins that are giving to 3rd party apps, no matter of their brand. Is there an official support here? Are you a representative of the official support?

[DutchPete 247]

I am just a user.

[gazumped 11,661]

As DutchPete says,  this is a user forum,  and while staffers do read the posts here,  they don't often comment.  They're less likely to do so (I would have thought) in an open forum on anything touching security.  If you want to raise a query direct,  try the Support link at https://evernote.com/contact/support/

 

-There should be a 'guest' option you could use if necessary.

[Sugeeth Krish 475]

I think the thread starter is raising an important question, and it is fair that he gets an answer, else the forum has failed in its job. Whether we as people, who share our limited knowledge about Evernote or an Evernote employee does not matter.. 

 

And personally, i don't think it is that complicated a question. The simple question is, whether, a third party given API access and authenticated by Evernote, gets its data cached on a local client or a third party's servers.. 

 

For me, I really don't have a generic answer. During my early days as a user, I had this question, and if memory serves me right, one App told me that they cache directly on the client, while another told me that they cache through their local servers, if memory serves me right. I have no idea how it works now, atleast on a generic basis. 

 

My guess is that they possibly cannot, and shouldn't, else, if they did, then, it would be a real failure for Evernote, because it is the one that markets openly about third parties adding additional functionality to the Evernote app in all, which actually is true to a large extent. Adding a lot of convenience through 3rd parties, at a cost of privacy or security, is a big big failure, not for a company like Evernote, where most users like me, trust it with out most personal data. We literally document our entrie life around it. 

 

I can give one bit of authentic information however. For any user can log into their web Evernote account, and check on settings, and you can see all the clients and software apps and the timing that they have last sync'd with the Evernote server. This information is available, and should reflect on the time, that you have used your 3rd party app, last. If it doesn't, then, i think there is a problem. 

 

I think we still need to encourage hard hitting questions genuinely important questions like these on this forum, or flag genuine questions that would preferably get official mandatory responses. If our job is to only clear up spam and moderate trolls and nothing more, then i think, it is a big failure on the operational practices of this forum #Feedback. 

[Sugeeth Krish 475]

This is what i see from the Alternote app official website - 

 

Alternote is totally secure. There are no Alternote servers in the chain, just you, your Mac and Evernote backend.

 

I hope this answers your question, although, I cannot guarantee the statement. I think the focus is now more on Evernote to provide a response in such cases. Evernote must realize the responsibility that now comes along with its immense growth. 100Million users, and you still can't afford to stay silent on critical issues. Mr.Phil Libin, please wake up. 

[AlmostThere 0]

Yes, I know that statement. However what rises concern is that the Evernote doesn't support cryptography of the content, so if the API permits a third party to sniff the data, the only thing that is keeping the 3rd party providers from reading our notes is just their promise. I think this rises the question for risking the corporate and personal data.

 

Personally I've saw a lot of comments on websites, Twitter and other social media from people really liking 3rd party streamlined solutions for Evernote but worried about the lack of encryption. Basically what I want is to know if Evernote really gives them the option to read our data, no matter of their promises.

 

It is like giving someone a paper with your personal stuff and he is telling you "I will handle your papers, I promise I won't read them". It all matters what permissions is Evernote giving to others. From what I read people refuse to use such third party tools because of that. What rises even more concern in me is that someone told me Evernote is storing their data unencrypted on a third data provider even if I don't use a third party app.

 

This rises even more concerns in me. I guess we are in the era of paranoia, but from what we all see and the data leaks I think it may be safe for me to seek another solution. I don't feel confident if someone is storing my data somewhere without an encryption nor giving the ability of a third party app to read it without my knowledge.

[gazumped 11,661]

Basic principle of web security - if you don't want other people to know about it,  don't put it online.  Evernote can give you assurances about their own services,  and they go into some detail here about the protections you have,  and can added precautions you can take - https://evernote.com/security/tips/

 

But as they also point out it is possible for an unfriendly third party to trick or attack you and gain access to your account.

 

Perhaps a better answer to the original question would have been: 

 

Evernote have done all they can to protect you,  and have made additional measures available should you want them,  including a monitor of who has accessed your account from where.  Provided you are careful and vigilant,  your data is as safe as it can be.  But if you really want data kept confidential,  keep it offline,  or subscribe to a specialist secure web server.

[AlmostThere 0]

Evernote should provide us information how they handle their own API to their third parties. If is done in a secure way like Google, Facebook, Twitter etc are doing there is no risk for my account. I just want to know how they are handling this. I cannot relay on the assurances from the third party company. I would like to know how Evernote is protecting their customers. I guess it is a reasonable question to know especially all the recent issues. How could it be that all the companies are moving towards encryption because all of the scandals regarding privacy and Evernote still holding the our data in an unencrypted way? I would like to receive a clear answer.

 

I can't clearly reach any official support, everything is redirecting me to this forum where no official representative is answering me. Anyone knowing how can I get an official response from an official representative. Somewhere where I can send an email and actually receive an answer with a ticket number like a normal company should do, rather than throwing me guessing with other fans of the program?

[Sugeeth Krish 475]

I'll be surprised if you got an answer.. It was always like this.. A year or something back.. People were clammering around for 2 Factor authentication.. As usual .. There were no official responses and there were a few people armed to the teeth to defend Evernote's decision, before the inevitable happened.. and Evernote was hacked.. Not that 2 factor may have necessarily helped in that case, if a backdoor entry was made ( No encryption, barring Windows only text until now ) and in a jiffy, i think less than 2 months, we had 2 factor authentication.. 

 

It has always been like this .. and i don't see things improving much on this front.. If you actually meaningfully looked back.. over the last year.. there have been few value additions for the individual user ( Evernote's original target base, which helped it grow immensely) ( except for the Context, which i must admit is amazing).. Only Bug fixes.. and bug fixes again.. and bug fixes.. The Work Chat .. doesn't help people again, and is extremely shoddy if you wanna share content with non Evernote users ( unlike the old Free Public Link, where even Non users, could see real time updates).. So, in that perspective, paying a monthly fee ( 45$ freemium model in my view, may not necessarily have been beneficial compared to a traditional upgradable 'Perpetual license' as in the past, for single users.. )

 

I have 2 years of Premium in my account, so.. i guess. i'll be around.. I must say the journey was really really good, but over the last year.. i see a certain dissatisfaction.. here.. I can understand the frustration of New users, since, I knew the experience was definitely much better in the past, atleast for me.. 

 

P.S: I think the statement that 'If you want to feel safe, don't throw things on the Internet is outdated.. since almost everyone knows, that if you didn't have an Internet Identification of some form, you can't live in this world, anymore." When people are talking about addressing issues about addressing genuine user panic by thinking seriously along lines of increased security to Internet users, I am sorry, Evernote performs terribly in this front..  If you still haven't learnt lessons of really listening to your users queries.. Good luck for the remaining 95 years.. 

[jefito 5,589]

Because it makes more sense to ask Evernote about how Evernote is handling their own API and our privacy and security instead of asking Alternote if they can be trusted or not. I guess it makes more sense.

 

So, is an official Evernote support here to answer this?

The information is out there. I'd start here: https://dev.evernote.com/support/. The Developer forum linked from there has pretty active support from Evernote staff. There's also Evernote's Three Laws of Data Protection, which may shed some light.

[AlmostThere 0]

I see, well it is good we live in free market, I hope to find a good Evernote alternative with encryption and perhaps use Evernote website just to buy some socks or something. Thank you guys!

[SeaDolphin 0]

On February 22, 2015 at 3:18 PM, DutchPete said:

Evernote support will not comment on 3rd party apps.

On the Alternote website, it says that it is "Backed by Evernote." Does this mean that Evernote officially supports it, or are they merely playing with words and saying that Evernote has the necessary infrastructure which allows them to connect to Evernote through their own app, hence the "backed" by Evernote? I'm also as curious about this app as @AlmostThere is.