Feature request: "lock" tags to prevent typos

[luckman212 165]

More often than I like, I make typos when typing in tags. Example, sometimes I mean to type "eval" but I type "ebal". Then later when I can't find something I scratch my head for awhile before realizing what happened. While some might consider EN's on-the-fly tag creation a great feature, I consider it a liability. If I want to create a new tag (which I don't do very often) then I sure wouldn't mind the extra step of right-clicking on my tag tree and choosing "Create Tag..."

That way if I type "caked" instead of "cakes" while tagging, EN should pop up and say "You don't have a tag named "caked". Create this tag now?" instead of just accepting my typo without any warning.

[alessio 5]

That's a really great suggestion! I also find myself creating too many unintentional tags and

your proposed "tag lock" feature would come in very handy.

[Owyn 457]

I can see the use case. Mature tagging systems get very stable. Suggest that user option to enable/disable, e.g. Confirm create of new tags, would involve less change to the UI and would cover both cases. Confirm disabled at early stages (and as default for historical continuity), enable confirmation dialog later if that is the behavior the user wants.

Would not have a big impact on me, as I have got into the habit of watching for tag in suggestion list and clicking it. Almost never end up typing the complete tag.

Edit: fix nasty typo. use of enable/disable reversed in comment.

[luckman212 165]

Would not have a big impact on me, as I have got into the habit of watching for tag in suggestion list and clicking it

Yes but I am a keyboard junkie- I don't like reaching for the mouse when I'm typing unless I have to. Also, I have a lot of short 3- and 4-letter tags, so the typos can still occur. As long as there's an option to enable/disable this option I don't see any downside to it.

[lmason 1]

I like this suggestion. I have extra tags created by mistake as well.

Since we're talking about tags and ease of use, I can't wait until I can create a new note, with focus in the TITLE box, then press TAB to cycle to TAGS then NOTE Window. Or am I missing something? Can this be done?

Thanks.

[crane 40]

I like this suggestion. I have extra tags created by mistake as well.

Since we're talking about tags and ease of use, I can't wait until I can create a new note, with focus in the TITLE box, then press TAB to cycle to TAGS then NOTE Window. Or am I missing something? Can this be done?

Thanks.

Not what you're asking for, but when you start a new note, and you're in the note editor (by default), you can use F2 to get to the title and F3 to get to the tags part of the info bar.

[gmc 8]

I also find myself accidentally creating new tags. The problem for me is mostly on the Android app but it also screws me up on the desktop version. I would like to see one extra step to create a new tag (or have a toggle in preferences). I also find the smart search(?) feature where it auto fills the tag box as you begin typing confusing. Sometimes I think it's selected the appropriate tag so I hit Enter to complete, but then it surprisingly creates a new tag instead. Maybe I just need to work with it more, but I don't seem to have to "think" when I use the same feature in Outlook or Google searches, etc.

And, I rather not take my hands off the keyboard to complete a task/operation.

[dlu 628]

Thanks for this suggestion. Basically you're suggesting that we find a way of tagging that is simply choosing between existing tags rather than creating new tags.

[jefito 5,589]

I like the ability to create new tags on-the-fly (like when web clipping, say), and don't want a separate facility to do so. That being said, i did fat-finger a typo the other day when creating a new tag, but it wan't a big deal to find or fix. It just appeared at the top level of my tag tree, and I figured out what I meant, changed the single note to have the correct tag, and deleted the bad one. My own opinion is that I wouldn't want an "are you sure?" dialog to pop up when I created a new tag like this. I am not a great typist, by any means, but I usually get them right.

[luckman212 165]

That's why OPTIONS are always nice. Turn the feature off if you don't like it. Boom- everybody's happy!

[jefito 5,589]

I think that one Evernote's guiding principles is to avoid options as much as possible, though. Granted, tweaking stuff is fun and all, but from the developer'standpoint, offering a gazillion options (and there would be a gazillion if every time someone in the forums said "just make an option for that") can cost more money to produce (you need to support and document more behaviors, and need to watch out for more side-effects), more cost to provide UI (though parameterizing through the registry in Windows can be an option), and oddly, can lead to more tech inquiries (Q: Why does my EVernote do A when I click the Frob button? I thought it was supposed to do B. A: Um, ok, did you have the Beezle option checked? Try that.). This is all general, mind you, but I know it's part of the discussions in the software that I work on, particularly on the consumer end of things.

[Owyn 457]

Yeah. I understand your point. We are still explaining "Hide Unassigned Tags".

My prior comments still stand, including the fact that I have adopted keyboard + mouse standard practices to avoid the problem.

There is also the potential 14 platforms plus clippers impact to keep in mind. Nothing in the UI is a simple change anymore. Well, with the exception of bugs and inconsistencies. They may be difficult to fix, but, are normally limited to 1 platform.

[luckman212 165]

I wouldn't even mind if this was a hidden, undocumented Registry tweak; i.e. add a

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Evernote\Evernote\DisableAutoTagCreation

key and set it to 1 to implement the tag lock. If someone is intelligent enough to open up their registry editor & insert this key then they get to enjoy this feature. If not, they don't. It is implied that if they have gone through the trouble to add that key, then they should understand why EN does X when they hit the Frob button. No support issues.

[jefito 5,589]

I wouldn't even mind if this was a hidden, undocumented Registry tweak; i.e. add a

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Evernote\Evernote\DisableAutoTagCreation

key and set it to 1 to implement the tag lock. If someone is intelligent enough to open up their registry editor & insert this key then they get to enjoy this feature. If not, they don't. It is implied that if they have gone through the trouble to add that key, then they should understand why EN does X when they hit the Frob button. No support issues.

This case leads to two behaviors that need to be implemented, tested, documented, and, yes, supported. Someone changes the key (and believe me, intelligence has nothing to do with that ability), then later on down the road, something goes awry, and they file a support ticket; that support ticket needs to be dealt with, regardless if the user did something that caused it.

I'm not saying that the original request isn't reasonable (though I wouldn't be in favor for it myself), but offering options, even pseudo-hidden ones are not free.

[luckman212 165]

need to be implemented, tested, documented, and, yes, supported

Implemented yes. Tested yes. Documented, no. Supported, no.

Anyway, this conversation is deteriorating. Enough said, the request has been made. EN will either decide to do it or they won't. No point in us debating whether they would have to support it or not, or how many support tickets would be generated. I can't imagine the sort of dolt who would dig into his registry to set an unsupported, undocumented key, and then later file a support ticket because his EN frobbed when it should have glorked. I guess the exchange would go something like this:

Dolt: Help! My EN is Frobbing! It was supposed to Glork!

EN: Did you fiddle with the unsupported, undocumented AlwaysFrob registry key by any chance?

Dolt: Oh yeah, I did. You mean if I set AlwaysFrob=1 then my EN will Always Frob? Even when I tell it to Glork?

EN: Yes.

Dolt: Doh! I must be a real idiot!

[zippy58 1]

I'm implementing The Secret Weapon and have been on it for about a week now.  I just deleted my 1-Now tag by accident - I thought I was deleting a note and I blew by the warning message.  Luckily, I'm very busy with one project right now so there weren't many 1-Now items in my list so I was able to recreate it but, for 10 seconds, I was in complete and utter panic .

 

I've also had the problem of partially entered tags creating a new tag - like '1' instead of 1-Now.  This breaks my flow.  "Mind like water" requires that you concentrate on one thing completely - and that's what I was hoping The Secret Weapon w/ Evernote would help me do.  However, if I have to worry about trusing the software I use (or my ability to use it) for my 'trusted system' then I cannot use it.

 

I vote for a lock feature on tags (and would upgrade to a paid account if it were added).  Thanks Luckman212 for your work on this issue.

[GerryS 0]

Just going to bump this topic with some additional input. I have also had issues with the autosearch. When I start typing ("$b" to get to my tag for "$Biz Utilities"), then press Enter when the desired tag appears to be selected, EN actually creates a brand new tag "$b". I've done this several times, with several tags, to confirm the behavior. Oddly, it doesn't happen every time, and the erratic nature of it only makes it that much worse.

 

I don't want a hard lock on the tags, but would love to be able to turn on confirmations. Yes, it is probably best as an option, since many are accustomed to adding tags on the fly with no confirmation. This one extra step would give me a chance to realize that EN hasn't, in fact, selected my existing tag.

 

EDIT: Just a quick addition. I have also noticed that about 20% of the time, when I start typing a tag and click on a selection from the resulting list, EN goes ahead and creates a new tag from what I typed. This has happened twice in the last 5 minutes ("$b" for "$Biz Utilitites" and "cl" for "Clients"). Thus, even the mousing method isn't foolproof, and leaves me with much cleanup after some inbox clearing sessions.

[Krunoslav 197]

Brilliant suggestion.