Jump to content

(Archived) Hierarchy/subfolder workaround using tags


Recommended Posts

Like many others, my brain refuses to accept a flat tagging and categorization system, even with the most powerful search capabilities. Here's how I put nested tags to work to create usable "subfolders":

1. Name notebooks according to "Parent" tag conventions. For example, I have one notebook called "Recipes," another called "Journal" and another called "Dogs."

2. Create identically named tags, one for each notebook. We'll call these Parent tags.

3. Use the nested tags feature to add child tags under each Parent tag. For example, my Recipes parent tag contains the tags "dessert," "cookies," "chocolate," etc.

4. Nest the remaining tags under their appropriate notebooks. I have "kennels," "puppies," and a tag for each dog's name nested under Dogs. It's OK if some tags overlap, just let these tags reside under the most relevant Parent tag, or under the Parent tag for your default notebook.

5. Use the Tags feature in the sidebar to browse tags by hierarchy! Or, if you want to view all the notes under that Parent, select the identically named notebook.

Caveats:

- I did have to go back and re-organize and delete many of my original tags; with 100+ tags (many of which were only used once), this took about an hour.

- The Parent tag does NOT function as an actual tag. Not all tags in that category are automatically selected when you search for or click the Parent tag (using this system, just select the identically named notebook instead!), nor do I tag every note with the name of the Parent tag. In most cases, my Parent tags are empty! But I can quickly find what I'm looking for, tag-wise, under the tags column in the sidebar, whereas before I was stuck with a seemingly random list of disconnected tags.

- I know it's not a perfect solution by any means, but it looks like EN counts on us to be innovative.

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

I see this as a design flaw in Evernote (when a notebook is selected its tags are cluttered with other notebooks tags).

In your case, what's the benefit of separating your notes into different notebooks at all?

I (mainly) would separate notes into different notebooks for precisely the functionality that Evernote does NOT provide. Therefore not worth it to me.

e.g. I'd put my "Financial" notes into a "Financial" notebook just so I could see ONLY the relevant tags (in GTD parlance - tags = project manila files). I don't want to see my Travel files (tags) when I'm in my Financial notebook. Else it's not a "Financial" notebook is it !

I do want THAT functionality as a matter of priority!

Link to comment
  • Level 5*

My take is that tags are not folders in the Evernote metaphor: tags are labels that can be applied to folders. Tags are not necessarily mutually exclusive -- you can use them that way, though, but that takes away a lot of their power. If you want to organize, then have a 'Financial' tag containing the tags that you actually use for your Financial notes, and a Travel tag that contains tags that you use for your Travel notes. You can then easily hide or show in the Tags list the tags relevant to whichever context you're working in.

~Jeff

Link to comment
I see this as a design flaw in Evernote (when a notebook is selected its tags are cluttered with other notebooks tags)!

I agree with this.

Seperate notebooks are an essential tool in creating a "Wall" around particular projects - which of course tags cannot do. To explain further, I have sets of sensitive personal notes that I do not want my work collegues to even glance at whilst I am walking them through other, work-related notes on my PC.

For that reason, I agree that displayed tags should only relate to the currently active notebook(s)

Link to comment

For that reason, I agree that displayed tags should only relate to the currently active notebook(s)

Nope. I may have a tag "low vision" that is applied to a note that's in my contacts notebook (IE a business card for a low vision store) as well as a note that's in my "things to buy" notebook (IE a telephone with very large buttons) as well as the "articles" notebook (IE an article explaining the difference between the drugs avastin & lucentis.) Now, I want to add a certificate of blindness to the "Mother - medical" notebook & tag it "low vision." Except the low vision tag isn't being displayed b/c it's not yet been used in that notebook.

Link to comment

Since the other "tag v folder" thread was locked, I'll pick it up here. My 2 cents is this: While I could join the holy war on folders or tags, the bottom line is that if the "solution" is to use tags to organize, then why isn't this consistent across platforms? On my iPhone I have folders only, no tags. So if my hands are to be tied to the tag post, give me the tools to use the "solution".

Oh, and I want a _list_ of tags, preferably in a hierarchy, not just allow me to search guessing what tags I've applied at some date in the past.

Link to comment
Since the other "tag v folder" thread was locked, I'll pick it up here. My 2 cents is this: While I could join the holy war on folders or tags, the bottom line is that if the "solution" is to use tags to organize, then why isn't this consistent across platforms? On my iPhone I have folders only, no tags. So if my hands are to be tied to the tag post, give me the tools to use the "solution".

Oh, and I want a _list_ of tags, preferably in a hierarchy, not just allow me to search guessing what tags I've applied at some date in the past.

You can't create notebooks on the iPhone, either.

viewtopic.php?f=45&t=13075&p=55195&hilit=create+tags#p52051

And...you do get a list of your tags presented to you when creating a note (at least a text note) If you're talking about a photo:

viewtopic.php?f=45&t=10498&p=41794&hilit=tag#p41794

Link to comment
  • 5 weeks later...

You know, I think the whole tags vs folders thing is summed up quite well in this snippet:

Broadly speaking, people fall into three groups when it comes to organizing large amounts of information. Searchers opt for minimal work up front on the grounds that they can use tools to find what they’re looking for later. Filers believe that everything has a place and that it should be in that place so they can find it instantly. Taggers are somewhere in between; they depend on search, but like to sprinkle hints around to make it easier for the search engine. You need to know which group you’re in to know which tools will be best for you. Searchers won’t be happy with systems that expect them to do lots of filing, and taggers aren’t impressed with just leaving everything in a heap.

(from http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/02/15/10 ... ur-e-mail/)

The last sentence should continue with, "Filers think Searcher's and Tagger's systems are annoying and time-consuming."

Holy wars can continue or systems can be implemented to satisfy everyone.

Link to comment
You know, I think the whole tags vs folders thing is summed up quite well in this snippet:
Broadly speaking, people fall into three groups when it comes to organizing large amounts of information. Searchers opt for minimal work up front on the grounds that they can use tools to find what they’re looking for later. Filers believe that everything has a place and that it should be in that place so they can find it instantly. Taggers are somewhere in between; they depend on search, but like to sprinkle hints around to make it easier for the search engine. You need to know which group you’re in to know which tools will be best for you. Searchers won’t be happy with systems that expect them to do lots of filing, and taggers aren’t impressed with just leaving everything in a heap.

(from http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/02/15/10 ... ur-e-mail/)

The last sentence should continue with, "Filers think Searcher's and Tagger's systems are annoying and time-consuming."

Holy wars can continue or systems can be implemented to satisfy everyone.

You had me up until the last 7 words. Everything before that is a pretty good insight.

Link to comment
  • 2 months later...

I wish the search function understood about nested tags. If I have a tag ".Software" and under it specific software tags, such as ".ezSpreadsheet" and ".ezWordProcessor", I want to be able to click on .Software and have all notes tagged with ezSpreadsheet or ezWordProcessor show up.

The two workarounds I can think of are (a) always tag a note with both the low-level tag and the high-level tag, which is inefficient and annoying, or (:) include the highlevel tag name in the low level tag name, as in ".Software.ezSpreadsheet". Then use the search function to search for the word .software. This is not much of a savings over two tags, and forces use of Search rather than just clicking on tag.

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...