Local notebooks not available

[cbra 5]

Hi

I discovered that the option "New local notebook" was not available to me. Support didn't quite understand why, then it became clear: Since I had not used a local notebook before, I was not allowed by Evernote to make one. Okay, so local notebooks is one of the options provided by Evernote (and some would argue a crucial feature, to avoid Evernote looking into your private files). However, if you haven't used it, you're not going to get it!

Is it just me or does this seem like high disrespect of paying customers?

This is not the only case where Evernote appears unfriendly towards customers or potential customers. Evernote uses green letters on white background, well-known to be suboptimal for reading (in contrast to black or blue on white background). On the computer screen this is tolerable, on a smartphone it can make reading really difficult (white on a light green background, that's a no-no in graphics!). I once suggested to Evernote that they could make an additional template for smartphones in addition to the few available, making reading easier, in particular when outside in the sunlight. I didn't even get an answer.

These are things I don't understand, breaking "rules" of graphical design and withdrawing features from users without notice, only justified by the user so far not having used that particular feature. And... is there any reason for Evernote to stop us from using local notebooks? Does that make things easier for Evernote? (I guess the real reason is that Evernote wants to force people to upload files to their server, thus making users dependent on a subscription.)

But how can a company tell you that you're not getting a feature they advertise, justifying this by saying that you haven't used it so far? Very strange.

I am a Premium subscriber. I don't think I will be for long when Evernote shows me so little respect. 

[gazumped 11,667]

Hi.  I've not heard of this before.  I've had a number of accounts for several years and never had a problem creating a 'local notebook' when required.  What's your OS and Evernote version?  And - if you're willing - please post your ticket number for your consultation with Support here, so we can ask an admin to follow up on this?  As far as I've been aware,  setting up a local notebook is a basic feature of all account types.

[DTLow 5,736]

8 hours ago, cbra said:

I discovered that the option "New local notebook" was not available to me.

The screenshot below shows my options when creating a notebook

>>and some would argue a crucial feature, to avoid Evernote looking into your private files
Also the NSA, Google, the Chinese .........depending on your level of paranoia
For me, I'm ignoring this for the convenience of syncing and viewing my notes on various platforms

 

 

[tavor 668]

On 2/5/2016 at 4:51 AM, cbra said:

I discovered that the option "New local notebook" was not available to me. Support didn't quite understand why, then it became clear: Since I had not used a local notebook before, I was not allowed by Evernote to make one.

Are you certain about this? That would be a huge, and unwelcome, change. For some of us, it would be a dealkiller. Your external brain . . . stored on the internet, and not with zero-knowledge encryption to boot.

I doubt Evernote is eliminating local notebooks.

Are you trying to do this on a mobile device or in the web app? If so, there's the answer - no local notebooks available through these apps. If you're trying to do this in Windows or Mac apps, then it's probably a bug; go ahead and report it.

[cbra 5]

Thanks to both of you for kind answers!

To DTlow: Yes, your screenshot shows how it's supposed to be, only for me the local notebook option is missing from the menu system and cannot be accessed in any other way. 

(I only need one or two local notebooks and I too have huge amounts of data online with Goolgle, iCloud, Dropbox). 

gazumped:

I am on Mac OS, latest version of Evernote I believe (not at my desktop right now). This is what support wrote (Ticket# 1354060):

====

Thank you for getting back to me.

Our product team is currently evaluating every feature of Evernote to redesign them or remove them from the app.

Because you never used this feature before this feature has been removed from your user interface. I don't know yet if this feature will be available to you later or not.

 

[cbra 5]

Sorry tavor, didn't mean to ignore you. You posted while I was writing. But I guess my previous response will do. 

[CalS 5,280]

46 minutes ago, cbra said:

I am on Mac OS, latest version of Evernote I believe (not at my desktop right now). This is what support wrote (Ticket# 1354060):

====

Thank you for getting back to me.

Our product team is currently evaluating every feature of Evernote to redesign them or remove them from the app.

Because you never used this feature before this feature has been removed from your user interface. I don't know yet if this feature will be available to you later or not.

Say WHAT?  I'm sure you received the above, can't believe anyone at EN would send such a post.  I'm with @tavor, it makes no sense that notebooks would be eliminated.

You might want to respond to the email you received with an ARE YOU SURE?

[DTLow 5,736]

1 hour ago, cbra said:

To DTlow: Yes, your screenshot shows how it's supposed to be, only for me the local notebook option is missing from the menu system and cannot be accessed in any other way. 

 

Just to be clear - you mentioned at the beginning about paying customers.

Maybe this is a premium feature
Can any basic users verify this?
Can any new users verify the absence of the local notebook feature?

 

[tavor 668]

12 minutes ago, DTLow said:

Just to be clear - you mentioned at the beginning about paying customers.

Maybe his is a premium feature

If it is a premium feature now, that's a new development.

[CalS 5,280]

Don't think so.

EDIT:  Just tested on Windows desktop in a basic account I use from time to time, and local notebooks are a valid option.

[cbra 5]

I have a premium subscription, just to make that clear. 

Yes, I got back to them and said it seemed like a joke. The support person was sorry, but made clear this wasn't anything the EN team was willing to provide to me, at least for the time being. I was offered encryption as an alternative. 

Yes, it is most peculiar. And seems rather arrogant towards customers.  

 

[DTLow 5,736]

15 minutes ago, cbra said:

I was offered encryption as an alternative. 

It just gets better and better.

By the way, if you are encrypting your text, it should be done in a local notebook.  
If you're using a sync'd notebook the unencrypted text has possibly  been uploaded to the cloud and stored in the note history.

[tavor 668]

16 minutes ago, cbra said:

I have a premium subscription, just to make that clear. 

Yes, I got back to them and said it seemed like a joke. The support person was sorry, but made clear this wasn't anything the EN team was willing to provide to me, at least for the time being. I was offered encryption as an alternative. 

Yes, it is most peculiar. And seems rather arrogant towards customers.  

 

Bizarre! Maybe Ben is new to Evernote and doesn't really understand its features? I cannot believe they are phasing out local notebooks. I'd be planning to bail if they did.

@gbarry, are you aware of any decision by EN to drop local notebooks?

 

3 hours ago, DTLow said:

Can any new users verify the absence of the local notebook feature?

Yeah, would be interesting to see if a new user who has no local notebooks is able to create one.

One thing I noticed is that if I right click on "Notebooks" in the left pane (EN Windows app), there is no Local notebook option, and any notebook created is synchronized. But if I go to the File menu, the option is there:  File > New Notebook > New Local Notebook

[cbra 5]

Thanks to everyone for comments. 

I'm cancelling my subscription and rely on Devonthink instead. 

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

On 2/5/2016 at 3:51 AM, cbra said:

Support didn't quite understand why, then it became clear: Since I had not used a local notebook before, I was not allowed by Evernote to make one.

 

4 hours ago, tavor said:

Yeah, would be interesting to see if a new user who has no local notebooks is able to create one.

I just created a new Basic account, and in EN Mac 6.4 on Yosemite (10.10.5) it definitely allows me to create Local Notebooks:

54 minutes ago, cbra said:

I'm cancelling my subscription and rely on Devonthink instead. 

@cbra, I definitely understand your frustration and disappoint.  But something is very wrong with what you are seeing, and the response from Evernote Support.  As you can see, I just created a new account that allow Local Notebooks.

So, before you jump ship, you may want to wait a bit for someone from Evernote to post in this thread, to clarify/fix this issue.

BTW, just to be clear, Local Notebooks are only supported in the desktop apps EN Win and EN Mac.  They are NOT supported in the EN Web app, even if you are running it on a PC or Mac.

[DTLow 5,736]

1 hour ago, cbra said:

I'm cancelling my subscription and rely on Devonthink instead. 

I can appreciate your frustration.

If you're up for one more challenge, I'd look at using AppleScript to create the local notebook.

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

10 minutes ago, DTLow said:

I'd look at using AppleScript to create the local notebook.

That is really not necessary at this point, and is probably a distraction to solving the real issue.  I have just shown that new accounts can create Local Notebooks.  So, there is something wrong with the installation/setup of @cbra's Evernote.  

Furthermore, we don't know which platform he/she is using, and IF Local Notebooks were really removed from the app, it is highly unlikely that they could be created via AppleScript.

[DTLow 5,736]

24 minutes ago, JMichaelTX said:

That is really not necessary at this point, and is probably a distraction to solving the real issueFurthermore, we don't know which platform he/she is using

They said "I am on Mac OS, latest version of Evernote" and are cancelling their subscription.  When would be a good time?

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

2 minutes ago, DTLow said:

When would be a good time?

Actually, whether or not the OP is using a Mac is not relevant at this point.

It is a distraction to start looking at AppleScript when the basic app is not working correctly.  AppleScript simply calls the methods provided by the app.

The OP's focus now needs to be on resolving the basic issue with creating Local Notebooks via the UI.

[cbra 5]

An update for those interested:

 

I just installed a second version of EverNote from their own server (the version I used was from the Mac App Store). I started the new version of EN, entered my login details.

No local notebooks available under menus.

I logged out and logged in as a new user. 

Now suddenly local notebooks are available under the menu. 

I log out from the new user name and in again with my old. Local notebooks option is gone. 

 

This is so extremely arrogant towards a long-term customer who has paid for a year's subscription, it's beyond belief. 

Do you other people accept that EN treats other users like this?

 

 

[cbra 5]

PS.

I just sent the following to EverNote's support:

Quote

I expect EN to repay the last fee I paid for a year’s premium subscription. EN may use PayPal to transfer the money. 

 

Selling a product and then withdrawing features on an individual basis, without notice, is illegal. I look forward to receiving the money. 

 

[tavor 668]

1 hour ago, cbra said:

An update for those interested:

 

I just installed a second version of EverNote from their own server (the version I used was from the Mac App Store). I started the new version of EN, entered my login details.

No local notebooks available under menus.

I logged out and logged in as a new user. 

Now suddenly local notebooks are available under the menu. 

I log out from the new user name and in again with my old. Local notebooks option is gone. 

 

This is so extremely arrogant towards a long-term customer who has paid for a year's subscription, it's beyond belief. 

Do you other people accept that EN treats other users like this?

 

 

OK, so it seems there is a technical glitch here and not a deliberate attempt to deny you local notebooks, and added to that a (perhaps new) EN rep who isn't familiar with all the features of the software.

Can you escalate the ticket to someone else at EN?

[cbra 5]

@tavor, I forwarded the link to them yesterday. 

That said, why does this indicate a technical glitch?

My old user name is denied local notebooks. I can confirm that if I log in as someone else, I can get local notebooks. To me that seems to support the suggestion made by Ben R. that I (among a few?) have been denied local notebooks, others are free to use them. 

[Sugeeth Krish 475]

Been an EN user for almost 4 years and a Premium user for 3+ years. Till date, i have never felt the need to create a Local Notebook. I have never created one. So, my use case is almost very simialr to the Thrread starter. 

After hearing this problem, i tried to create one, just out of curiosity, no issues here at my end. 

Local Notebooks is working fine for me. 

But. I feel that Local Notebooks is a genuine need for some people, and i hope EN is better off not removing this feature, or making it Premium. 

 

 

 

[DTLow 5,736]

1 hour ago, tavor said:

OK, so it seems there is a technical glitch here

I would agree with @cbra that this is more than a technical glitch.  
He has contacted support, and posted the response which seems to indicate specifically that the "local" services have been withdrawn. 
I'd really like to see a response from an Evernote employee - ring ring @amanda_h

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

11 hours ago, cbra said:

I just installed a second version of EverNote from their own server (the version I used was from the Mac App Store). I started the new version of EN, entered my login details.

No local notebooks available under menus.

I logged out and logged in as a new user. 

Now suddenly local notebooks are available under the menu. 

I log out from the new user name and in again with my old. Local notebooks option is gone. 

I suspect that there may be some corruption or confusion with the Evernote app files.
I suggest that you do a clean install of Evernote from the Evernote.com site.

See How to Completely Remove and Reinstall EN Mac 

[cbra 5]

I was taken aback by some people here thinking they knew better than Evernote support. It is wise first to question our own assumptions if a professional insider has told us something we didn't know. Also, then we avoid giving recommendations that will be only time consuming and frustrating for the person we want to help. 

Anyway, EN has been kind enough to answer, and DTlow was right in suggesting we should wait for clarification from EN. 

"I was forwarded this ticket from another representative in order to help you out with the inability of your Evernote account to create local notebooks.

This is by design, but there is a current work around.

A little back story - Evernote is studying the possibility of eliminating local notebooks all together and moving to a completely synced service. The reason we're trying this out is because synced notes can always count with our Note History feature as a back up, or "safety net" to recover previous versions of your note if something is erased by mistake. Local notebooks don't currently have any backup tool as such, therefore we feel that this is not the fair and compete solution our users expect from us."

So yes, local notebooks are about to be dropped from Evernote's service. Well, at least that's what they are planning and that's why they have made the remarkable step to withdraw this function on an individual basis, without notification.

Thanks to all of you who contributed and tried to help. And be humble towards each other's knowledge/wisdom.

Christopher

[DTLow 5,736]

On February 9, 2016 at 4:18 PM, cbra said:

Anyway, EN has been kind enough to answer

Thanks for sharing this with us.
btw   I tried the backdoor with applescript and was not successful.  Possibly we've lost that too.

Correction: I can create local notebooks with Applescript; the type is "local only"

[CalS 5,280]

1 hour ago, cbra said:

A little back story - Evernote is studying the possibility of eliminating local notebooks all together and moving to a completely synced service. The reason we're trying this out is because synced notes can always count with our Note History feature as a back up, or "safety net" to recover previous versions of your note if something is erased by mistake. Local notebooks don't currently have any backup tool as such, therefore we feel that this is not the fair and compete solution our users expect from us."

@cbra, Very interesting, thanks for posting.  The below is not directed to you, more my comments on removing local notebooks in general, mini-rant..

Personally, interested see how local notebooks can be eliminated without increased encryption capabilities.  A third of my notes would need another solution without enhanced encryption, and maybe even with it.  Some stuff just doesn't need to be on the net.  Also, the term backup should be clarified to include "as long as you don't delete the note".  The only way to get a deleted note back today is with a local backup of some sort.  Backing up a local notebook isn't any harder than backing up a synced notebook.

Don't want to be tilting at windmills and hope this is just a DAA that someone will recover from.

[DTLow 5,736]

2 minutes ago, csihilling said:

Personally, interested see how local notebooks can be eliminated without increased encryption capabilities. 

Likewise - waiting to see what happens

In my current process, I'm doing my encryption/decryption outside of Evernote and just using Evernote to store the encrypted data.

[CalS 5,280]

1 minute ago, DTLow said:

In my current process, I'm doing my encryption/decryption outside of Evernote and just using Evernote to store the encrypted data.

For me, I like the power of EN search but there are some of my notes I just don't want on the web (legal and financial stuff mostly).  So local notebooks are a great option.  And I'm comfortable taking responsibility for backing up my own stuff.

[DTLow 5,736]

4 minutes ago, csihilling said:

some of my notes I just don't want on the web (legal and financial stuff mostly)

Not even if they're encrypted?
Its not the web I'm interested in; I want the notes sync'd to all my devices.

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

1 hour ago, cbra said:

Quote from Evernote Support:

A little back story - Evernote is studying the possibility of eliminating local notebooks all together and moving to a completely synced service. The reason we're trying this out is because synced notes can always count with our Note History feature as a back up, or "safety net" to recover previous versions of your note if something is erased by mistake. Local notebooks don't currently have any backup tool as such, therefore we feel that this is not the fair and compete solution our users expect from us

@cbra, Thanks for sharing this quote from Evernote Support.

A few thoughts strike me:

1. This might be a trial balloon to test the reaction of the users
2. This logic doesn't really make sense to me
   1. Given the current lack of encryption, this is removing a very important security feature
   2. If they were really concerned about lack of note history for local notebooks, they would just add a Local Note History
   3. The statement about Note History is full of flaws
      1. It does not even come close to a true backup, since every version of the Note is not retained.
      2. As @csihilling stated, this so-called backup  doesn't provide for backup of deleted notes

Just my 2¢.

[CalS 5,280]

Nope, not even if they are encrypted.  I really don't need these notes on my phone or tablet or other laptop.  I only need them when I am at my main laptop.  The two occasions I can remember when I did need one of these notes on my phone I just did an encrypt and move to a synced notebook.  More importantly, I do not want to lose the ability to search the note contents which encryption brings with it.  My use case anyways. 

[cbra 5]

Dear all

I should share the work around. I have tried it, it works (but restart of Evernote is necessary). 

I leave this to you now. Given my experience with Evernote, I've moved my work to Devonthink and will downgrade EverNote to basic. It is crucial that a customer can trust a developer.

 

Regards,

Christopher

 

Quote

If you want to get local notebooks to work again, follow these steps:

1. Make a test note anywhere in Evernote
2. Export this note to your desktop
3. Double click on the exported .enex file in your desktop
4. After the .enex file is imported, Evernote will ask you if you want to plpace it into a synced notebook. Choose "No"

[gazumped 11,667]

Not going to spend long trying to get my head around this - I guess some developer somewhere could have done some math on 'how many users have local notebooks'? (would Evernote even know?) and 'how many support requests do we get about local notebooks and notes...' - and decided that life would be simpler if everything were 'backed up' to the cloud.  But that doesn't (see comments above) by any means cover all changes and note deletions.  Note history is a possible safety belt,  but local backups are always guaranteed...

And as someone pointed out - restored notes from an ENEX file go to a local notebook by default; and it's an ideal safety belt for restoring bulk notes and for basic users approaching their upload limit.  Dump notes into a local notebook,  then feed them into your synced system as and when you have the headroom to do so. 

Not to mention the security aspect - I have my banking information in a local notebook,  which definitely isn't going into a synced notebook,  ever... 

IM(not so)HO removing the facility to avoid syncing would generate the fuss Evernote already saw about Food,  times a few dozen.  It'll be annoying to experienced users like me,  which is a group they've not offended seriously yet.  Maybe that's why the news came out as a 'rumor' that can be denied if necessary.  Removing features by stealth to see if anyone notices,  and hiding service restrictions under false flags are not the actions of a reputable company.  Though if they're going to do this Evernote will probably go ahead regardless.

I really hope all of this is a mistake by a support drone,  and not a firm Evernote policy.  (I work in support*;  it's not unknown for an agent to make a mistake,  or to have plausible sounding reasons for ending a call early - especially at quitting time... 's partly why all good support teams have QA monitors!)

* Not @Evernote!

[tavor 668]

Well since no one from EN is chiming in here to deny, I'm going to start another thread warning users. Let's see if EN will confirm/deny at that point.

Link: 

 

[gazumped 11,667]

Evernote don't exactly have a record for chiming in to confirm or deny anything at any time,  so I wouldn't read anything into their current 'silence'.  Plus this is one post in thousands of others that they probably haven't gotten around to reading yet.  And since we're already in the General Discussions forum,  why do we need another post exactly?  If Evernote do respond to anything I would have thought it would be in this thread. 

And "Evernote to phase out" is a bit inflammatory;  all we have is the possibility of them looking,  and maybe considering,  at some point in the future,  of maybe doing something.  Please at least add a qualifier in there so it's "Evernote consider phasing out".. 

If you want to be pro-active about this it might be an idea to post the question: "How many users have a local notebook?" - although if you get no responses (which would be fairly typical),  that's going to send entirely the wrong sort of signal!

[cbra 5]

 

Quote

Evernote don't exactly have a record for chiming in to confirm or deny anything at any time,  so I wouldn't read anything into their current 'silence'.  Plus this is one post in thousands of others that they probably haven't gotten around to reading yet.  And since we're already in the General Discussions forum,  why do we need another post exactly?  If Evernote do respond to anything I would have thought it would be in this thread. 

 

EN knows about this thread. The answer I got from EN Support was based on reading this thread. I asked them to read this thread and comment. They did, but only to me, in private.

So, with the latest response from EN support I have heard the same twice, from different support persons. 

I see no point in debating whether this is true. What EN finally decides is a different matter. But for me, EN is now out of question for important information. I need firms that I can rely on, trust. Including knowing that they will not waste my time (several hours) by making me try to figure out why I am not able to define a local notebook. 

A firm that removes services in silence, changes your options without notifying you, is not a good firm. 

[Nick L. 681]

The statement "local notebooks are about to be dropped from Evernote's service." is inaccurate. After surveying this feature, users will be able to resume local notebook creation in Evernote 6.5. The beta version of 6.5 is readily available to download, and includes the local notebook feature in it.

If you're interested in downloading Evernote 6.5 Beta 2, please see the link below:

 

Thanks,