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I *HATE HATE HATE* numbered automatic list formatting.


Mike the human

Idea

Not much to say other than that. It trips me up every single day. I'm not stupid, I'm actually capable of typing things the way I want them, and don't need a program to "helpfully" force me to do it its way instead of how I wanted it. Evernote support said I should post it here. So here I am.

Major fail, and it scares me for the future of Evernote that they think it's better to treat their users like idiots who are incapable of deciding on something as simple as formatting. I hate "automatic formatting" enough to think maybe there's some other note-keeping solution besides that doesn't treat me like I'm stupid, and just gets out of the way and lets me do my work.  

Evernote UX designers: Are you not aware of the DECADES of user complaints about MS Word for doing this exact sort of thing? People HATE it.

At least give us the option to turn it off, rather than forcing it down our throats. Otherwise it just reminds me, every time I use Evernote, that you think your users are idiots who have to be shown how to make a freaking list.

There you go, Evernote support, I posted here like you asked. Now I'm going to go shop for a serious note-keeping solution.

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I'm using 6.11, the latest version. If you're talking about the "keyboard shortcuts create lists, lines, and emojis" preference, I have that unchecked. It doesn't matter. 

Attached is an example of what I'm talking about. I tried to use Evernote to take meeting notes the other day, and it made its own scrambled hash out of my list by replacing my item numbers with insanely scattered random numbering.

Why does the numbering start with "4" instead of "1"? Why are some blank lines numbered, and some aren't? What does any of this have to do with the actual, sensible notes numbering as I actually wrote them? Why is a program I pay to use overwriting my input with nonsense, instead of letting me number items the way I want? Why hasn't Evernote learned from 25 years of users complaining about this function in MS Word? How am I supposed to make productive use out of this? What about when I sometimes have to share notes with a client, am I supposed to show them this insane mess? Or am I expected to also keep simultaneous notes in a second note-taking app just so I can have something to share that doesn't make me look completely incompetent to them?

I don't have the answers to any of these questions, but I know I'm wondering why I'm paying money for an app that makes nonsense out of my notes against my wishes, steadfastly prohibiting me with an iron hand from taking my notes the way I need them.

It's just beyond me why a company would go out of their way to take power away from their users and force them to involuntarily submit to crazy, uncontrollable, senseless numbering schemes. Why would anybody ever want this "feature"? I want my notes the way I type them. I don't want software changing them against my will! I don't understand why that even needs to be said. 

Am I really the only person who finds this UX design completely insane? How can an app that does this to my notes be taken seriously as a note-taking solution?

Screen Shot 2017-05-07 at 7.42.15 PM.png

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  • Level 5*

Hmmn.  No clue why the auto numbering is still working if you have the option deselected.  We're (mainly) users here in the Forum,  not Evernote staff.  Reach out to Support direct if you're a paying customer on https://help.evernote.com/hc/requests/new or tweet them via https://twitter.com/evernotehelps

Meantime you could try re-ticking the autoformat options and exiting Evernote,  then log back in and untick it again,  or uninstall / reinstall EVernote in case there's a corrupted file somewhere...

 

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I'll try logging out & in again.

Evernote support are the ones who told me to post here, apparently they don't care if only one user complains, they said to post here and if other people chimed in maybe they'd eventually do something about it.

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  • Level 5*
5 minutes ago, Mike the human said:

I'll try logging out & in again.

Evernote support are the ones who told me to post here, apparently they don't care if only one user complains, they said to post here and if other people chimed in maybe they'd eventually do something about it.

Fair enough - good luck with the logging out/ in;  let's see if anyone else has any comments or bright ideas  :)

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