Can we change the attitude from Evernote company?

[Mark Jantzen]

I just wish they'd get the basics right.

I find the iPad app unreliable as it crashes and loses notes often.

I've experienced so many lost notes or parts of notes that I'm very close to giving up on this tool. I've been using it as a compliment to my main GTD tool (OmniFocus) for things like random notes, ideas, action support and reference.

Today was my last straw. Took really good notes during the Keys to GTD Webinar and after sync ... poof, gone.

Hoping I'll get home and find them in version history.

My Premium subscription is feeling like wasted ... I'll stop now.

[mcogilvie]

I'm not having problems with the new iOS version of Evernote, but I can't say I like it much either. It feels like feature churn: no improvements, just change. I'm rethinking my use of it.

[MarkDillon]

Andrii,

I understand, and have been where you are, when it comes to wanting Evernote to be different.

I started with Evernote as my platform of choice to implement GTD in my life. I enjoyed much of what they offer and I was always surprised, and pleased, that I never had to pay for the service. I too didn't find it perfect for me but I tried to accept it as is and enjoy it for what it did while I kept searching for a platform that works for me.

It investigated a few programs, heck...several, and finally found a system that I feel is exactly what I need. It's such a good fit for me I would say that if I had the talent to create a platform for my GTD system I wouldn't change a thing from what I now have.

When it comes to asking Evernote to make changes I encourage you to send them a suggestion, because I believe the end user often had great ideas, and be prepared for them to not find your suggestions as wonderful as you think they are.

Lastly, specific tweaks to a system sure make implementing GTD a pleasure and the most important thing is to grasp GTD and you can make it work on any platform...from paper to the highest tech system.

[mak2011]

GTD does not recommend that you attach a due date to anything outside of your calender. so even if evernote had a built in reminder function GTD advises against using it

[TesTeq]

GTD does not recommend that you attach a due date to anything outside of your calender. so even if evernote had a built in reminder function GTD advises against using it

I think you can attach due dates to Projects and Next Actions.

If these actions are not elements of your hard-landscape (calendar), the "due date" information is just an awarness-enhancing piece of data - not an action trigger.

[mak2011]

Tes, I’m always honored to get tips and pointers from the more seasoned GTDers, so thank you for that.
As for evernote and reminders, I actually tweeted a corny tweet about a year ago to their CEO saying something like " alerts are to evernote as peanut butter is to jelly" or something like that! I've yet to receive a reply from him though (H'mm, I wonder why?!)

Because I moved my entire system to evernote I was forced to minimize my use of alerts and reminders since that had to be done through outlook. However, now I'm actually quite convinced that eliminating reminders from your system, other than your calendar, makes much more sense from a productivity perspective because:

a- The use of reminders in addition to calendared items obscures the truly important things that needs attention (this is the obvious drawback as David Allen frequently emphasis)

b- A more discrete, and arguably more detrimental, downside to using alerts particularly for action items is that it becomes a backdoor for ABC/Priority based flagging of actions.
When I was using alerts for actions I sparsely looking at my action lists and instead relied heavily on the action reminders I created (my thinking went as follows: if the action was important I would have flagged it)

So for now, I’ll stick to the tickler system (digital and physical) and see how it works out

[enyonam]

I wanted to add my voice here as a very happy Evernote GTD'er.

Personally, I think Evernote should maintain their vision and not be swayed by a small subgroup of users ... whether they be GTDers or not. I wouldn't want another small group of users influencing Evernote with functionality that suits only them, and makes the system more cumbersome for me.

And I think one of the skills we build as GTDers is making our ecosystems work, regardless of the tools we have at hand. I don't think we have to all use the same tools .. infact, I don't think that would work. I like the freedom that DAC allows for different vendors to build or customise tools as they see fit. I've used 3 or 4 different tools for my list manager to date, and if my environment changes, I'd like to be able to switch my ecosystem.

Having said all that, I really like my Evernote setup. I don't want the calendar in Evernote ... I am sure other calendar applications would be better than what Evernote comes up with. If a vendor decides to put it in the trunk I might consider it but Google Calendar work well for me.

I have only one item on my Evernote wish list and that is the ability to navigate from a note to the related notebook.

FYI - I've written more about my Evernote setup on my blog: www.enyonam.com.
And I'll have to write a post about how I deal with dates in Evernote.

[fokke.kooistra]

I wanted to add my voice here as a very happy Evernote GTD'er.

+1 on that one.

I have been using Evernote as my primary GTD system ever since they started. It is for me the most versatile and powerful way of managing my tasks and projects.

[Matthew1]

I wouldn't mind having some sort of built in reminder system and link with a calendar in Evernote.

Evernote's CEO is giving us some hope in this interview
http://lifehacker.com/5982051/im-phi...-is-how-i-work

Now one of the questions is ”What’s your favorite to-do list manager?”

Phil Libin answers ”You know, I don’t actually have one. I use Evernote, which isn’t particularly great for to-dos yet. Yet.”

So it seems to me some new features are to be expected.

PS: Fokke and Enyonam, I will now check out your blogs!

[fokke.kooistra]

PS: Fokke and Enyonam, I will now check out your blogs!

Hi Matt,

Thanks for your post. And great to see that we both live in Europe. Maybe we can meet up someday to exchange ideas about GTD and Evernote.