Evernote — A Bloggiesta Fall 2012 Mini-Challenge
Update, 3-21-2013: As far as I know, this information is still a good starting point for Evernote. Let me know if you see any problems or have any questions by commenting on this post: Bloggiesta Spring 2013.
Welcome to the Evernote Mini-Challenge of Bloggiesta Fall 2012!
If this is the first you’re hearing of Bloggiesta, learn about this fun event for spiffing up your blog at Bloggiesta: Participants, Welcome! Lets Get Signed Up!
If you’re here to participate in the Evernote Mini-Challenge, let’s get started!
Evernote Defined
Evernote is note-taking software. I think of it as a bunch of spiral notebooks, but with the following advantages:
- I can type in them for faster and neater notes than in physical notebooks.
- I can search all of my notes, or the notes in just one notebook.
- I can move pages around and copy template pages from one notebook into another.
The advantage of Evernote over files on my computer is that, as they claim, “Evernote works with nearly every computer, phone, and mobile device out there.” It certainly works with all of mine. So, I can write itinerary ideas with addresses in Evernote on my computer in St. Louis and synch to my tablet so the information is available in my hotel room in Dublin even without the Internet. Shopping lists are typed on the computer, but accessed on my phone. When I’m out and about, I use the voice entry feature on my phone to make notes in Evernote that I can correct and organize later on my computer. If you have both home and work computers, Evernote is an excellent way to keep important notes synched between the two parts of your life.
Evernote is the foundation of my day, where I keep daily checklists, a log/journal, templates for my online activities, and notes on every topic of interest (and I have lots of interests).
Evernote for Readers
I still use Goodreads for my master To Be Read list, but Evernote could work for that and has one terrific advantage. You can use the Evernote web clipper to clip a book review from a blog and have the whole post available in Evernote with a link back to the original post in one easy button. That way, you know who recommended the book and why it appealed to you. To do that in Goodreads, I have to cut and paste the link in the Private notes and then remember to look at that field when I’m writing up my review to give appropriate credit.
I use Evernote as a companion to Goodreads by making themed lists of books I might read, but haven’t committed to any particular title. All year, I keep a running list of books that might be good for the Diversity Book Club. Those are the books I requested from the library so that I have them for our annual book selection meeting and pot luck supper this Thursday.
Of course, Evernote is an excellent place to keep notes while you’re reading before they are ready to turn into a blog post.
Evernote for Bloggers
Here are some ways I use Evernote to support my blogging:
- I keep the html code of my blog link so that I can cut and paste it into comment blocks that don’t have a place to enter my URL.
- I store the Twitter handles of Readers’ Workouts participants so I can inform them on Tuesday morning that the new linky is ready.
- I maintain a running list of tasks to do during the next Bloggiesta.
- I jot down ideas for future posts and projects.
Other bloggers use Evernote to draft and format their posts. Michael Hyatt has a terrific post about how he does that: How to Use Evernote as a Blogger.
Evernote for Getting Things Done
Getting Things Done, or GTD, is a book and method by David Allen for, well, getting things done. It’s wildly popular on the Internet, with many ways of implementing it. I love the approach called The Secret Weapon that uses Evernote. There’s a terrific introductory video to both GTD and The Secret Weapon on YouTube: The Secret Weapon animation. If you like it, there are screencasts of how to implement the system in Evernote at The Secret Weapon.
Evernote: The Bloggiesta Mini-Challenge
Let’s give Evernote a try. You can start with a very small commitment, by setting up an account and using the web version of Evernote. To complete the Evernote Bloggiesta Mini-Challenge, do the following:
- Create an account at Evernote.
- Make a note (the big green button in the middle top), give it a title, and hit the Done button to complete it.
- Make a notebook (the little down arrow to the right of Notebooks).
- Drag and drop your note into the notebook.
- Make a comment to this post to let me know you’ve completed the challenge and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a $20 gift card to a mutually agreeable online or physical bookstore. I’m willing to work with an international winner, so sign up no matter where you are. (ETA: contest closed)
Woohoo! You’ve completed the mini-challenge.
Evernote beyond the Challenge
The next step is to take advantage of the multiple device capability of Evernote. Download it on the computer that you use the most and on any devices that will be convenient. I find the Windows interface easier and more feature-laden than the web version.
After that, learn about the web clipper for grabbing pages of interest on the Internet and storing them in a notebook: Evernote Web Clipper.
Then, learn about forwarding or sending email to a notebook in Evernote: Adding content to Evernote using email. I keep emails that are for long-term reference in Evernote. I’ve also sometimes used this feature to email a note to myself that I know I ultimately want in Evernote.
If you consider yourself a foodie, check out Evernote Food.
Evernote Questions, Ideas, Thoughts
What do you think of Evernote? Do you have any questions that I or the community of commenters might be able to answer? How do you think you’ll use Evernote?
If you’re already an Evernote user, tell us how you use Evernote, and I’ll enter you into the drawing for the $20 gift card, too. (ETA: contest closed)
I’ll do my drawing on Monday morning — be sure to fill out the email in the comment form correctly so I can get hold of the winner.
Thanks for playing along with this challenge and thanks to Suey at It’s All About Books and Danielle at There’s a Book for hosting Bloggiesta!
Fine print for the drawing:
By clicking on the Post Comment button to enter the giveaway, each entrant agrees to the following terms and conditions:
- I am 18 years old or older.
- I understand my email and other information will not be shared or sold to a third party.
- I understand my entry may be removed if I can not be reached by email within 24 hours of the drawing.
- Void where prohibited by law.
- No purchase is necessary to win.
- Odds of winning are based on the number of entries.
- Prize Value: $20
- This giveaway is sponsored by Joy Weese Moll. Joy Weese Moll is responsible for the delivery of prizes.
