Viewable/editable backup file on SkyDrive
Not sure if this is even doable, but I'd like to be able to edit or at least view (in a user-friendly way, not as an encoded xml file) the items in my lists on PC, via the backup file on SkyDrive.
I know you guys are trying to keep the app simple and true to its original philosophy (I admire this attitude, by the way) and perhaps you will be against this idea, but since the backup is a .txt file anyway, it would be nice if it served an additional purpose other than only being a backup file.
Hi Jan,
Thanks for detailing the scenarios where you would find this feature useful. It’s very helpful!
After spending some time considering this feature, I believe that in order to make the feature simple and practical enough for the average person, a full sync feature would need to be created.
Consider the scenario where you backup your tasks from your phone and then later add some new tasks X and Y. Then, while at your PC, you update the backup file and add task Z.
Now, if you restore the backup file from your phone, you’ll then have task Z (created on your PC) on your phone, but you’ll wipe out the tasks X and Y that were created on your phone but weren’t backed up.
Or, if you backup your new X and Y tasks from your phone, you’ll wipe out task Z that you created on your PC.
Either way, you’ll lose some data, and you’ll begin to lose trust in the reliability of the app, which, if you’ve read my blog, you’ll know defeats the entire purpose of the app: Peace of mind.
You sound like you may be an expert computer user, and you may be able to manage this problem by carefully keeping track of your backups and making sure that you don’t overwrite changes.
However, in my opinion, this is not reasonable for the average person for which this app is intended. It’s just too complicated and risky for them, and I feel like I would be doing them a disservice by introducing this feature.
That said, I do see some benefit to making your scenarios possible via a sync process that ensures that data is not lost, no matter where it is created, and further, that changes made on your PC automatically show up on your phone and vice-versa, without having to use the backup and restore feature.
Unfortunately, however, this is more of an investment of resources than I can commit to at this time or in the foreseeable future.
So, in Sooner Or Later terms (as I preach in my blog and strive to live up to in my real life), this one goes into my “Never” list, since even though I would like to do it, it’s just not realistic.
I do thank you for the idea, though, and if I do have the resources to create this feature in the future, I’ll let you know here.
Thanks again!
-David
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Jan commented
Hey David,
I absolutely understand your decision and thank you for the detailed reply.I already love the app, as it is, and can surely live without the sync option, it's not a problem really. I'll rather have the app lack a feature than let a feature break the app's perfect functionality.
Thanks for your time.
All the best,
Jan
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Jan commented
Hi David,
sure, here are some scenarios wherein editing the backup file would come in handy:I'm working on my PC and realize I have a new task to finish today. I can't find my phone or my phone is far away and I don't want to leave the computer just to enter the new task. I open the backup file on the PC, add a new task to the list, close the .txt file and let SkyDrive sync. When I leave the computer I'll just "restore" the SkyDrive backup on my phone and the new item pops up on the phone as well.
or…
My phone is far away or I can't find it again and can't remember the things I need to do. I want to check the list. I can go search for my phone or I can just open the desktop shortcut to the .txt file and check the items right away.
or…
I have an extended list of items on a 3rd party (non-Sooner or Later) app/server/site/list and want to move multiple items from there to the Sooner or Later app. I just open the .txt file, Ctrl+c & Ctrl+v the items, modify the items to meet proper formatting and let SkyDrive sync. On the app I just restore the .txt file and have all the new items available without the need to rewrite all of them manually.
…the third example being the one I'd use the most. I've been using workflowy.com for storing and managing many various extensive lists and since I've found Sooner or Later I often find myself manually rewriting items from Workflowy to SoL, depending on my current needs.
Thanks for your consideration.