Does this "blog/shared notes" exist?

[tsaint]

Hi,
situation:
2 people, one old, other young mother. Old won't be around many more years, fine with computer, has a paid web hosted account.
Mother fine on android phone, not really interested in computers.
Aim:
 to easily create a (roughly daily) record of new vocab, behaviours etc of 2 year old child for long term viewing within the family only, using android/windows s/w (NO apple)
Caveats:
1. MUST be able to easily retrieve the data (to text files preferably) at a later date when old person (me) gone
2. Both people must be able to independently "post" the info - probably like daily thoughts. Her thru android phone, me thru either android phone or computer
3. In the past I've set up wordpress blogs, with ability to email posts to blog. But I'm ruling out wordpress as the mother won't be able to extract the posts from the wp database
(I know it's possible, but it won't get done if I'm not around)
4. prefer to use my hosted service for safety. I do have a (new) synology NAS but I don't know enough about it yet to know whether it might provide part of a solution
5. I don't trust commercial online services, so not looking in that direction. I want more control/ownership of the files
 Suggestions would be appreciated thanks
Tony

[rjbull]

Maybe Simplenote?  It's a "free" cloud service by  Automattic (the people behind WordPress?) that you can access by browser or by their own (Electron behemoth) Windows app, or their Android app, but it can also be synchronized with CintaNotes (free and payware, I think even the free version will sync with Simplenote now) and ResophNotes (free, mentioned by wraith808 of this parish) on Windows, and with Glance Note on Android.  Certainly CintaNotes and Glance Note, and I think ResophNotes, keep their own local databases.

It's possible to use Simplenote collaboratively.

Big caveat; as a cloud service, you are at the mercy of their policies.  The ResophNotes site has a note that Simplenote might remove the API for third parties, though that hasn't happened yet, as far as I know.  Also, at present anyway, you can export from Simplenote to plain text files.

[Dormouse]

for long term viewing within the family only

-tsaint (February 12, 2022, 03:52 AM)

I think long-term viewing will require at least some video

[tsaint]

Maybe Simplenote?  It's a "free" cloud service by  Automattic (the people behind WordPress?) that you can access by browser or by their own (Electron behemoth) Windows app, or their Android app, but it can also be synchronized with CintaNotes (free and payware, I think even the free version will sync with Simplenote now) and ResophNotes (free, mentioned by wraith808 of this parish) on Windows, and with Glance Note on Android.  Certainly CintaNotes and Glance Note, and I think ResophNotes, keep their own local databases.

It's possible to use Simplenote collaboratively.

Big caveat; as a cloud service, you are at the mercy of their policies.  The ResophNotes site has a note that Simplenote might remove the API for third parties, though that hasn't happened yet, as far as I know.  Also, at present anyway, you can export from Simplenote to plain text files.

-rjbull (February 12, 2022, 03:49 PM)

Thanks RJBull... I looked at all of those, and in the end, went with the multiple o/s app "Diarium". Reason was sync was thru Dropbox (she has access to relevant folder), multiformat export capability and a backup function. Uncertainty about Simplenote API removal factored in my thinking too.

[tsaint]

for long term viewing within the family only

-tsaint (February 12, 2022, 03:52 AM)

I think long-term viewing will require at least some video

-Dormouse (February 12, 2022, 03:56 PM)

Thanks Dormouse...the "viewing" referred to viewing as in being able to read said notes. Sorry for my ambiguity.
As an aside, re video, a month ago, I purchased a new 5 TB hd and transferred a lot of scattered across many HDs "toddler" videos to it. Plan was to then get a second HD for back up.
2 weeks after the collation/consolidation the new HD died. BEFORE I backed it up My stupidity.
 2 reasons for not using a professional data recovery service: price, and fear of the photos and videos being onsold to paedophiles (Toddler is the cutest little girl)
Anyway, video backup is uppermost in my mind

[Dormouse]

in the end, went with the multiple o/s app "Diarium". Reason was sync was thru Dropbox (she has access to relevant folder), multiformat export capability and a backup function.

-tsaint (February 12, 2022, 11:19 PM)

I use Diarium, though usually for a very small simple set of things at any one time. Reliable and the developer is very helpful. I didnt think of it in relation to your search. 
There's an easy option to export any selection of notes into a PDF, which could be quite helpful for your purposes.

Obsidian would be another option, using one of the free Publish alternatives. I think I've seen some that could be locally hosted. Obsidian is complex if you let it be so, but you can keep it very simple if you want.

[4wd]

... I purchased a new 5 TB hd and transferred a lot of scattered across many HDs "toddler" videos to it.

-tsaint (February 12, 2022, 11:28 PM)

By transferred do you mean copy or move?

If it's copy you still have the original, just requires duplication of previous effort, (this time to dual externals).

If it's move, run recovery software, (Recuva, PhotoRec, etc), on the original HDDs, (hopefully you haven't written too much to them in the meantime), recovering to a new external and back it up.

[tsaint]

Thanks 4wd. Sad to say, I meant "moved".
And the hd reports as "unrecognized usb device" on 2 windows laptops. Disk manager, Easus partition manager, explorer2...nothing can see the hd. I'm sure i can hear the drive spinning, but no chatter from the heads, no other sound at all.
Disappointing, as it was very new, hadn't been dropped or otherwise mistreated. Because of foolish belief that new=should be ok is why I moved, not copied

[4wd]

I meant you can recover the files from the original drives even though they've been moved off it.
Unless you've done a lot of writing to them or securely moved, (wiped the space they occupied), then they should still be recoverable.

Also, what manufacturer/model of external are we talking about?
Sometimes it's just the USB interface board that dies, the HDD is still working and just requires removing from the case and rehousing.
Unfortunately not possible with WD 2.5" portables as they integrate the USB adaptor directly to the drive, (don't buy them unless you don't mind limiting your recovery options).
Some others makes/models may be the same.

For backups, a 3.5" external would be preferable, it gives you the above option should the interface fail.

Fwiw, generally the time an electronic device, (and mechanical to some degree), will fail is within a couple of months of it being put into service or nearing the end of its life.

If you're near Melbourne eastern suburbs let me know if want any help with either recovery off the original drives or rehousing the new drive, (if possible).

PS. I generally only check emails or the forum every 2 - 4 days.

[tsaint]

Thanks very much 4WD. I'm in Adelaide tho.
The drive in question never had any deletions, only read/writes. So the storage ought be in close to pristine condition.
It's a 2.5 portable wd, acting like it's dead (maybe as you suggest, dead usb interface board).
Given I can't get any computer to even recognize it as a valid device, I can't try any data recovery s/ware.
 From what you say, only option seems very expensive specialist data recovery service (pricing at their upper end) or being brutal and giving the
bloody thing a good thump (unbelievably optimistic)
 Now, all important data IS on 3.5 drives, each backed up