How to disable the super annoying hidden DevonThink 3 keyboard shortcuts (tip)

Glad I’m not the only one suffering from this.

It’s true that many apps come with their own shortcuts, but still rare to see one as arrogant as DEVONthink, taking up global shortcuts without proper notice. (If there is notice during install that DEVONthink is taking Cmd + /, then my bad). For ones who need and do take global shortcuts, they usually properly inform users during onboarding (see CleanShots X, LaunchBar, Alfred, etc).

And taking up Cmd + /, I don’t know how to describe it, just feel like another level of arrogance. To my knowledge, probably only Apple taking .key suffix for Keynote is comparable to this; I guess the developers of DEVONthink don’t actually use their own product? :smiley:

(sorry if being a bit mean. just found this unbelievable)

Yeah, you might want to let off a little. Sure, make your point - but I’m convinced your tone is much more likely to make people ignore your opinion than if you provided a reasoned argument, something to which DT have shown time and time again they are open to. My own opinion of course.

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So by default this is a keyboard shortcuts that is set by a virgin macOS and therefore might be called “global” but is actually only active in the Finder, i. e. one “app”.

It’s definitely rare to see an app coming with as many functions as DEVONthink which might have to do with using a lot of keyboard shortcuts.

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your tone is much more likely to make people ignore your opinion

True, I agree. Thanks for pointing that out.

DT have shown time and time again they are open to.

IMO, not.

So by default this is a keyboard shortcuts that is set by a virgin macOS and therefore might be called “global” but is actually only active in the Finder , i. e. one “app”.

By “global” I mean this Cmd+/ is taken by DEVONthink globally, despite the fact that the top 10 most popular (if not every single, which I doubt) GUI code editor / IDE, by default, uses this as “comment the current line”.

It’s definitely rare to see an app coming with as many functions as DEVONthink which might have to do with using a lot of keyboard shortcuts.

  1. IMO, rich functionality does not justify a questionable decision.
  2. I’m not arguing DEVONthink has too many shortcuts [1].
  3. DEVONthink takes a globally effective shortcut without noticing [2], when it is an almost standard shortcut taken by essential software in developer community (and plus people in scholar community using LaTeX).

  1. although my first thought is that it is bad as it increases the possibility to conflict with other apps. ↩︎

  2. as no one has pointed out, I assume there is not. ↩︎

We will agree not to agree - I’ve been on the receiving end of great support and changes implemented following suggestions I’ve made, so I’m pretty sure I know what I think and why. I don’t expect every suggestion to be implemented though - I’m only one customer, and what’s good for me isn’t necessarily good for another or for DT.

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I agree with @Blanc, I’ve had excellent support whenever I’ve needed it. (I also think people’s tones are needlessly aggressive in this thread. I get that it’s frustrating, but we’re all imperfect humans with feelings.)

With regards to apps “taking over” when they should not, I will note that I had this problem with a third party app recently, which affected among other things how I viewed Markdown in DT, and Jim kindly helped me fix it even though the problem had been caused by another app making changes to my default settings without my knowledge.

With regards to shortcuts in general, I use a great free app called CheatSheet (which was recommended in the “top tip” window when you open DT if you’ve not disabled that!). At any time (in any window!), you can press and hold the cmd key, and it will show a sheet of all the shortcuts available in the current window. It is SO GREAT!

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For that I am aware of, thank you for your recommendation.