[missing-sync-winmobile-talk] Overwriting with old events - getting annoying

[Johannes Gebauer]

I finally found out what is happening.

Firstly, it has nothing to do with corrupt data. Nor is it a bug as such.

The problem is with how MS handles categories.

Here is what happens:

1) Addressbook:

If the device is set to all categories, but MS is set to sync only one 
category, eg "My contacts", this will happen:

When I enter a new contact on the device, it will be automatically 
categorized as "no category". When it syncs back to the Mac, it will 
also not be categorized, and then be deleted from the device, as such 
contacts are set to not be synced with the device. The contact is still 
on the Mac, but not in the "My contacts" group.

I can live with this problem. It can be completely avoided by setting 
all contacts to sync in MS. It can also be avoided by entering all 
contacts categorized as "My contacts" on the device. This happens 
automatically if the device is set to only show these contacts.

2) iCal

This is worse, at least for me.
If you have MS set up to only sync certain calendars to the device, and 
you enter an event on the device which is not categorized, it will be 
sorted into the calendar of your choice in iCal (this is necessary, as 
iCal doesn't allow events which do not belong into a calendar). However, 
this potential change of category is not synced back to the device, 
instead it is kept as non-categorized.
I have my device set up so it doesn't show all calendars (I like to hide 
my holidays calendar). A non-categorized event will therefore not show 
on the device.
As long as you use the normal calendar application exclusively, new 
events will automatically be sorted into _all_ catgegories which are 
currently selected to be displayed. However, if no categories are 
selected (ie all categories show), then new events will not be 
categorized. That's ok, as long as you keep this setting, but if you 
later change it to display only certain categories, such events will be 
hidden. Furthermore, they will still be in a certain calendar on the 
Mac, meaning that the data is different on the Mac and on the device.

This wouldn't probably bother me too much. However, I also use a little 
application on the device called "My Calendar" which has a much better 
monthly view of the calendar. I have this set as my main calendar 
application. However, it is not sensitive to categories, and any new 
events entered will default to no categories. In my setup, these events 
will be sorted into my normal calendar on the mac, but remain 
uncategorized on the device. They will show in the Mac calendar, and 
show on the device in My Calendar, but they will not be shown in the 
normal calendar application on the device, since un-categorized events 
are hidden.

I think there is an additional problem in that when I change such events 
on the Mac or the device, they will not be synced properly any more, 
instead I will get copies of them.

I think the solution to both problems would be this:
Addressbook: There should be a setting in MS to sort uncategorized 
contacts into a group of choice, and this should then be synced back 
also to the device.
Calendar: Although this setting is already present, it should also 
categorize the events on the device, and not leave them uncategorized.

I hope this will help understand others why there data seems to get lost 
when entered on the device. The good news is that it doesn't get lost, 
but it does get hidden.

Johannes
-- 
http://www.musikmanufaktur.com
http://www.camerata-berolinensis.de