Upgrade StorageIs it time to delete Zotfile and switch to Zotero Storage with file sync (paid plan)?
With the release of Zotero 6 + the iOS app, I find myself thinking I should make this change. When I initially set up Zotero, I was instructed to do so with certain plugins to support the workflow I was adopting (essentially a Zotero/Roam/R Markdown/Quarto or Zotero/Obsidian/R Markdown/Quarto workflow).
For context, my Zotero library now contains almost 1500 items.
Primary reasons I am considering making this change:
1. I will likely need a new machine in the next 12-18 months (MacBook Pro user) and I would like for that switch to be as seamless as possible.
It seems like Zotero sync (with file sync) would be the least complex option. I can see that it is possible to do this without it (all of my PDF files are stored in folders, created by Zotfile, in iCloud and/or Google Drive), but the process seems significantly more complex than it would be with Zotero's file sync option.
2. I am an iPad user (fully entrenched in the Apple ecosystem), and I would like to have access to my PDFs on the iPad.
I get that this can be done with WebDAV, but, again, this adds a layer of complexity that I'm not quite sure is worth it.
3. Zotfile is no longer supported and has not been for quite some time.
Reasons I am hesitant to make the change:
1. I don't know if moving away from Zotfile will break anything else in my workflow.
Seemingly, I am just using it for naming (will get to this next) and moving files. I am not aware of any other plugins that require Zotfile as a dependency of sorts?
2. I like the Zotfile naming conventions I have and I am not too fond of the Zotero options (even the hidden options).
The primary issue with file naming is that I would prefer not to have space in the file name, so "Zotero2022HowtoNotHaveSpace.pdf" instead of what Zotero gives me which is similar to "Zotero et al.2022How to Not Have Space.pdf"
I know that @dstillman and others have made the point that this is antiquated and there is no practical reason for avoiding spaces in file names (for pdfs at least), my programming brain is still not okay with it for some reason. Maybe I just need to get over it.
Configuring Zotfile to just rename the pdf files and leave them in the default Zotero storage subdirectory seems a bit challenging and perhaps error-prone?
It is also important to note that I have no issue with paying for Zotero's storage plan. I think, based on the size of my library, I would need the unlimited storage option. I feel that I get way more than $120/year worth of value from Zotero so this is not a deterrent at all.
Apologies for the long post. Just looking for some guidance and curious if anyone else has recently made a similar switch. With all of the updates to Zotero 6, Zotfile seems to be necessary for very few use cases (completely replaced the Zotfile/mdNotes workflow with native annotations).
Also, the process for switching over my current linked files to stored files is not exactly trivial, but IIRC it shouldn't be super complex.
Any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks in advance!
For context, my Zotero library now contains almost 1500 items.
Primary reasons I am considering making this change:
1. I will likely need a new machine in the next 12-18 months (MacBook Pro user) and I would like for that switch to be as seamless as possible.
It seems like Zotero sync (with file sync) would be the least complex option. I can see that it is possible to do this without it (all of my PDF files are stored in folders, created by Zotfile, in iCloud and/or Google Drive), but the process seems significantly more complex than it would be with Zotero's file sync option.
2. I am an iPad user (fully entrenched in the Apple ecosystem), and I would like to have access to my PDFs on the iPad.
I get that this can be done with WebDAV, but, again, this adds a layer of complexity that I'm not quite sure is worth it.
3. Zotfile is no longer supported and has not been for quite some time.
Reasons I am hesitant to make the change:
1. I don't know if moving away from Zotfile will break anything else in my workflow.
Seemingly, I am just using it for naming (will get to this next) and moving files. I am not aware of any other plugins that require Zotfile as a dependency of sorts?
2. I like the Zotfile naming conventions I have and I am not too fond of the Zotero options (even the hidden options).
The primary issue with file naming is that I would prefer not to have space in the file name, so "Zotero2022HowtoNotHaveSpace.pdf" instead of what Zotero gives me which is similar to "Zotero et al.2022How to Not Have Space.pdf"
I know that @dstillman and others have made the point that this is antiquated and there is no practical reason for avoiding spaces in file names (for pdfs at least), my programming brain is still not okay with it for some reason. Maybe I just need to get over it.
Configuring Zotfile to just rename the pdf files and leave them in the default Zotero storage subdirectory seems a bit challenging and perhaps error-prone?
It is also important to note that I have no issue with paying for Zotero's storage plan. I think, based on the size of my library, I would need the unlimited storage option. I feel that I get way more than $120/year worth of value from Zotero so this is not a deterrent at all.
Apologies for the long post. Just looking for some guidance and curious if anyone else has recently made a similar switch. With all of the updates to Zotero 6, Zotfile seems to be necessary for very few use cases (completely replaced the Zotfile/mdNotes workflow with native annotations).
Also, the process for switching over my current linked files to stored files is not exactly trivial, but IIRC it shouldn't be super complex.
Any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks in advance!
I confess it took me some time to find a good workflow on syncing between my MacBook and my iPad using linked files +zotfiles and an good pdf reader . And I am not so sure I want to change my routine and pay for a cloud storage since I already have a good one from my institution.
What can you tell to convince me? :)