Interested in Journler? Be sure you have read the Journler 2.6 announcement and looked over the FAQ. Journler 2.6 will be the last official version of Journler. Journler will then be open sourced and Sprouted development on Journler will end.


Journler 2.5 Does Not Support Encryption

Journler 2.5 was released on March 22, 2007. Journler 2.5 boasts a number of improvements and additions, but at the same time a couple of features have been removed. Old AppleScripts no longer work because of the new AppleScript dictionary, and encryption is no longer supported.

Users who had encrypted their data with Journler v2.0.2 or earlier must decrypt their journal before proceeding with the upgrade. Journler 2.5 completely drops support for encryption and cannot convert old, encrypted data. Your journal must be decrypted first.

If you have already replaced v2.0.2 with v2.5, you will need to download the old version and run it once, decrypting your journal. Simply download Journler v2.0.2 and run it like you normally do. To decrypt your journal go to the Security preferences panel and choose No encryption. You are now ready to proceed with v2.5.

Why No More Support For Encryption?

1. Encryption is difficult to code
Maintaining an enrypted journal is not a simple process. I feel the time spent coding this feature could be better spent on other features.

2. Encryption can cause problems for the user
Using an encrypted journal on a second computer or restoring data from an encrypted journal is not a self-evident process. The costs in terms of time to the user and user support are high.

3. Encrypted data is difficult to recover
Code is not perfect, and neither are people. A mistake on my part or on a system enigineer's part, or a mistake on the user's part could lead to complete data loss. From my perspective the potential for serious problems outweighs the possible benefits.

Can I Encrypt My Journal Another Way?

Yes you can, but it will require a 3rd party solution. MacOS 10.4 includes built-in support for a completely encrypted home folder. You may also uses the standard Encrypted Disk Image. Solutions from other developers are available as well. Please be aware that no support will be provided for the use of a 3rd party security solution.
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