+gbal Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 I am a newcomer to Geocaching; recently I discovered the existence of the Drafts and I thought to use them as a personal, private memo for a cache I am looking for but not yet found. So I explored this possibility both writing a note by the Geocaching App and directly on the Geocaching website. The winning method (for me) is the App because the Draft I wrote appears on the Drafts list but is "private", just I can read it both on the App Drafts List and on the Website Drafts List. Unfortunately writing a long draft is not easy by the App. The more convenient way should be writing it on the PC, directly on the Geocaching Website. But there is a big difference: writing a note on the website is "public". Everybody could read what I think to be a personal note or draft. Also editing by PC a draft created initially using the App will be converted from private to public as I meant before. So I suggest to the developers to add (on the Draft PC editing) a switch to choose if the draft has to be private or public. This will guarantee the privacy of my notes until I will finish my search with a final log, found or not found!. Quote Link to comment
+icezebra11 Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Drafts are private. Click the little blue circle with the question mark in it and it tells you so. Happy caching! Quote Link to comment
+gbal Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 6 minutes ago, icezebra11 said: Drafts are private. Click the little blue circle with the question mark in it and it tells you so. Happy caching! Sorry, I can't see any little blue circle with a question mark inside..... And....I omitted to say that I cannot start a new draft on the PC but I can just edit a draft created by the App. Quote Link to comment
+HHL Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 (edited) On 27.6.2018 at 6:37 PM, gbal said: writing a note on the website is "public". Everybody could read what I think to be a personal note or draft. Do NOT log a note on the website. Use the Personal Cache Note instead. You can search for caches with your PCNs as well and put them on a Bookmark List for future reference (Downloading to a GPSr or the App). Hnas Edited July 12, 2018 by HHL Typo 1 Quote Link to comment
+icezebra11 Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Yep, I wasn't totally clear using just the word note. I definitely was referring to Personal Cache Note (since you won't find the blue circle with the question mark on the "Write Note" log page.) Quote Link to comment
+niraD Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Drafts (formerly called "field notes") are private. I use them as personal shorthand memos to myself, which I refer to while writing an actual log. That actual log can be a Find, a DNF, a Note, etc. Drafts are created with an app or with a GPS receiver, and are uploaded to the geocaching.com server. Drafts are private. Help Center articles related to drafts: https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=102&pgid=907 https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=138&pgid=548 Notes are a type of actual log. Like other actual logs, they are public. Help Center article related to log types: https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=107&pgid=534 Personal Cache Notes are a premium feature, and allow premium members to create personal cache notes, which are private. Here is a Help Center article on premium vs basic features of Groundspeak's Geocaching apps: https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=102&pgid=764 2 2 Quote Link to comment
+gbal Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 1 minute ago, niraD said: Drafts (formerly called "field notes") are private. I use them as personal shorthand memos to myself, which I refer to while writing an actual log. That actual log can be a Find, a DNF, a Note, etc. Drafts are created with an app or with a GPS receiver, and are uploaded to the geocaching.com server. Drafts are private. Help Center articles related to drafts: https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=102&pgid=907 https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=138&pgid=548 Notes are a type of actual log. Like other actual logs, they are public. Help Center article related to log types: https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=107&pgid=534 Personal Cache Notes are a premium feature, and allow premium members to create personal cache notes, which are private. Here is a Help Center article on premium vs basic features of Groundspeak's Geocaching apps: https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=102&pgid=764 Ok, at last you did clarity! After the former answers I suspected that PCN (that I can't see at all) is usable only by the Premium Members (I am Basic one). Thank very much to you all. Quote Link to comment
+icezebra11 Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Didn't even realize personal notes were PMO. Thanks niraD. Sorry about the misdirection gbal. 1 Quote Link to comment
+HHL Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Sorry, I missed the PM aspect of PCNs as well. Sorry again Quote Link to comment
+NYPaddleCacher Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 On 6/27/2018 at 1:25 PM, icezebra11 said: Didn't even realize personal notes were PMO. Thanks niraD. Sorry about the misdirection gbal. I didn't realize this either. I've never used them. I'd rather keep a little notepad and write down anything I want to remember about the cache with a pen and paper. I supposed PCNs are a little more convenient but using a pen and paper is hardly a chore. 1 Quote Link to comment
+kunarion Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 (edited) On 7/10/2018 at 8:20 AM, NYPaddleCacher said: I didn't realize this either. I've never used them. I'd rather keep a little notepad and write down anything I want to remember about the cache with a pen and paper. I supposed PCNs are a little more convenient but using a pen and paper is hardly a chore. Yes! I have a leetle "Indiana Jones Diary" style notebook for any cache notes. Diagrams, codes, clues, formulas, coordinates, it's all there. No photos in that book, but some basic drawings. I also have a word processor on my phone, but typing on that tiny keyboard is no good. If I have a lot of stuff to type, such as a single impossible Puzzle cache, I have individual PC word processor files and photos for those (which can be sent to the phone). Anyone who's seen all the posts of issues with Drafts and Personal Cache Notes knows not to rely on those. That is, they work in a limited way, and only on certain devices. A hard-bound journal works even if you're a basic member, and it doesn't lose all its formatting after a site change, nor fail if you add an ASCII symbol . Edited July 11, 2018 by kunarion Quote Link to comment
+cerberus1 Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 On 7/10/2018 at 8:20 AM, NYPaddleCacher said: I've never used them. I'd rather keep a little notepad and write down anything I want to remember about the cache with a pen and paper. I supposed PCNs are a little more convenient but using a pen and paper is hardly a chore. Same here. I'd really like to have the tech knowledge of HHL, but dyslexic old farts just can't get there. Mini composition book, Rite in Rain notepad, or just an index card (if only one cache), and a couple pens kept me wordy on logs since we started. Quote Link to comment
+gbal Posted July 12, 2018 Author Share Posted July 12, 2018 Many compliments to whom still use our dear pencil & notebook! Quote Link to comment
+NYPaddleCacher Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 On 7/11/2018 at 11:16 AM, cerberus1 said: Same here. I'd really like to have the tech knowledge of HHL, but dyslexic old farts just can't get there. Mini composition book, Rite in Rain notepad, or just an index card (if only one cache), and a couple pens kept me wordy on logs since we started. Having the tech knowledge or access to technology isn't an issue for me (I've been a software developer for 40 years). Part of my job description is a technology strategist but I still hold the belief that just because one can use technology to do something doesn't mean that one must or even should use technology for everything. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
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