Notes created by me not showing

[meiphoo7-Mae]

Using the brand new notes functionality added in 60.2 I expected to be able to see my own notes that I attached to objects to appear on the map. Apparently they don't because I don't see any markers. When I go to an object of which I know that I have attached a note to it and click on it then I get a message stating: "Another person noted:" followed by the text of my own note. But this worked before even without the new functionality. So to actually find notes still requires trial and error. Unfortunately I can't test it in general because in my mapping area there are no notes created by other users.

So apparently:

1. Even with all relevant switches activated no markers of notes are shown (or my expectations are too high...)
2. The app doesn't even recognize notes created by me because it claims that: "Another person noted:".

How to Reproduce

• Activate: Settings > Show all notes
• Activate: Settings > Notes > "Show all notes" means ALL notes

Expected Behavior

Markers indicating notes created by me should become visible

Does it happen in normal StreetComplete?

No, normal StreetComplete doesn't have this function.

Versions affected

60.2 on Android 10.

Additional suggestion: It might be a plan to take a look at other similar open source projects. Organic Maps has a great bookmark system to put a private marker on any random position on the map and attach a private note to it.

[mnalis]

Activate: Settings > Notes > "Show all notes" means ALL notes

If (after changing those settings) you fully exit the SCEE and remove it from Android list of recent apps (i.e. swiping it up), and then start SCEE again, does the new setting take effect?

If it starts working correctly after that, then it is (unfortunately) known limitation, see SCEE FAQ: Some settings don't seem to change the behaviour

[meiphoo7-Mae]

No, I know about that limitation. For me it's really not working, not even after a reboot of my phone.

After some thinking I assumed it could be a problem related to the new map generating technology introduced in v59 that appears to decide on its own to hide things (even names of streets) when it is overcrowded with data, which problem I reported at SC months ago but what was more or less deemed as not important enough (or to put it differently: an upstream decision to do it like this). But interestingly: No, that isn't the case. Even if I use settings that generate an almost empty map (so no competing quests) I don't see any of my notes. That's still not a full blown test, but as I noted before there are no notes created by other users in my mapping area.

[mnalis]

No, I know about that limitation. For me it's really not working, not even after a reboot of my phone.

Interesting. Can you provide exact step-by-step instructions what are you pressing and which options are you choosing (and maybe elements) on which you see the problem, so I can try to reproduce? Or even better if you can produce a screencast video?

This screencast video show how it works for me (with both settings enabled):

Video (click to expand)

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a66ec18e-f6df-41fb-a039-384050e266ad

As you can see, even notes newly created by me, or commented on by me (even on my own notes) remains shown on the map. Only if I explicitly click to hide the note, does it get removed from the map. Does doing the exactly the same steps as I did in that video work for you? Or it behaves differently? Or maybe you are trying some different thing (GPX waypoint instead of OSM Note for example) ?

[meiphoo7-Mae]

Hmm, I believe I know what's up here. Can you repeat this and this time attach a note to a building or a road or something else that is not characterized as being a "thing"?

[mnalis]

Buildings and ways also work for me (of course if it was a long road or huge building, the note could be attached some places away on the center/centroid of that way/building) .

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a51e01b9-ed01-481c-a3ce-9ef9975cd68a

Could you share a video where it doesn't work for you @meiphoo7-Mae ?

[mnalis]

And just to make sure: you do have "Can you contribute anything to this note?" quest enabled in your current preset, yes?

If so, video of what you're doing would be very helpful. Currently I can not reproduce the problem. 🤷

[meiphoo7-Mae]

Yes, that quest is activated. Hmm, creating a video of the screen on Android? That's a new one for me. I know how to do it on a normal computer but on a mobile device...? I guess I need some more info on that. Also I guess that doesn't make sense anyway because the issue at hand is that 'notes created by me are NOT showing' so there's nothing to record except that the note is indeed not showing. I can only prove by a single screenshot that my notes are not showing but still you would see something like that 'another user' created a note at that same position which is also no prove that I created that specific note.

[mcliquid]

Hmm, creating a video of the screen on Android?

You can try if this general tutorial works for you: https://support.google.com/android/answer/9075928?hl=en

[mnalis]

Also I guess that doesn't make sense anyway because the issue at hand is that 'notes created by me are NOT showing' so there's nothing to record except that the note is indeed not showing.

@meiphoo7-Mae It would show that we're not misunderstanding what you are saying, and more importantly also leave us perfectly clear step-by-step instructions as to what exactly is needed to reproduce the problem (which is prerequisite for trying to fix it). As the saying goes, picture is worth a thousand words - and a video a million.

I can only prove by a single screenshot that my notes are not showing but still you would see something like that 'another user' created a note at that same position which is also no prove that I created that specific note.

Here is how I envisioned such a video:

• disable auto upload (important, as to avoid messing up real OSM data!)
• you go to same place on the map where there are some notes visible created by other users
• you click on one of those notes by other users, and leave a test comment
• you click on the undo, and undo your Note comment
• you long press on empty part of the screen, and create your new test note there
• you click on the undo, and undo your new Note
• you click on some quest, and choose Uhhhh / Leave note and create a new note
• you click on the undo, and undo that quest Note too
• scroll through both the settings related to notes as well as a about/version screen.

that should cover all possible issues and leave us all the information to see exactly what is happening and in which codepaths, so we can reproduce the issue (and then work to fix it). Or, it might show that some of your notes are actually being visible and that the problem is something else (perhaps misunderstanding on unclear documentation). Or something else! In any case, such video going through the steps outlined above would be extremely helpful.

[mnalis]

And if you @meiphoo7-Mae are still unable to create such video (perhaps due to some android ROM version which might not have it?), let us know, and we'll try to gather information with just pictures and text (but beware that it might likely involve several rounds with dozens of questions, which would be much more work on everyone involved compared to a simple video)

[mnalis]

@meiphoo7-Mae did you have any luck creating screencast video for this SCEE issue?

If not, would you like to try alternative method of several pictures and descriptions to explain exact step-by-step output, so people can try to reproduce the issue?

[mnalis]

After further rereading, something caught my eye, and now I think there might be some confusion about the term "Note" @meiphoo7-Mae

There are two things that might be meant by that term "Note":

• The real OpenStreetMap Notes, i.e. a standalone pointers on the map containing text (and possibly URL links to pictures), unconnected to regular OSM Elements (nodes, ways, relations). Those notes are shown as red drops with white "X" sign when one clicks Layers / Map Notes on www.openstreetmap.org map, or as red drops with "?" sign in SCEE when "Can you contribute anything to this note?" SCEE quest is enabled. You create those Notes in SCEE by long-pressing on the screen and choosing "Create new note", or by answering any quest with "Uh..." / "Can't say" / "Leave note" It is only those Notes that are affected by Settings > Show all notes and Settings / Notes / "Show all notes" means ALL notes

• note=* tag on any regular OSM element (i.e. node, way, or relation), which is a regular tag like any other that that element may contain (e.g. like lit=yes or highway=residential or fixme=continue). That note=* tag is shown as additional text "Another person noted: xxxx" when solving quests on that element on which note=* tag is present. Such tag is created by SCEE only if you use raw tag editor feature of expert mode, and typing note=* key and value manually. Raw tag editor is also the only way to remove or modify that note=* tag in SCEE.
  Also, that text is always fixed "Another person noted" - regardless if it was you or anybody else who added that tag.

---

So, with that being explained, let's get back to initial post:

1. Even with all relevant switches activated no markers of notes are shown (or my expectations are too high...)

Yes, if I'm correct that it is this misunderstanding outlined above, then I'd say it was "too high expectations", as those switches only relate to OSM notes (first bulletpoint above) and not any element tags (like note=* or fixme=*; i.e. second bulletpoint above).
The similar naming of "OSM notes" and "note=* tag" is unfortunate, but the two are completely unrelated.

2. The app doesn't even recognize notes created by me because it claims that: "Another person noted:".

Yes, it is always the same fixed string "Another person noted:" (regardless of who actually added or edited a note=* tag). SC(EE) does not even have an idea who created what element or which tag was added/modified in which revision of the element. So, just like it can't know that it was you who added opening_hours=* tag to some shop, it also cannot know that it was you who added note=* tag.

Perhaps the text is unfortunate; maybe it would be less confusing if it said "Someone noted:" instead. As that text "Another person noted:" is part of upstream StreetComplete code, such change should be suggested there if you think that (or something similar) might help.

Expected Behavior Markers indicating notes created by me should become visible

As for this, if you want to see on the map all elements which have note=* tag set (and not only if there is some unanswered regular quest on them, and you try to solve it and see "Another person noted:" text), you can:

• create Custom Overlay to show elements having note tag (and have that overlay active), or
• abuse/repurpose one of the "POI:" quests you don't use otherwise (e.g. "POI: seating") and replace its element selection with " nodes, ways, relations with note" (requires expert mode enabled to be able to change element selection).

Does that solve your issue @meiphoo7-Mae ?

[mnalis]

No response, so I'll assume this was just a misunderstanding what is considered as "Note" (hopefully cleared up by the post above), as the wording seemed to indicate.

If not, please leave a comment with more details / screenshots / video showing the problem.

[meiphoo7-Mae]

Sorry, I forgot about this issue. Your explanation covers the problem, thanks...! I'm not using SCEE for this anymore because I figured out that my regular navigational tool (OSMAnd) supports this and is also capable of managing personal notes at of near objects of interest without uploading the notes to OSM; a feature that I mentioned before in another issue which I can't find at this moment.