Re Community user's Personal Information

[Billx]

For a long time, I have not been able to understand advice like the following:
'add a particular bit of information in the private notes field, which only you and the support staff can view.'
Does the 'private notes field' have a higher status than the other fields in personal information?
I.E. Do others, other than 'you and the support staff' have access to the other fields in personal information?

I thought I might ask this today, as it's not a busy time.

Bill

[Billx]

Off course. All done.

Thanks again.

[ferguson]

I thought that was clear. Unlike what you said. So can we close this now, please?

[Billx]

So you meant  all the fields are private, but  Signature field and Biography field are not.

Bill

[ferguson]

---

@Billx wrote:

But everything in Personal Information is Private Notes.

No it isn't. Do you understand now?

[Billx]

Thanks very much for unblocking @ferguson 

Yes, I know there is a Signature field and a Biography field.

However, I didn't understand when you said 'No it isn't'. When what isn't?

EDIT: Did you mean  all the fields are private, but  Signature field and a Biography field are not?

Bill

[Billx]

Very good.

Thanks very much @Gliwmaeden2 

Bill

[ferguson · Accepted solution]

@Billx 

No it isn't. There is a specific Signature field. And a Biography field where you can post general information about yourself if you wish. Both annotated as such.

Personally, I only give the reassurance that @Gliwmaeden2 has mentioned if a customer seems otherwise cagey about it having been asked to do so. Others prefer to pre-empt that. It's just a matter of choice amongst thos of use who are trying to help. 

I have unlocked the topic if you wish to respond, mainly to stop you posting another one.

[Gliwmaeden2]

This is not a "help" issue, @Billx, and is just clogging up the system as it will have entered the workflow queue.

It's not really a valid topic for support message boards  - perhaps use the lounge area?

Closing this to new posts. 

[Gliwmaeden2]

The core essentials are in Personal Information. 

Private Notes is a subsection of Personal Information, for any added information - even more important to reassure people it's private when they are discussing matters for relatives etc.

It's important to keep that sort of stuff separate so it's not confused with the account holder's core information. 

I put information in there when it's related to an issue with my service - save it for a while and remove it when it's no longer connected with the problem. 

Anything in Personal Information, main section, is permanently connected with the account holder. 

Anything in Private Notes, the subsection of Personal Information can be transient.

[Billx]

But everything in Personal Information is Private Notes.

Perhaps Privates Notes is misnamed, perhaps it could be additional notes.

Otherwise why not include 'which only you and the support staff can view' whenever  one is asked to complete Personal Information?

Bill

[Gliwmaeden2]

It's added to reassure people that it is not available to anyone else other than staff and the particular customer - some won't even begin to fill in their details without this assurance, @Billx.

It's been best to mention it rather than not, in order to prevent further delays in processing the actual issue that the customer is trying to deal with.

[Billx]

Very good.

So there is no need to include 'which only you and the support staff can view', when advice is specifically given to enter something in the private notes field.

Because 'which only you and the support staff can view' applies to all the fields.

Bill

[ferguson]

No. See if you can find anybody else's profile details.