I would like to request an enhancement to the Notes functionality in Writer.  I 
would like to be able have a user-definable 'attribute' on each note with the 
following properties:

	1:  The attribute provides a text name to be a 'type' for the note, 
selected from a user-defined list.
	2:	The type can be changed for an existing note.
	3:	Extend the current (very nice) layout/formatting of notes to 
assign (or allow assignment) of different background colours/shading/texture 
for each note 'type'
	4:	The notes view in navigator should distinguish between the 
types of note (options to group/sort by type would be very nice, but I wouldn't 
want to push my luck)
	5:	Note deletion should be limitable to a single note type, just 
as at present the notes for a single user can be deleted, or all notes can be 
deleted.
	6:	Note types would need a maintenance screen somewhere - I 
imagine this would depend on whether the definitions were based on installation 
instance, template or individual documents.  (My first instinct would be the 
template, with override at document level.)
	7:	If no types are defined, then presumably the system would 
define a 'default' type and hide the type-selection functionality until a user 
added more types.
	
Background explanation:
I use the notes functionality quite extensively and I find that for my own 
purposes, I want two different kinds of note, ideally readily distinguishable 
on the screen. (I could get something similar by logging-off and then logging-
on again as a second 'dummy' user, but that's a bit cumbersome.)

When I am preparing a document in conjunction with my partner, we will put 
notes in to highlight text which needs correcting, points needing clarifying 
etc, and over the course of preparing the final draft the notes are generally 
removed once we are both satisfied with the changes.

So far, so good, and well supported by the notes functionality as it stands.  
However, I also like to put in what might be described as 'meta data' notes.  
These are intended as reminders to myself or my partner what a particular 
paragraph, bullet point etc is meant to be for.  This is not information meant 
for the final recipient of the document, but as an additional layer of 
information for the benefit of the author(s).  It helps take some of the pain 
out of conversations which go 'That discussion paper we prepared last year... 
why did we say XXXX in paragraph four?'

At present, both of these types of note (content-correction & meta-data) are 
only distinguished by either reading them, or putting some sort of textual 
title at the top of the meta-data notes to help them stand out.  With the above 
requested functionality, I would be able to choose between entering two 
different types of note (or setting the note type once it was inserted) which 
would be visually distinguishable on the screen.

My specific approach to document preparation only needs two different types, 
but from a general point of view, simply having a generic 'attribute' with a 
user-definable set of values would probably be better. I am sure that there 
would be users out there who might want more than two flavours of note.  I can 
already see that if this functionality existed, we might well start using three 
note types: [issue_needs_fixing, meta-data, issue_is_fixed] which would allow 
us to easily track and then keep the discussion trail which led to the final 
draft as well as the meta-data and still be clear when issues were and were not 
resolved by changing the note type from '_needs_' to '_is_' fixed as we deal 
with each item.  

Clearly there is scope for confusion if you have multiple users working on a 
document and each can declare their own flavours of note. I can see a case for 
it being solely the document originator who defines note types, or note types 
are made common and accessible to all users.

Mark HJ