hopmedic

Yes, it will apparently be free... For NOW. But just as easily they could have changed the price in Marketplace to make it free as an update, too. But this way, when they do decide to make it not free (can ANYONE imagine Groundspeak NOT raising the price???), even those who paid already for the current app will have to pay for the new one, if they're not paying attention and don't download it while it is free. Do you trust Groundspeak? I certainly do not, given my experience with them. I am done as a geocacher.

Well, I was a premium member, and it recently expired (I've been too busy to do any geocaching lately). I was figuring that I'd renew it when I had time to do some caching, but with the email I got about the new app, after I paid $10 for the Windows Phone app, and all the complaining that several of us did because it didn't work properly, and with Groundspeak's opacity in dealing with the complaints (http://forums.Ground...howtopic=271443, http://forums.Ground...&st=0&p=4802974), I will not be renewing my premium membership. I certianly will not buy another app when I already bought one, so it looks like this is the end of geocaching for me. Groundspeak: There is only one reason to publish a new app rather than publish an update to the existing one. So that you can charge people again for an app that they already purchased. If you weren't so greedy, you would write the new app to use the new API, and you would publish it as an update to the existing app. <Rant> For those who choose to blast Windows Phone users, I just say this: If there were not enough Windows Phone users to justify the expense of developing an app, Groundspeak, especially as greedy as it is, would not put forth the resources to do so. I certainly would not be developing Windows Phone apps if there weren't some money in it for me. So, yes, there ARE Windows Phone users, and they DO number more than 6. </Rant> Sincerely, Rich Hopkins Former premium member WINDOWS Phone DEVELOPER

Sometimes it can take a short time to appear in Marketplace. According to our control panel the app is published so it shouldn't be long now. I'm still showing V 2.2 in Marketplace, but yes, my experience is that it can take several hours or more to update. The last app I updated, it showed in Marketplace in about 4 hours, but it would not update on my phone until the next day, and it was MY App! That's a Microsoft issue.

Forgive me for being cynical, but I paid for a product that doesn't work, submitted a problem report, and sat here and waited, and waited, and waited for a response. When the response finally did come, it was, and continues to be, shrouded in secrecy. You have been asked for transparency multiple times, and yet opacity is what we're met with. Is this product being developed in the White House?

Here is my suggestion in that forum: WP7 Login not working I am returning a WP7 to ATT, on which the app works fine. I just got a Verizon WP7, and the app downloaded and installed fine. When I open it, I get a message that it cannot connect to the server, while displaying the EULA page. I click ok, click accept on the EULA, and go to Change User. I enter my login/password, and it goes to the screen to allow access, which I allow. Then it very quickly says something about syncing or downloading my profile. Looking in settings and on the first PanoramaItem, there is no name by user. I'm not sure if this thing phones home to validate the install as paid for, but it's failing some kind of server lookup at the EULA page, and won't let me log in. 13 votes Vote hopmedichopmedic shared this idea · May 27, 2011 started · Moun10BikeAdminMoun10Bike (Admin, Geocaching) responded · August 15, 2011 Aug 15, 2011: Our upcoming release will address this issue. As you can see, I entered it on May 27, and they responded on 8/15. Need I say more?

You are absolutely 100% right. I erred. We are currently compiling the list of beta testers. As this comes at a time when we are trying to get the next version of the app live, onboarding testers has been delayed. Also, it doesn't have to be developers only doing beta testing. Anyone can do it. All you need is their Live account address.

We submitted the app, and it was denied. We appealed the decision and it was denied. We are working on the detail that needs to be addressed. Fair enough. I haven't had an app rejected yet, but I know the time will come. I just wish we could convince GS to be more open, as there are several of us who are willing to lend suggestions. It's a shame they have to be so secretive. We have already reached out to several users about possible/potential beta testing once Microsoft sets up those capabilities, and have heard directly from several users who have been helpful in troubleshooting. Once Microsoft sets up those capabilities.... I'm puzzled. Microsoft added the ability to do a restricted beta with up to 99 users on 7/18/2011. More than a month ago. Even before that, if you wanted people to beta your app, you could send people with developer unlocked phones the xap file, and they could side-load it for testing.

We submitted the app, and it was denied. We appealed the decision and it was denied. We are working on the detail that needs to be addressed. Fair enough. I haven't had an app rejected yet, but I know the time will come. I just wish we could convince GS to be more open, as there are several of us who are willing to lend suggestions. It's a shame they have to be so secretive.

My guess on that one would be that the devs forgot to remove that from the WMAppManifest.xml file. I see no need for it to be there. But when you create a project, all of the capabilities are listed in WMAppManifest, and it is up to the dev to remove them. Phone Identity would be required if they were running ad banners, but they're not. User Identity would be, too, and surprisingly, Phone Calling is as well (I didn't like that when I saw it on my apps).

I'm with you on the suspicion about Microsoft being at fault for delay. As I stated above, I submitted three updates on Thursday of last week. Two of them were published on Friday evening, and one was published Monday afternoon. There's no delay there at all. In fact, approval has gotten FASTER in recent times. My first app took 5 days to publish. The last several times I've updated all of my apps, it has not gone past 48 weekday hours.

Hmmm.... I submitted three apps for update on Thursday. Two were published Friday night, and one was published Monday afternoon.

I don't usually like to post release notes in advance, but I realize many of you are naturally becoming a little impatient to see an update soon. Once the update is reviewed by Microsoft the new version 2.3 will feature the following: New features: • Favorite points display for geocache listings • Option to set the default map view preference • Trackables support for picking up and visiting Trackables in caches • Display of smiley icons on map pins for caches you found Bug fixes: • Several stability issues causing server connection errors and affecting offline cache usage have been addressed Please know we're doing everything we can to release this update as quickly as possible. Thanks! Thanks for the update. These look good... though the most important is the last. However, it would still be nice if you would set up a roadmap, or something where we could provide input for future updates. The way I see it, Groundspeak could only benefit from the input of their users. And as I said before, since some of us are WP Devs, if you were more open about things, you might find that we could all benefit. Here's an example - the ability to manually input coords. Would be helpful for multi-caches.

I thought that the magnetometer was a WP7 requirement? I had been under the impression that the magentometer was a baseline hardware requirement, but when I wrote this post, I was looking at the API in the Microsoft docs, and one of the notes it had was that it was possible that a phone may not have one. I suspect that perhaps there may be phones coming at the lower end without it, but that would be nothing more than speculation on my part. But I, like you, thought it was a baseline requirement until I read that comment in the MS Docs.

I just sent my last 2 posts to them by email, as well, and with a statement at that top asking them to take the request to show us a roadmap seriously. I do believe the time is gone where you keep your customers in the dark as to what is coming, unless you are in an industry where competition is stiff and opening up would cost you. Groundspeak certainly does not have the competition to worry about when it comes to something like this. Other things maybe, but not app features.

Oh - one more thing - the Compass API is available in Mango, so those of us who understand that it is now going to be available will expect to see an update enabling the magnetometer instead of the compass that is based on motion relative to the constellation. Devs should keep in mind also that the magnetometer is not a baseline Windows Phone requirement (though I believe all current models do have it), so their code should check the device to see if it is supported. If not, use current method. If so, use magnetometer. This would greatly increase accuracy for us.

That's good news hopmedic - hopefully all this angst and frustration will all be over in a few days. As with any app, there will still be bugs and missing features (and, in this case, updates to make use of Mango-specific capabilities) - I look forward to having a much better turnaround time. If you look back on some of my posts you'll see my concern has not just been for the instability of v2.2 but on feature delivery to a defined roadmap and the timely fixing of bugs. We still haven't received any reassurance on this score and I look forward to Groundspeak being substantially more open about plans for this app. Yes, it is good news. To be clear, though, as Sandy has said, there will be NO Mango features implemented in this release. That is not Groundspeak's fault, though. Even though there are thousands of us walking around with Mango on our phones, even we do not have Mango-enabled apps unless we side-load them, because Microsoft is not accepting submissions to the Marketplace that implement any Mango features until August 22. I wish that meant that Mango would be released then, however it won't. I suppose that as disappointing as that is, it is good on Microsoft's part, since it will allow devs to get Mango apps, but not consumers, which will allow them to work the bugs out of Mango in the Marketplace, prior to consumers being exposed to it. Also, I predict that the rollout of Mango will be much smoother than the rollout of NoDo (unless you are a Sprint or Verizon customer, in which case your phone came with NoDo). There is always the chance that carriers can prove me wrong, because unlike Apple, Microsoft's OS is subject to more control by the carriers. We'll see how this turns out, but I do expect it to be much better (especially for people with Samsung Focus v 1.4, who just recently got NoDo). Dear Groundspeak: I have a suggestion. Give us a roadmap, tell us what features you are working on, and what ones you may consider. You only stand to benefit by the feedback you could receive, and since there are developers who take part, you could find that they have some great ideas on implementation. You do not have the market cornered on good ideas. Keep us informed and we will be happier. </RANT>

I just received an email that they are submitting to Microsoft today, so we should see an update within a week. My experience with the last several updates that I have submitted for my apps is that Microsoft is taking 24-48 hours to approve an app to be published, not including weekends. It's probably too late for it to turn around today, so I would expect it to be Monday or Tuesday.

I just did so. Had this been suggested weeks ago, I believe you would have prevented a lot of frustration. You have always had the option to email us directly as others have. I just wanted to highlight this option as we get closer to release. Obviously, either I didn't know/think about this. Why have a forum if it isn't going to be seen? Obviously it is seen, because you've responded... So why the need for a separate communication? You couldn't pass along the frustration? This whole thing makes little sense. If there was concern for customer satisfaction, there would be no need for a separate communication. Don't make the customer work to get your attention. I used to be a supervisor in a customer support call center, and I would have chewed my people out if customers were made to take extra steps to get our attention.

I just did so. Had this been suggested weeks ago, I believe you would have prevented a lot of frustration.

Sandy, a wise man said, "People won't remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel." We have felt neglected. Whether we were actually neglected or not, we have felt it. Whether you think you've neglected us or not, we've felt it. I still say that knowing the app doesn't work properly, you should pull it from Marketplace until it is fixed. I know - I'm just a lowly Windows Phone developer, but that's what I'd do if it were my app, and I was charging a $10 non-refundable price for it. But that's me. I received a reply from AppHub on the issue, and they asked me for a list of names of affected people, because they can't do anything without being able to build a case re: number of people with problems vs. number of downloads. If you care to leave your Live account email here (or PM me with it), I will forward them to Microsoft, assuming Groundspeak continues the current tack.

My email to AppHub: Groundspeak, Inc, has released an app, GeoCaching, which has failed to perform as expected, and their support is basically “We’re working on an update with new features.” I, being a WP7 Dev as well, have posted on their forum, (along with many others) that they should pull the app that does not work, so that people will stop paying $10 for an app only to find that it doesn’t work. The trial version is crippled such that you cannot log in, so you cannot find out that the app doesn’t work until you pay for it, and find yourself unable to log in. The intermittent, but more often than not, problem is that it gets an error that it cannot contact the server, and without contacting the server, the app is useless. It is not a matter of connectivity. Here is a link to a thread on their forum that details the complaints: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=271443 This app should be pulled until they release a version that works. Thank you,

No, you don't see my three posts that she deleted. They were deleted because I said I was disgusted with Groundspeak, and challenged them to prove their morals by pulling the app from marketplace until it is fixed. You know - something that any customer oriented business would do.

Well, I wouldn't want an Android, especially given the state of malware in the Marketplace, but I'm glad your app works. Unfortunately, ours doesn't, and some of us are just getting fed up with Groundspeak's sweeping of the problem under the rug. The solution is simple. Before you create new functions, fix the ones that you have. How hard is that? I'm a Windows Phone app developer... I don't add more functions until the ones that are there work. I just finished adding new functionality to two of my apps, and I'm about to start a rewrite of another, to add a lot more functionality made possible by the Mango update. I didn't do this until all the bugs were worked out of what was there.

The complaints about the PAID for app are many, and legit. My reason for posting is just to show that PAID customers are getting treated like dirt, their complaints deleted, and nothing is being done. If it was just bashing Groundspeak, sure, delete the thread. But these complaints are legitimate, many, and seemingly ignored. The solution is simple. 1) Pull the app. (so that more people don't get stuck paying for an app that we all know does not work) 2) Fix the bugs that keep it from working. 3) Republish the app. 4) NOW, move on to added functionality. As it is now, why should we believe that any added functionality will work when they won't even fix the bugs in the current code?

This thread will likely be deleted by Sandy very quickly, but I feel that it is important for people to know that GS is censoring threads now, if you question their motives. There has been a long standing thread about the Windows Phone 7 app, and the problems, that it doesn't work. It was suggested that GS pull the app until they publish a fix for the problems, and that if they do not do so, they prove that profit is a higher priority than customer satisfaction. Apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace are non-refundable, and this is one of the most expensive apps on the Marketplace. Additionally, the trial version is essentially worthless, since you cannot log in, and actually try the app out before setting down your $10. There was even mention of the possibility of a class action lawsuit in the thread. As of this minute, the non-functional GeoCaching app is still in the Marketplace. I challenge GS to pull the app, stop working on extra features, and fix the ones you have now that don't work, before continuing on with added functionality. You are doing your customers a disservice if you do not. You have no business spending months on new functions when the current app is broken, and you have an "exceedingly small" development team, to quote one GS employee on the deleted thread.