geonickel

If this question has been answered, I apologize -- I haven't been able to find it (which may just mean I'm blind!): Will current virtuals (and their cousins) stay on geocaching.com at least until the method for generating downloadable files is on Waymarking.com? I agree with many of the objections to Waymarking.com, but I am waiting for final judgment until after I see the PQ interface. My biggest objection is that there seems to be no way to separate commercial waymarks (like the McDonald's example) from others. As I look through the directory, I see at least three categories under Places where commercial entities might be: Buildings; Business / Commerce; and Lodging (there may be others). If there could be some way to filter commercial locactions, I could accept that there may be results returned that wouldn't always interest me -- just as the numerous urban microcaches in my area don't always interest me. That's just part of the game. I have an idea or two that might be worth considering: Require all commercial waypoints to be placed in a subcategory of Places | Business/commerce. Using this option, when the user defines parameters for the PQ, there should be an option to "include" categories or "exclude" (sub)categories (which I hope will be part of the interface anyway) Another option would be to have a "commercial flag" that is set (or not) when the category (perhaps at the waymark level, depending on the category) is entered. For example, if I own a category of "2-story McDonald's locations", I would set the commerical flag on the category. If I had a category of "Stone buildings built since 1965," and someone posted a McDonald's that happened to be in such a building, the commercial flag could be set for the waymark, and I could approve the listing. Users could then choose to include or exclude categories or waymarks with the commercial flag. I'm not sure either of these is a perfect solution (among other things, there's probably a better term than "commercial"), but maybe they will help someone else discover a better idea. (Note: any typographical errors or logical inconsistencies in this post will be blamed on my not getting enough sleep last night -- the night I stayed up way too late is the morning my wife woke me up very early to tell me she's in labor! (We're still at home -- no new baby yet) I hope someone can see through any errors to my intent. ) w4$

With Cachemate opened, click the Cachemate title (at the top-left of the screen) Click Option. Click Register. Enter the registration code you received from smittyware.com. Click OK. You should now be registered.

The first thing to verify is that your geocaching.com ID is set correctly? I may be mistaken, but I think I remember that the multiple finds works only if you are using the geocaching.com logon ID. (If I'm mistaken, somebody will let me know, I trust!) Go to Tools | Options | General tab. Make sure the "Method for matching placed (hidden) caches" is set to "Use geocaching.com logon ID." To get your ID number, open a gpx with a cache you found. Find your log. In your log, look for the tag <Groundspeak:finder id="12345">. "12345" will be replaced with your geocaching.com logon ID. Use that number in the GSAK settings. Clyde, it seems like variations on this question come up quite a bit. Perhaps the text for the option could be changed to something like "Method for matching placed (hidden) and found caches" to more accurately reflect what the option does.

I don't claim to be as talented as the rest of the audience, but I'll share a few thoughts anyway. First, recognize that I'm giving the way I use the program. I'm not sure there's a good answer to whether you "should" use one db with many filters or several db's. Try something. If you like it, stay with it. Sometimes I try suggestions from other people and like them. Other times I like my method, but that doesn't make it any more right than anybody else's way of using the software. I prefer to have all of my caches in one database -- it makes it easier to export for my map program and not forget something. I do use two databases, one for caches and one for benchmarks. If I ever get into locationless caching, I'll add a db for locationless, also. I have several PQs defined, about 4 of which I use regularly. 1 for micros in my area, one for non-micros in my area (Nashville, Tennessee, USA has a high concentration of micros -- over 500 in less than 45 mile (75 km) radius!) I have another query for my found caches -- as long as I log my cache online, I know it will show up in GSAK eventually. The fourth query I use regularly (once weekly) is for unavailable caches. When these are imported, GSAK tells me they are archived. I also have queries set for the routes to my parents' and to my in-laws', but I only activate them when we're about to go on a trip. When I get home, I wait for my local gpx files, then filter based on date updated and delete the vacation caches. If you really want to delete the caches that aren't updated in your PQ, try this use of the powerful filtering features of GSAK: When you open your gpx files, make sure that you have no caches flagged. On the Open File dialog box, check "Set user flag if waypoint updated/added" Once the files are loaded, Filter on User Flag NOT set. I would also uncheck Found for this purpose. Once the filter is displayed, click the trash can icon (or Go to Waypoint | Delete Check All waypoints in filter, then click OK. If you see a non-flagged cache that you don't want to delete, you can always manually flag it before deleting the non-flagged caches. There may be other (maybe even better) ways to do this, but that's the way I handle it, and works just fine for me. GSAK is filled with so many great features, it's hard to choose my "favorite," but the combination of power and ease-of-use for filtering is right up there in my book. The responsiveness of the developer in considering new features is another. workin-4-cache

I couldn't even hit the nameservers this morning. If the nameservers really were down, then the problem could have been many miles from the Groundspeak servers.

I can't speak for anyone else, but that would work for me. As you've already pointed out, this is really a Palm problem, not a GSAK problem. As long as I know which caches are truncated, I can decide how I want to handle them. This is a feature that will benefit geocache seekers as well as benchmark seekers, since some cache hiders are giving very long descriptions.

I agree with the idea to move "Reported by" to "Logs" in the gpx, which should help for most benchmarks. However, benchmarks are not the only examples of descriptions being truncated -- just the majority, and (more to the point!) the examples I personally had knowledge of. One example of a geocache with an abnormally long description is Up the Close and Down the Stair CMConvert does know that descriptions are truncated and indicates this when loading the caches, prior to generating the pdb. I don't know if/how that information is passed when implementing CMConvert under the hood.

Here's a situation noted on the CacheMate thread that affects GSAK. (Sorry if you're getting both, Clyde -- I don't know how much time you get to read the CacheMate thread. If I'm out of line for cross posting, let me know -- I really do appreciate your product and the obvious thought you put into new features and trying to design them the best for the most people from the start!) When a description is too long for the Palm, CacheMate truncates (I think 8k is the limit when long descriptions are enabled -- 3k when they're not). When you load the file into CMConvert, there is a warning that records have had their descriptions truncated. In the list there is a warning icon so you at least know what items are truncated. This occurs quite frequently with Benchmarks (I can send you a gpx with Benchmarks with long descriptions, if necessary), but I understand that there are at least a few caches that have very long descriptions. It would be nice to have an indication of which caches will be truncated. One could then decide what to do -- make a hard copy, make sure it was in a different format on the PDA, ignore it, whatever.

I have confirmed that the warning is not given to the user in GSAK. I will post a note on the current GSAK thread for Clyde.

For viewing in GSAK, I like the idea of allowing a user-configurable colour highlight. [edited since Clyde posted a very similar, but more complete, idea at the same time I was typing mine!]

I know at least one other user that would prefer that found status override archive status. I wonder if this could be done as a user-configurable option.... or more properly, how difficult would it be to implement this as a user-configruable option? And if it was configurable, how would that impact usability? I tend to like the ability to configure -- I even edited the garmin.txt file so that only the icons I have on my eTrex show as choices for icons when exporting to the GPS. It probably didn't save me any time. If I get a new GPS, I'm going to have to completely reassign my icons (which I probably would do anyway). But I like the ability to customize my list, so I did! But I understand that the more configurable a program is, the more difficult it is to use and support, at least until it is set up the way the user wants it! Just my random thoughts on the subject! workin-4-cache

I was going to suggest this very idea! I like it! (I'm glad to see your telepathic powers still work across time and oceans -- and with at least two people now!)

The only way I've been able to do this is to: Export to GPX the items I want to move Change Databases Open the file I just exported Switch to original database and delete items I wanted moved Not pretty, but it works. Perhaps in a future version an option to "move/copy to database" will be able to handle this -- I've also wanted an easier way to copy and move items between databases. I would imagine the dialog to be similar to delete -- with options to copy/move only the selected waypoint, all waypoints in the filter, or all user ticked. workin-4-cache

OOPS!!! I'm sorry -- I thought I had the latest version (but all I had was 3.01!) I'll watch more closely in the future. I just downloaded 3.03 and see the CM button. Thank you for continuing to work on a great program, and supporting and considering the ides of users -- but do enjoy your vacation -- we'll be here when you get back! workin-4-cache

Thanks for a great program! I am making these suggestions without being a programmer, so if they're not possible with the time that you can devote to the program, I understand. I put this in the category of "If I don't ask, it won't happen." If I ask and it still doesn't happen, nobody's the worse for it! It would be nice to have a microcache override for the icon when sending to the GPSr. This is a feature that I use regularly - my 4-year-old can only handle so many micros between regular containers, and I use a different icon on the GPS so I can easily look at an area and see which caches are micros. (For comparison, this is handled in GPX Spinner by the Micro_Not_Found and Micro_Found settings in the ini.) I don't know if it would be better to do this like GPX Spinner and have an override for microcaches, or to add container / size as another option for setting the icons (which would allow different symbols for micro, regular, large, etc.). I don't usually change icons based on size except for micro, so a micro override would be easier for me. However, adding size as an option might be helpful to some. It would definitely go above the configurability of anything else I have seen! The ability to change icon sent to the GPSr based on number of Not Found entries (DNF_Limit, DNF_Not_Found, DNF_Found in GPX Spinner). The ability to change icon sent to GPSr based on presence of Travel Bug (TB_Found and TB_Not_Found in GPX Spinner). Especially if the above suggestions are implemented, it would be nice to have a method of automatically setting multiple conditions to the same icon, and specifying the order of precedence. For example, I use the same icon for found caches, regardless of type. It would be nice to set "all found caches" to use a particular icon., without having to set each one individually. This probably isn't that big of a deal once set up is complete, but it could make configuring a lot less hassle. Keyboard shortcut for Exporting to CacheMate. (I don't know the programming involved, but this might be accomplished by allowing user-configurable keyboard shortcuts for each menu option. My guess is it would take a lot of programming, but I thought I'd mention it on the off-chance it was easier than I suspect.) It would be nice for the user to be able to configure the toolbar buttons, or at least choose what map programs the toolbar keys export to. For instance, I don't use MapSend. It would be nice to change that button to export to Streets & Trips or CacheMate. I don't mean to sound like a complainer with my suggestions. If some of this functionality is included already, I apologize for being blind and missing the info! If it can't / won't be included (for whatever reason, including that I'm the only one who would use these functions! ) that's OK, too. Just giving my suggestions for consideration. Thanks again for a great program, workin-4-cache