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LSUMonica

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Everything posted by LSUMonica

  1. It's a good thing we're a loving family here. LOL, you got that right! Seriously, I do think it has been very interesting. And while some people may object, this method of development-listen to feedback-tweak-listen-... has made it seem like Groundspeak is taking their customers feedback into consideration more than I've ever observed before. More like we are all a part of the design process, even if it isn't in the traditional (beta site) way. I We do love you Raine and all the hard work you and the other Groundspeak crew have put into improving the site. After almost 20 years in Healthcare IT dealing with vendor systems and internal development, I have to chuckle about all of the "outrage" about the changes in the forums and the fact that this is the "production" environment! Let's think about this logically gang: Most of the changes are cosmetic. So you look at it in a "test" environment first -- who is going to critique it there? A select group of cachers? Then we have arguments about why "I" wasn't selected to test it. Groundspeak has released the changes -- none of which affects the ability to find caches -- and now is listening to feedback to make improvements to those changes within days! Tell me which major website or software vendor does that? I've worked with vendors who take feedback but then it takes months or years to see that improvement!!! And then some other vendors say "take it or leave it" when changes take place! The only real "bug" has been to the GARMIN send to GPSr interface. This has not been developed by Groundspeak but by GARMIN -- take the issues on this problem to that vendor website and forum (if you can find it!). My suggestion, if we truly want to improve the site -- let's keep our comments to suggestions about what we like and don't like. Ranting and raving about stopping subscriptions and "whose in charge" and "they didn't ask me" is simply "taking up bandwidth" as some of you would say! Thanks to Groundspeak for their listening to the users and thanks to the users that are offering constructive critiques! P.S. Raine, if you think this is bad -- at least some of your users are not DOCTORS!
  2. While doing a group of caches in an area -- someone had left handmade jewelry at each one! I ended up taking a pair of earrings that ended exactly matching the color of a shirt I had! I thought this was really something different and cool to leave! So thanks to the unknown cacher!
  3. Saw this in the Geowoodstock forum and Friday and intended to email you today... I (LSUMonica) will be happy to help and since Dimples in riding in the car with me she will volunteer as well!!! Actually I cleared it with her before posting -- so you have two former Louisiana girls now living in Tennessee volunteering to help! Just email where we need to be and when! Looking forward to the event!
  4. I've been receiving PQs for almost 3 years now. In the first few months I would get corrupted PQs quite often (1-2) a month. Sometimes the PQs would not even open, then others would load into GSAK but would have corrupted data, i.e. pointing to other caches, logs from other caches, etc. Howevery they have been fine for almost 2 years now. (Hope I am not jinxing myself!) Don't let anyone tell you that it has never happened. I would even provide examples from 2 years ago but I just cleaned out my gmail account last week.
  5. Been using this application more and more. If you are looking for suggestions for improvement here are two: 1.Would like to see the phone logs listed in order in which they were marked as found. OR 2. Would love to see a time stamp added to the phone logs list. I log my geocaches in order visited. This works fine on my Garmin 60CSX GPSr because I can look at the track log and remember my journey. I am a very visual person and this helps me remember caches even if I am with a group and find 50+ in a day. Unfortunately when I use my phone to cache, no track log exists and there is no time stamp. I just found 9 earlier today and without the track listing or time, I forgot the order in which they were found. Thanks for consdering this! Otherwise the application works great! I even like the fact that it does not filter out finds! LSUMonica
  6. Metro Parks in Nashville has about 14 Yellow Etrex units which are available to use free of charge while in the park system. All you have to do to "check one out" is to fill out a form and leave a driver's license.
  7. I'm really not sure the best way to implement this suggestion but here it is... Quite often I am seeing people archiving caches simply due to lack of maintenance time which means the container is STILL THERE!! So now our game/hobby/obsession is contributing to the litter problem. What I would like to see is some sort of option or checkbox to indicate that the owner has or has not picked up the container or that it has been verified as missing. This would allow people who may still have the coordinates to the cache be the LAST TO FIND and pick up the container if the container was left in place. Of course we would need an option to indicate that we have picked it up. Just a thought and suggestion...
  8. I do have my 60CSX with me 24/7 (I has its own pocket in my purse) but there are several advantages to being connected which are worth the price of geocache navigator (GN) for me: 1: Puzzle caches. There are a LOT of caches which are classified as Puzzle caches which are also multicaches which start you at the coordinates but for which you need access to the cache page to complete. Sure, I could get access to the cache page through the WAP site but the geocache navigator format is SO MUCH nicer. In this case I need both GN and my GPSr. 2: GN is real-time. The town where I live is extremely cache dense and despite having quite a number of finds there are still more than 1000 that I have not found within 45 miles of my home. Given that my GPSr only holds 1000 caches, I get more than 45 miles away from home and I need to rely on GN for caching spontaneously. 3: I can cache WHEREVER I am. I travel a lot (my friend has joked that I just need to move into a SW airlines jet on weekends) and this way I don't have to worry about carrying my laptop to load pqs into my GPSr or check cache pages. My phone is always with me. The decision has to be made based on your lifestyle. To me the 24/7 combination of GPSr and 60csx with maps of the Eastern half of the US as well as Texas works best for me!
  9. Actually -- Something similar happened to me too! I had two earthcaches on Waymarking.com. Received all of the emails regarding changes, adoption process, etc. for one of them and it successfully made the transition to gc.com. But received nothing for the second one. Contacted geoaware and he stated that supposedly information was sent to me and the adoption deadline was passed. I searched and searched all of my email on gmail.com (nothing gets deleted) and I can't find any contact.
  10. I never did finished that cache before it was archived because of that one stage!!!
  11. I looked into this the other day because I was interested too. According to Sprint sales support the $15.00 service only allows you to surf the net on the phone itself with a mobile browser. To use the phone as a mobile modem and connect it to your computer costs an additional $25.00/mo. Ouch. You must also have a phone with modem capability. I think technically Sprint "wants" you to have a data plan to use your phone as a modem for your laptop -- however, most phones have downloadable software on the Sprint web site that allows you to use your mobile phone as a modem for a PC. I have used my "unlimited data" plan for short laptop connections with no repercussions. I wouldn't however stay connected for long periods or download large amounts of data and throw up a red flag to my use. Still loving my LG Fusic, Sprint and Geocache Navigator! The real test will this holiday weekend -- for a change, I will not be bringing my laptop to look up cache pages if I get a chance to geocache and I won't be running PQs for Houston, The Woodlands, Cypress and College Station, TX ahead of time. When I am with family on holidays I normally only get to do (as a good friend recently called it) "opportunistic" geocaching and I think the GN will work perfectly as I never know where we will be on which day!
  12. I am not sure what the deal is here... Many geocachers have multiple finds on a geocache -- 1) this may have been the way the geocache was set up to allow multiple logging 2) the cache was logged more than one by permission of the cache owner And as far as finding caches placed by her daughter -- Which ONE? The daughter who was a prolific geocacher for a time is in her twenties and could place caches without assistance. I am not sure why you assume she or anyone else who does this is "cheating". The only time you could "cheat" at this game is to log caches online that you have not actually found. Other than that, everyone plays according to their own guidelines. Numbers mean nothing except to the geocacher they belong to!
  13. WOO HOO!!!! Thanks to all of the Groundspeak crew for developing this application! I have been waiting somewhat (im)patiently for since seeing it demo'd about a month or so ago. I've just downloaded it to my new LG Fusic phone (which I LOVE!) this afternoon and will head out this afternoon to find a cache with it. After struggling with the WAP site a few times, most recently when I spilled water in my laptop on a recent business/geocaching trip to the northeast last month which made the internet unaccessible, this will be terrific! Thanks again to all!!!
  14. Actually the OP suggestion has great merit! PQs are great but require access to email and an external program to read them. In my situation, just this week, PQs were not the answer but additional search criteria would work. Example: I was at work this week and realized that I had forgot to log the two caches I had found in Texas about 2 weeks ago while in Austin for the Austin City Limits Music festival. The event was no problem to find as all I had to do was look at the even calendar on the main Groundspeak page but I couldn't remember the name of the other cache. I knew it was located in Downtown Austin and it had the work "history" in its name. Since I no idea of the zip code or area code the only thing I could do is search on a keyword of "history". Do you know how many caches have the word "history" in them???? 764!!! Even with searching from the event (which was nowhere near the cache) and then by cache type, I still had to look through quite a number of pages before I found the cache listing. A PQ wouldn't work as my company blocks us from personal email sites and even if I had been able to email the PQ to me at work -- I didn't have the software to read the PQ. What would have worked (and shortened the list considerably) is to be able to combine the search criteria in the Advanced Search options -- Keyword AND State/Country. So I do think there is merit to this request!
  15. I bought one of these sharpies for the exact same reason -- losing pens -- but attached it to my key ring instead. You always have to have your car keys with you right!?! The only problem I have run into in the past 3 months or so that I have had this is the occasional time the pen had unsnapped from the cap. Seems it only happens in my car (I find the pen on the floor), so it may have something to do with the way I insert my keys. Like the idea of the gel pen though too!
  16. Tried emailing 2-3 users over the past couple of days and included some emoticons in my email. Ex. and as well as [] and []. Everytime I include these in my message I get a Server Execution Error. If I take them out the email goes through fine. Is something up? or is this new? I know I have been able to include the text emoticons before. Monica
  17. Smallest one I hosted was 7 people including myself -- it started at 7:30 am so I didn't expect a big turnout -- but to me it was one of the best as I met 3 cachers in the area that I had never met before! Now they come to larger events and we are still great friends. I've hosted a CITO and 2 other events where there were about 20-30 people involved. Had a great time at all of them. I've been to both Mega-events this year (GW4 & MWGB), as well as GW2 & GW3, as well as numerous other geocaching events that were much smaller. Doesn't matter to me the size, I have always met some interesting individuals who have become my friends and had a great time. What else can you expect when geocachers are involved!!
  18. I think there are actually 2 issues here that are getting people confused: 1) the misclassification of caches - Traditional/Unknown container or Multistage 2) "Puzzles" where the solutions must be figured out ahead of time vs. in the field The first issue can be solved by documentation and education. I know that there this sport develops over time and that changes have occurred -- that happens. I just think there needs to be some clear documentation for the person posting a cache on what makes a cache a traditional/unknown container vs. a puzzle. Add to that a reminder to the volunteer reviewers (they have a lot on their plates so they might have forgotten the distinction) on the same issue. Finally also, provide some documentation or education on the process to handle a misclassified cache should one "slip through" -- do they notify the cache owner, the reviewer, post a "needs maintenance" log, etc. The second topic is what I really feel was intended to be highlighted by the OP and FizzyMagic. What about those "puzzle" caches where the cache ISN'T at the posted coordinates vs. "puzzle" caches where the coordinates given are a starting point. Let's look at a few near me: GCWPAM -- You go to the coordinates then have to collect data and search (puzzle or multi) GCWCVP -- coordinates get You go to the coordinates then have to collect data and search (puzzle or multi) GCJ5C6 -- (one of my favorites by the way) cache is at the location but definitely an unknown container GCNCY9 -- coordinates get you close but not to the actual cache, you have to do some "thinking outside of the box" while you are there (is this really a "puzzle") GCM90K -- cache is definitely NOT at the coordinates and you should figure them out ahead of time (definitely a puzzle) What is really funny about this is just in the past week I have begun to think about this same issues and tried to work on a solution to add info to my user data column in GSAK to start sorting these. I normally use the corrected coordinates feature in GSAK to store coordinates for puzzle caches that I have solved. If I only load these "puzzle types" into my GPSr, then terrific I am all set...but what about the "puzzles" that start at the coordinates posted. How do I differentiate between these and ones that have to be solved ahead of time? This is really where the request to split Puzzle cache types come from. It is these "multi" "puzzles" that are at issue.
  19. This has been happening for QUITE a while now. I reported the problem way back on May 31 in this post: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...opic=134215&hl= Still happening to me on occasion...
  20. I "needed" to do a little caching in that area and decided to make a cache run to the coordinates on Sunday. I took pictures and am sending these on today to KidCannon. Just as a FYI, the coordinates are actually just a few feet from the intersection of Hwy 91 and Quarry Rd. Despite looking at aerial maps, I was really worried that the general location coordinates would be on private land. Imagine my surprise when at the intersection I was less than 100 feet from the coordinates! I just so happened to have a spare ammo can in the back of my SUV so thanks to approval from Bluegrass Reviewer, GCWYH9 - In the Year 2017, sits nearby. The first finder left some interesting information in their cache log that I need to check out!!!
  21. Glad to have you visiting Nashville!! You'll find all kinds of caches here! Micros, Hikes, Ammo cans, Historical, Multi, Events, just to name a few!! You can check out the Middle Tennessee Geocachers Club (MTCG) web page for our "greatest hits": MTGC Greatest Hits for some ideas. Depending on the date and time of your trip, I am sure some of the locals would be happy to give you a guided tour. If you want to do a "numbers run" this can be done as well. And with a little notice, who knows an event might event be planned! The point is -- Nashville has it all, you just have to know where to look!!!
  22. Sorry to note this but I checked with the cache owners this weekend. They were doing a maintenance check before I went looking for it, and discovered the final cache and TB went missing.
  23. Here's one that I know of... I got involved in geocaching about 2 years ago and introduced it to some coworkers (surprisingly it was the girls that loved it and not the guys as much). Earlier this year, a family friend (graduated with my younger brother) relocated here (Nashville, TN) temporarily after evacuating New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. While she was temporarily working out of our corporate offices in Nashville, I invited her to join a group of my geocaching friends on one of our weekly dinner outings. After dinner as we were heading home, she asked me about that activity we were talking about at dinner. So having my GPS with me, took her out to find a cache. Needless to say "Dimples" was hooked! She has now relocated to Nashville permanently and actually transferred to my department at work. So now, she and one of my guy coworkers had to go to Boston for training with some other individuals from other divisions in our company. Their final night in Boston, the group splits up to do their own thing. One of the women (a newer employee) decides to head back to the hotel instead. Her boss asked her if she was okay finding her way back to the hotel alone -- she states that she's okay she has her GPSr with her. Of course that pricks up both of my friends ears and one comments "She has a GPS?" Her boss then tries to explain she does some sort of hobby where "she finds things". At the same time both of my coworkers ask "Geocaching!?!" She happened to be a local cacher that just joined our company! A funny story related to that is both of my co-workers have GPSrs but did they bring them on the trip? Nooooo! They have to call me (almost 1000 miles away) the evening before to tell them where they were! They had missed their exit and needed me to pull up MapSource to find a route to their restaurant destination in the North End! They won't live that one down for a while!!!
  24. Along the same lines, I live in Nashville TN but "own" some caches in Thibodaux, Louisiana where my mother lives. I visit quite frequently and she has a gc account, so she maintains them just doesn't want to own them. In order to distract myself during the storm, I temp disabled the caches there and since quite a number of the caches had travel bugs in them sent a note to those owners indicating that I really didn't think the caches would survive the storm and would keep them posted on their travel bugs. Imagine to my surprise, that an owner of one of the TBs was a cacher that I knew here in Nashville! The TB had been picked up in Nashville and was placed in my cache as the second cache visited! When Katrina took the turn NE (more toward New Orleans) my hometown was spared the brunt of damage and all of my caches survived to my surprise!
  25. Just sent a note to the cache owners to see if they could confirm the cache was still there. I will be in the vacinity of the cache location this weekend and if they think the cache is still there, I may be able to attempt the rescue. LSUmonica
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