dcigary

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So, I checked my souvenir page tonight and sure enough, the International Geocaching Day 2011 one is there. However, my "Lost & Found Celebration 2010" one is now missing!!!

You can apparently dis-associate yourself from a challenge you've created, and now it's free-floating in the Challenge void: 1) Create and publish a Challenge 2) Note that your "Challenges Published" count goes up 3) Remove the log indicating that you published it 4) Note that your "Challenges Published" count goes down 5) Now note that the Challenge still exists, but now your name is nowhere associated with it (that can be seen via the public anyhow) Wallah! Instant anonymous Challenges! EDIT: Ok, to YOU, your "Challenges Published" doesn't go down. But everywhere else there is no record of you creating the Challenge. Not on your public profile, not in the Challenge listing, nowhere.

AMEN I have to agree. Here Here! Harrumph! I concur C'mon, you guys. Go and list finding a particular benchmark as a challenge, and you're done! (blink)(blink) My GOD, that's BRILLIANT! (Gets busy with the entire Benchmark database)

AMEN I have to agree. Here Here! Harrumph!

Ok, about the only thing done right so far is that you can mark a completed challenge incomplete and then back out of a challenge. I won't be doing any of these until: 1) Challenges must have a location 2) They must be downloadable with a .GPX file (how else am I going to keep track of them in GSAK?) In other words, they should be just like Virtual Caches. Otherwise, this is just going to turn into a huge "Planking" site. Sure, it'll be great for Groundspeak, with all those extra ad impressions and page hits, but all that extra horsepower in those new servers will be dedicated to this silliness.

The challenge owners and the people completing the challenges should both be able to edit/remove their logs.

GAH! They add to your finds?! No, no they shouldn't do that. They aren't finds. They are completed challenges. Nay the two shall meet.

Just a chime in, as this forum doesn't have a "Like" function. (LOL) Everything you said is exactly my feelings as well! GS can't afford to technically lag behind what is possible now! Embracing, rather than controlling is the key....ride the wave, Groundspeak!

This logic goes against any business sense that Groundspeak could ever have. Provide a weak application to make it harder to find caches, and limiting the number of people interested in Geocaching? What kind of logic is that? It would behoove Groundspeak to allow for easier access to the information, so that people of all walks of life - not just the technically saavy ones - will want to sign up, become a premium member and start Geocaching for a hobby. From a standpoint of the way things are now, it's still very cumbersome to get information on what caches are out there to find, and get the coordinates saved to your GPS device of choice. A free application lets people try the hobby out for a while, and then if they get interested, they can sign up and become a premium member, and yes, even purchase an application that allows you to do more. Groundspeak doesn't supply this option - pay $10 for an Android application that you have 15 minutes to review? Not a lot of people would be willing to take that chance. Of the people that I've introduced to Geocaching, one of the most common complaints I've heard from the non-technical people is that it's so many steps just to get coordinates stored onto your GPS. Give the technically challenged people a .GPX file who can barely figure out how to put the batteries in right? And expect them to know to re-load the .GPX file frequently to update the cache list? That's what makes a hand-held "live" app so valuable. They can just start it, bring up a map and see what caches are around them. They can go find it, and log it from the application. The general opinion is that c:geo beat the GS application hands down in doing this and ease of use. If you were a novice, would YOU want to start Geocaching when it's so difficult to get the information you need to find caches, and fight an non user-friendly application? No, and Groundspeak shouldn't want that either if they want to expand their user base. In the end, until we get some type of statement from GS on this issue, we're all just shooting in the dark for explanations and reasons. We don't know Groundspeak's business strategy, and it shouldn't matter to us. However, it does start mattering to us when that business strategy starts taking the fun away from Geocaching. That's what they need to watch out for - it's very easy to make a wrong decision and alienate a whole bunch of people. I hope that GS can see the light and make decisions accordingly.

Yes, a database of user generated content, moderated by unpaid volunteers. As far as the Groundspeak Android application, I waited for a few months after it came out to see what the user reviews were like. They weren't looking pretty. And $10 for an Android application is towards the high end of Android applications. Plus, there was NO consideration given to Premium members, such as a discount on the application, or, heck, even getting it free. The subject was brought up, and Groundspeak's final word was that there would be no benefit to their revenue generating Premium members. And lastly, they should of at least offered a "lite" version of their application for trial, as a lot of people are very wary of plunking down $10 for an application that has a 15 minute trial period. I personally feel very upset about c:geo development stopping, but I can understand that the author can only take so much before he'll get tired of the hoops and quit. It's a shame that Groundspeak feels that they have to push their application down everyone's throat and stifle the competition. I expected more from a company that values their user base as much as they...well... at least used to apparently do.

I guess I couldn't just get the info from the "latest logs" screen, as that would be screen scraping, another TOS No-No. Oh well. Hopefully with the API coming soon out there will be an option!

You mean nobody has thought of this? Ok, then, Lackeys and/or Groundspeak techies - care to explain how that display in the Lillypad's lobby runs? Inquiring minds, etc....

LOL that's the first thing I did when the Google Maps location was published. Did a 100 mile search, only two caches! Guess Geocaching isn't big over there when you have to worry about what you're picking up might explode...

Anyone know of a Google Earth script / program that displays the real-time cache finds like they have on the big monitor at The Lilly Pad? It would make a great screen saver. I'd make one myself, but I'm not programming literate enough to make something like that. I guess one could just go to the "recent finds" page and run down the links in a script, but I'm sure there's a better way. Oh, did I mention it would make a great screen saver? /just sayin'

Interesting, but as there is a "Texas" souvenir, and I've logged many caches since the site upgrade, and still my souvenir page is empty....

Same here, came in here looking for more information too. I can't function without my morning GPX files!

I have 3 PQ's that run daily, and nada so far today. (whine)Where are my PEEEQUUUUUEEESSS????(/whine)

So, I logged a geocoin dip through a cache today, and look at the trackable map. Seattle, I think we have a problem. It looks like the order is completely reversed? I received my Geocoin from the Groundspeak HQ, and that's always shown up as #1 on the order of the trackables. Today, it's LAST on the list, and the one that I just logged is #1. Muh? Attached is a screen print - Like I said, the Coin started tracking in Seattle, and the last cache it was through was in San Antonio, Texas. However, #1 on the hops shows up as the last cache I ran it through in San Antonio and the last on the list is the Groundspeak HQ cache.

Well, I just got news from my wife that they caught a few guys who are suspected of the break-ins, so hopefully my bag is there with the TB's intact!

If after a certain time it becomes apparent that I won't be able to find the TB's, would it be acceptable to create a replacement TB? I've run across a few that state they are replacement TB's. I guess it's not quite the same as the original object, but at least it keeps the spirit alive!

I guess I'm just going to have to treat this as a "Mystery Cache" and figure out where they tossed the backpack!

My Geocaching backpack was stolen from the front seat of our car this morning. I had a borrowed GPS in there that is likely gone, but the rest was just extra pill bottles, swag, misc. Unfortunately there were three TB's in there as well. What should be done with them? Should I report them as MIA? Hopefully the backpack was ditched after they got the GPS and the TB's are still there, but I haven't found it yet. Thanks.

From my Sister-In-Law's logs this past weekend: October 3 by 3bighouses (48 found) We started hunting for this one after spending the morning cleaning up the area with the Tennessee River Rescue and Pack 3266. We spent about 35 minutes looking for this one and were about to give up when I remembered the Cubmaster had mentioned this cache to me when we got here (his is the GPS unit we have been using - plan to get our own in a couple of weeks!) so I called him to see if he had any hints... He hadn't actually looked for this one himself but said another one of our Pack had found it this morning while picking up trash but since it was really well marked, he didn't think anyone would have picked it up. Armed with a description of the container, we looked around a few more minutes and still didn't find it. We went up to the River Rescue folks and asked if they had seen anything like this - explained about Geocaching, looked into the huge dumpster and saw what MIGHT be the bottom edge of the cache. Fortunately, those BIG dumpsters open up at the end so I only had to walk (not climb) about a third of the way into the dumpster to rescue the cache from the Tennessee River Rescue!!! Took a ball, left a frisbee, dropped Greg's Travels T.B., SL, replaced the cache where we thought it should have been, called and confirmed placement with BBB. Yippee! All is right with the world now TFTC! Some of the McCallie boys were excited to see what was inside - who knows, maybe we have stirred up some interest in some more new folks! Way to go, 3bighouses!

Ahh, you are correct. I forgot about that method of Googling. Noted for the future! Thanks for the info about adopting a TB too!