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InGodsHands
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Posts posted by InGodsHands
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1. What do you like most about challenge caches?
We have done over 1700 challenge caches. We like them because they help you focus on a caching objective and they often have a higher/rarer D/T rating. It allows you to set caching goals to work towards.
2. What do you not like about challenge caches?
The publishing guidelines for challenge caches (i.e. required completion by "substantial number of other users") and the inconsistent way that this guideline is followed/not followed across all the regional Reviewers. The guideline should be "Is the challenge do-able", i.e. "has someone done it?" If yes, the cache should be published. For example, it is very different to demonstrate 12 other cachers that have found 100 caches with the word CANYON in the title (not that this is a type of challenge that I would be interested in).
3. What would you like to see changed about challenge caches?
a. Change the guidelines for publishing as mentioned in #2 above.
b. Get all existing challenge caches that require you to contact the CO to get the coords for the final to be changed IMMEDIATELY to post the cache coordinates without having to contact the CO. This is the current guideline but there are many existing NON-COMPLYING caches out there.
c. The first line of the cache description should say either:
The cache is located at the posted coordinates OR
The cache is NOT located at the posted coordinates so that you don't end up wasting time in the field only to discover that there was a puzzle to complete to get the coords.
d) The requirements for the challenge should be clearly stated in a section called Challenge Requirements on the second line of the cache description not buried in the text anywhere on the page.
4. If you could describe your favorite challenge cache type, what would it be?
I like most types: streaks, busy days, lonely, Fizzy, found date, placed date, anything to do with earthcaches, waymarks, benchmarks or virtuals, or anything else that I can document quickly.
5. What types of challenge caches do you avoid?
I do not like:
a. going through my 10,000 finds manually to see if I am qualified. I don't mind using a GSAK macro or a filter or a Project-GC checker to see if I am qualified.
b. challenge caches that restrict based on geography (eg. "only caches in Georgia" count) or date (only caches after 2014-12-07 count) or cache type (typically, these challenges don't allow virtual and earthcaches), or cache owner, etc.
c. Challenge caches that say only one cache from a series count. If you are smart enough to find a series that helps you fulfill the requirements then that should count.
d. Challenges that force you to find 100 in the XYZ Park - this goes straight to ignore.
Unfortunately, challenge caches are not everyone's cup of tea but I hope that Jeremy and crew can find a way to have them so they don't end up like Virtuals.
Thanks for seeking our opinions............MrPirateCat
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The new advanced search is good. It would be even better if the results-set could be downloaded as a pocket query.
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The Geocaching search/filtering capability needs to be significantly improved. At a minimum you should be able to alpha search the cache title for a string ANYWHERE IN THE CACHE TITLE (not just starts with) AND also specify a state/country. For the compilation caches you are interested in finding all the "Welcome to" caches in the state of Florida or "Challenge" caches in Oregon.
The GSAK application provides a good example of the ultimate in searching/filtering capability.
The Geocaching search filter should allow the user to specify a COMPOSITE SEARCH/FILTER (i.e. several parameters at once):
cache name contains, cache name starts with the letter, distance (less than, greater than, in between), difficulty (less than, greater than, in between, equal to), Terrain, available status (archived, disabled, active), owner name contains, favourite points (less than, greater than), placed date, cache type, container size, state contains, country contains, GC Code contains.
By allowing the user to specify these parameters the SQL query could be dynamically built and the the results set returned to the screen.
Also allow the results set to be stored as a Pocket Query for download.
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The Geocaching search/filtering capability needs to be significantly improved. At a minimum you should be able to alpha search the cache title for a string and also specify a state/country. For the compilation caches you are interested in finding all the "Welcome to" caches in the state of Florida. Now you have to sift through the 227 pages looking for Florida caches.
The GSAK application provides a good example of the ultimate in filtering capability.
The search filter should allow the user to specify:
cache name conatins, distance (less than, greater than, in between), difficulty (less than, greater than, in between, equal to), Terrain, available status (archived, disabled, active), owner name contains, favourite points (less than, greater than), placed date, cache type, container size, state contains, country contains, GC Code contains.
By allowing the user to specify these parameters the SQL query could by dynamically built and the the results set returned to the screen.
Also allow the results set to be stored as a Pocket Query for download.
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It would be nice to have a line at the top of the Souvenir page showing the total number of souvenirs received:
MrPirateCat has received 55 souvenirs
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With the demise of "challenges" it's time to bring Virtuals back.
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Having to re-jig the MrPirateCat Public Holiday Challenge plan to accommodate a trip to Las Vegas at Christmas. Was initially puzzled at how to do this but virtuals abound in LV so I think we're back on track. Happy holidays to y'all.
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Lyn and I had a very traditional Thanksgiving albeit romping around Pennsylvania and New York picking off some oldies.
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We'll be having a more "traditional" Labour Day
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Nicely on track for this challenge. Only one problem - we got no chance at FTF
. We'll be doing a traditional in Hawaii on Family Day 
. At least we'll avoid the mob scene in the middle of the night. That should be funny. Take pics of all the FTF midnight maniacs. Fun challenge.............MPC Aww shucks, so sorry to hear you will be out of town for the "Midnight Madness" event. Should anyone be crazy enough to show up - and who's to say anyone will - you'll be in everyone's shivering thoughts.
I'm sure there will be several there. One of them would have been me too. I'll post my 12th to find on March 1st LOL.
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Nicely on track for this challenge. Only one problem - we got no chance at FTF
. We'll be doing a traditional in Hawaii on Family Day . At least we'll avoid the mob scene in the middle of the night. That should be funny. Take pics of all the FTF midnight maniacs. Fun challenge.............MPC 
. We'll be doing a traditional in Hawaii on Family Day 
. At least we'll avoid the mob scene in the middle of the night. That should be funny. Take pics of all the FTF midnight maniacs. Fun challenge.............MPC 
. We'll be doing a traditional in Hawaii on Family Day 
Release Notes (Website: Benchmarking retirement) - October 17, 2022
in Geocaching HQ communications
Posted
Another bad decision from Geocaching.com just like when they said the virtuals were finished - then they had to reverse themselves when they listened to their users. Many people have invested a lot of time in benchmarking and the USA is a large & favorite place for international geocachers/benchmarkers (from Canada and Europe). This seems to be another short-sighted, under-researched idea from the central systems group that struggles to make changes that improve functionality. They seem to be more interested in shrinking the scope of things they have to support (not that they have supported benchmarks very well at all in the past). Eventually, I'll let my Premium membership lapse because they keep providing less and less of what I value. I do not do Lab caches and GeoTours so all their work in these areas is lost on me. I do many benchmarks so this proposed change will affect me.