Viajero Perdido

One of them looks like barfing. (Unmagnified sample here. You try to interpret it differently without squinting.) The code for barfing is now "blush". These are garbage.

Phone apps use them too. It's part of my workflow. I'd rather see emojis than a blank name, especially in a whole series of caches.

Noticed, yes. Just occasionally. It's a nice spring (in the northern hemisphere) weekend, and everyone wants to go outside and play ... which ironically requires some computing. We had this conversation last year at this time, and probably the year before... I'll skip the snark this time about planning. They've probably added extra servers, just not enough.

In addition to dual frequency, there are more satellite systems available. My 3yo phone, for example, gets satellites from the US, Europe, Russia, and China, typically getting a lock from 26-28 satellites outdoors, and 10 satellites indoors at my desk as I write this. That's multi-GNSS, as it's called, and it seems to be more common than dual-frequency, but both help. (My phone doesn't have the latter, but the former means it rocks for finding caches.)

Some of the new ones are unreadable without magnification (sleepy, shy, wink, blush...) A step backwards. PS, in subtle ways, you're changing the meaning of what we've written. Please don't do that. (eg, I used "dead"(-tired), but now it reads as spooky, Halloween.) I politely request all existing logs be grandfathered to their original meaning.

There have also been great improvements to caching apps (plural) for the phone. Caching fully offline, with the same style of preparation as with a classic GPS unit, is totally possible nowadays. Smooth even. See the API partners list for options. There are quality choices for both Android and iOs.

I propose we do nothing about this. If a cache owner wants to use emojis, fine. They might figure out they lose part of their potential audience ... somewhat like marking as Premium Members only, or putting out a high-terrain cache that not everyone can do. If a cache finder sees a cache with (apparently) no title, they can move on to another cache, or upgrade their hardware. There are 3 million other caches to choose from. Our hosts have a new thing they're focused on, and it isn't about Garmins. Good luck.

Just to clarify, standard PQs just include a single field for coordinates. If the user has entered corrected coords for that cache, that's 2 coords in the Groundspeak database, 2 coords available via the API, but only that single coord in the PQ, which isn't marked as "corrected", but is. An app that loads PQs and doesn't also go online for more info, will have the corrected coords without even being aware of it. On Android, the app I'm familiar with, Locus Map, can work this way, and is quite good at it. Other apps of good repute are likely the same. I'm willing to be corrected on this, but I'm pretty sure that's how it works.

PQs do include corrected coords for mysteries, etc, but no indication of the fact these are corrected coords. The API, eg "Update Cache" in Locus, does include that indication so you can choose, but in either case, you should be seeing the corrected location ... IF the app chooses to respect this. Groundspeak's beginner app chooses to ignore that, and if has both original and corrected available, insists on original. A design choice. I suspect you're loading PQs into the Groundspeak app (are you?), which might then decide to check online and give you "better" appearance instead, all that purty geo-art in the original "art" locations. Ready to try another app?

If you don't mind resorting to a phone or tablet... Some of the full-featured caching apps do this optionally, and can draw 161m circles around the caches as well. The browse map on the website seems to be code-frozen. Changes there are extremely rare, for reasons I can only guess at.

If you have a means to block scripts from certain websites (I use NoScript in FIrefox for that), you can disable scripts from google-analytics.com googletagmanager.com googletagservices.com and websites still work. And you have more privacy from that infamous company's tracking. While you're at it, cookiebot.com is nothing but trouble; block that too.

I'd go with #1, which is the standard way of requesting a coord check. This essentially reserves the spot for you, and you have some time to create the listing. How much time? I don't know, but I imagine it depends on circumstances and the reviewer. I'd explain in your reviewer note what you're doing, the house purchase angle, and that you may need some time to complete the purchase, and put up the cache. I think a reviewer would find this most interesting, and would be happy to give you the time you need. Usually there's some back-and-forth, do you still need this spot? This is from observing reviewers in the wild. I am not a reviewer, but one or three may swoop in here to make corrections as needed.

<!-- Would you settle for hiding text in a comment? I have puzzles using that trick, but don't know if that's still allowed, or those puzzles are just grandfathered. -->

Are you logged in on the website? (EDIT: we all jump in on the easy ones. )

Ibycus maps were great in their day, but haven't been updated in at least a decade. Gov't-data-based maps are even worse; they were never great. Have a look at OpenStreetMap. Check the trail coverage for your area. There are versions for Garmin...

Has anybody figured out how to game this to simultaneously +1 the favorite count, and increase the fave percentage? (...as would happen in reality.) I'm trying to figure out how to deliver a proper compliment, not a half-cheeked one. [:D] I say nice things with words, of course, but nobody reads those.

In the place you're trying to paste, are you able to manually type accented characters? (I'm not suggesting you manually type the entire thing; this is just a test.)

This is important for the benefit of others too. A found-it log incorrectly dated today, following a string of DNFs, can send the wrong message about the cache's current health. Did they ever fix "the" app to allow back-dating? You may need to use another app or the website.

At the risk of being repetitive... If you just want the thing to work so you can go caching, find a way to block all access to cookiebot.com (via ad-blocker, firewall, HOSTS, NoScript, or whatever). All cookie problems magically disappear. Cookiebot is a store-bought solution to a government privacy rule. It probably sounded great in the sales pitch, but it seems like today, people at GCHQ are working on a holiday thanks to problems with this "solution". Godspeed noble frogs, and in the meantime, there's a workaround.

Oh, that thing again. If you block all access to cookiebot.com (via ad-blocker, firewall, HOSTS, NoScript, etc), a lot of problems just go away. Blame gov't rules, long story.

Try openandromaps.org; I think they still offer V3 maps. EDIT: yes, but 2019, yeck. These are topo maps, mind you, wifh contour lines and thus bigger file sizes. But they should be compatible if you find V3. LoMaps from Locus are V3 for a very short while longer, if you have access to them, eg via their app. (As you might know, the apps are distant relatives.)

More rules aren't the answer. A reviewer or CO can see the find count of the person making the log, and use their own good judgement: act or ignore. They may even know the person, maybe take their report a bit more seriously, or not. This is a game full of people working together to have fun, not a computer program.

I host events fairly often, and occasionally I do have to miss one. Luckily, there are a couple of regular attendees who've expressed a willingness to be backup hosts, and I've adopted the events over to one or the other. That's an option. You can even adopt out an unpublished event. I did that once, when I knew extra-early that I wouldn't be available, but a backup host was already willing. Ready-made page, here you go, have fun.

I remember an event (Central America somewhere, IIRC), where nobody showed up, not even the owner. No will attends, nothing. I think vacation events are a waste of space.

On the one where it happened to me, I was able just now to edit the text, changing it from ' to ' (it was presented correctly in the editor), and it then displayed correctly. Hot-changing the code? Servers running different versions?