halhal

On the labs.geocaching.com web site I can only see the names of the people who have logged on my lab cache under the 'Activity Log' page. I cannot read what their logs say. I can see the logs if I go to the Adventure Lab app on my phone by going to 'Activity'. I've tried clicking around on the web page to see I can find a way to show the logs - nothing shows up. If there is something I have to do in some preferences or this has been talked about in another thread or there is some 'magic' I need to do, please let me know. I like the ability to read the logs for my lab via the web page on my computer. Thanks, Hal Huntley (halhal)

A related issue. Once I find a cache page I might like to see the location on the larger map (to get better bearing on getting to it), I click on the "Geocaching.com Map" link. That used to show the cache centralized on the 'Search Caches' map with the name of the cache that I was just on at the top of the list. That no longer happens. In fact the icon for the cache I'm interested in sometimes does not show at all on the larger map. I hope that this can be fixed soon. Hal

The new map search also now allows sorting only favorite points, newest and oldest. How about distance? The old search allowed sorting by any column of returned values. You can't set how far you want to search to go. I think this new search is really useless. It does not provide any flexibility or meaningful results. It would be nice to continue being able to test things without opting out; we should be able to just toggle new/old and let us by toggling new again, we are opting back in. I'll opt back in soon, but to get the information I need I need to opt-out; I really don't want to be opt-ed out -- just want to be able to use either and then give feedback as I try things. Hal

I'll add my voice as well. I'm on a PC running Windows 8.1 and use Firefox. It doesn't happen all the time but at some zoom level, the icons for caches do disappear. I just tweak the zoom in or out a bit and they all appear again. I also just had the weird experience when looking at the geocaching map that all the cache icons were there, but all the map detail was gone... just blank-gray.

I have used the new map and search filters. I have tried searching with a specific word in the title and with a hider's name. The resulting map to the right of the search stays about the same and shows a bunch of the caches near my home. With either of the search criteria mentioned, there is no limiting of caches in the map or a listing of the results as in the older search capability. This new search functionality needs a lot of work. I prefer getting the results in a list rather than having a large map next to me that just shows me caches in my area. Regards, halhal (Hal Huntley)

I recently acquired a Garmin Oregon 650 GPSr. I'd like to add that to my "Your GPS" section of my page. I'm guessing this is in progress, but in case it got overlooked it would good to get implemented some time soon. None of the 600 series are there yet. As a brief review -- it is a very nice GPSr with lots of options for geocaching and other traveling experiences. It does not include a "Where-I-Go" option like the Oregon 300. The new 'adventures' feature is something that is promoted at the Garmin site. Hal

Yes... oh... so that's it. I have that auto-login feature for my account and I guess if you are logged in as a premium member, you always get that premium member page and not the free account page. I checked things by logging out and trying the link, and I did get to the free account pages. Thank you. Hal

That link you posted just sent me to the same "https://www.geocaching.com/Membership/premium.aspx" for me. Hal

I'm trying to convince my nephew to try geocaching and I'm composing a message to him about getting a free account on geocaching.com. Well, I try the link labeled "free account" on the "www.geocaching.com/about" and all I get is the "Premium Membership Payment Details" page (https://www.geocaching.com/membership/premium.aspx). Clicking on the "Continue to Next Step" button at the bottom of the page without filling anything out just brings me back to the same page. I can't seem to get beyond it. I think something got munged in the links. I haven't scoured the forums to see if this has been reported before -- so just send on the link to the answer there if it's there. Please fix things so one can easily get a free account -- I won't send my message to my nephew until I've learned the "real method" to get a free account :-). Thanks, Hal

trying to get owner id for gsak

I sometimes hunt with a group. Recently there were six of us out looking and at the first cache location we spread out fairly well. It was interesting the directions people were taking. I was the first to walk up the hill and start searching where the cache was. Soon the others joined me and it was one of the others that found the cache. I feel that I provided the general location and finding the specifics was a joint effort. Those who are not seeing it are participating and letting the others know where it's not So, yes, the individuals who sign the log are allowed to log the find. Hal

I appreciate the work you've put into this, but I have to say the RESULT so far is anything but "more flexible." So I'm thinking that after testing it out a bit, you're now saying that you're giving further thought to some pretty harsh decisions such as disallowing a link to a menu at a restaurant where an event was being held, or disallowing a link to an outsourced camping permit website for a state park where an event is being held. You're saying a volunteer reviewer might now have some descretion in allowing this type of thing, right? Also, I like it when a cache says something like "Yadayada House down the street from the cache has the most authentic sushi in Mingo, Kansas." Again, does a reviewer have the "flexibility" to determine that this is not really a solicitation but a helpful note to hungry cachers from NY or LA? Along the lines of this thought. I was interested in putting a cache at the base of a tree near a well known shopping area near where I live. I said something along the lines of "a neat area to shop or see a movie". I wasn't advertising any store in that center -- lots of people go there. (Well, there is only one movie theater, but I do go see movies there.) I didn't think it was too commercial. But the first refusal was because of commercialism. When I removed the sentence about shopping, the description seemed to be fine. So then I visit St. Thomas island for a vacation, and there is a cache in a store. That's not a problem for me; it was a fun cache find - a Mom and Pop place -- and on a rather remote island -- I think it should be there as a caching site. I do appreciate the modification to the guidelines for clarification. I'd hope my next "near a mall" type of cache description won't get turned down because it happens to be near a place that sells stuff. Hal

It's interesting to be browsing the forums about a year later and see the discussion with me so prominently in it. Let me clear up a few things about the situation. I am Hal Huntley and I do live in California. I have relatives in the Lincoln area and I visit there from time to time. I found a neat hiding place for a cache about a year ago in April and decided to put something there, create the cache and worry about who could adopt it later on. When I submitted it, the reviewer said it had to sponsored by someone local -- that made some sense to me. I looked at the few caches that I had found while visiting and saw they happened to be owned by "HP". So I sent a message by way of the geocaching site and asked him if he'd be willing to adopt the cache. He said he'd be willing to adopt it and we started the process that is documented in the messages above. I have never met HP nor do I know who he is (other than a geocacher). We have communicated only via email. Clan Delaney contacted me asking if I knew how to contact HP. I replied that we had exchanged emails and passed the contact info for Clan Delaney on to HP. HP's answer was something along the lines that Sheep Pasture had a good run and must rest in peace. The whole point is a bit moot now -- the general rules of inactive caches has taken effect and Sheep Pasture is now archived. I guess someone just needs to get permission to use that pasture again and a similar cache can be put there. It would be neat if someone would do that -- I have that listed as my most memorable cache. So, HP and "halhal" are not the same person HP has not modified my original page for Birt Memorial at all... it looks to others that I'm still the "owner" on the web page. I have a watch on the cache and enjoy seeing the comments. Officially, I still haven't found the cache yet -- and I guess I never will Hal

I wish to add my thanks that the archived caches will be able to be seen again. Being able to see them really does help the experience. I also concur with the previous thought that those areas that are not allowed should be so labeled when it is archived. (I'll go looking for the webcam/virtual cache discussions to add my opinion about that topic on those forums.) I would like to see the explanation on how to see the archived set of caches in the geocaching FAQ. Hal

I'll add my vote to return the ability to find archived caches. I don't use the feature too often, but here it is two months after it was stopped that I noticed it was gone and I miss it. I think it could be a google map "unchecked by default" option. I do prefer the google move the map by the hand grab to the old click on the direction that you want to move the map way. I would like TPTB to comment on why the feature is not there. It may be that it went away because they did away with the geocaching maps and had not thought about the archive caches feature. Hal

Thank you for that info. Now that I know about the FAQ, I'll look at it more often. I did do a search for "start poll" in the search window, but I didn't see any meaningful results. I certainly can understand not wanting the feature enabled for all users. Is there a formal method to request a poll question be asked? Hal

So I submit a new topic for discussion, (the one about YAPIDKA being in the geocaching glossary). I see now there is the option to make a poll. I get the feeling from what I've read that it's a per forum option that the moderators control. Does this forum section allow polls? Perhaps one thread can be a discussion and another a poll? At any rate, how can I make my discussion become a poll for TPTB (The Powers That Be) to see the WOTP (Will Of The People :-). Hal

One of my favorite geocaching terms that I found while looking at various regional web sites was YAPIDKA -- "Yet Another Park I Didn't Know About". What a great term. Although no one has used that acronym in one of my caches, I often did see the comment that the person didn't know about the park I'd put the cache in. There are many other parks that I've found caches in that I didn't know about. I propose that "YAPIDKA -- Yet Another Park I Didn't Know About" be added the geocaching.com glossary. I submitted the idea as a message to the geocaching.com people and Eric suggested I post it to this forum. Probably if we all think it's good enough to be included, it will be. Hal Huntley (halhal)

I see this new feature called "View my Friends". I've been trying to find where this is explained on the site, but I can't find it. Can someone point me to a description of what this does? Does it automatically put a watch on a friend's hides and finds? Hal Huntley

Thank you Quiggle for the pointer to the discussion thread. It looks like it will be eventually made available again, one way or the other. Meanwhile, the link still points to the "search for it" page. Typing "hintdecoder" shows the "PhoneDecode 1.0" at palmgear.com site. Hal

I'm suggesting that the link on the geocaching pages pointing to the Hint Decoder 1.1 should be removed since it does not take the person to the product -- just to a notification that the person needs to go search for whatever. Not very user friendly. Hal

Gee, hitting the wrong button by mistake somewhere gets things posted too quickly. Anyway, on the "Useful Links" page, the "Hint Decoder 1.1" link gets you to: "The selected product is no longer available. Please use the search function to locate an alternative." on www.palmgear.com. Maybe it should be taken out? Hal Huntley halhal

I would like to see cache searching on the "Seek a Cache" page to be searchable on the username who placed it. There is a "caches _found_ by username" (emphasis mine), but I think being able to search by who hid it would be neat. My friend just hid a cache, but I don't know the cache name so I can't search by keyword. I do know his geocaching user name, so being able to look for caches by his user name would show all that he has hidden (one so far). As I get to know other geocachers, I think it would be fun to be able to search for a cache that he or she has hidden and having this option would make it easier to find. Maybe this function is already there in some way that I haven't learned of yet. If so, a pointer on where it is would be appreciated. Thanks, Hal Huntley (halhal)

I didn't know what the coins and jeep icons meant a while ago. I sent a message to a geocacher in the area and he gave me guidance that they were travelbug icons. I think it would be neat -- just like if one clicks on a regular cache icon, the list of what the various icons means comes up -- that the coin and jeep (and other new ones that come along) could also be shown what they mean. My suggestion would be to just add a section at the bottom of the icon definition page to show the meaning of travelbug and other icons as they occur. Thanks for listening. Hal Huntley (halhal)

That's what I needed to know. My mind was thinking I could see "enough straight down" when that isn't the case. I appreciate the comments. Hal