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Pocket Queries


Alan White

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Me, my $30, and my caches, too, right? Why does everyone who spouts that trival always forget about taking the caches, too?

Take them with you. I am certain that a whole slew of excellent caches will quickly take their place.

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I wrote a little macro last night for GSAK that automatically renews my PQ's everytime I click my "Getmail" button.

 

SuuuuuWeeeeet.

 

:laughing:

Nice.

 

You might want to start a new thread with that as the title and share it so the GSAK people who are complaining about their PQs being turned off can use it.

 

/just a thought

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Ahhhh....the master complainer returns. ROFLAMO :laughing:

 

With such awesome skills in the art of b*****g, I would have thought of something better coming from you.

 

FYI, this is a thread about PQ's. Here's the tread on virtuals and Waymarking in case you lost it.

Edited by WH
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...in case you lost it.

I didn't lose it. I just didn't feel like embarrasing you further by pointing it out to you.

 

But, that's okay. If you don't have a good retort attack the post itself.

 

Honestly, why are you concerned one way or the other? Oh, maybe it's just to stir the pot? :laughing:

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...I need data about all caches in the UK. When a cache is created I need to know of its existence. When a cache is logged or changed in any way I need to know about it. I need to know as often as the data changes....

My name is Steve and I'm a geoholic...

I think there is a twelve step program for that - bearing 315 for 50 feet

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Jeremy/Elias;

 

Has any thought been given to reducing the number of allowed pocket queries per member on high-load days and increasing them on lower-load days?

 

For example: What if Thursday, Friday and Saturday were reduced from 5 to 4, and Sunday, Monday, Tuesday were increased to 6?

Wouldn't that just move the high volume days to another day in the week?

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Jeremy/Elias;

 

Has any thought been given to reducing the number of allowed pocket queries per member on high-load days and increasing them on lower-load days? 

 

For example: What if Thursday, Friday and Saturday were reduced from 5 to 4, and Sunday, Monday, Tuesday were increased to 6?

Wouldn't that just move the high volume days to another day in the week?

My thought was that it would spread out the load so that it is not all concentrated on Thursday and Friday.

 

Not having the statistics in front of me for how many PQs are run on each day, I'm just asking if they've considered it. I have no idea if it would work or not.

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I wrote a little macro last night for GSAK that automatically renews my PQ's everytime I click my "Getmail" button.

 

SuuuuuWeeeeet.

 

<_<

Care to share?

It is painfully simple, but it appears to not work for everyone.

 

If you have X PQ's scheduled per week, you receive X unique URL's in emails that when called (clicked) will reactivate a specific PQ.

 

Simply add X lines to your Getmail macro that look like:

 

WEB URL = EMAIL_URL_1

WEB URL = EMAIL_URL_2

.

.

.

WEB URL = EMAIL_URL_X

 

Each EMAIL_URL_X is copied directly from the emails you receive from GC.com.

 

The first time I executed this, it appeared to only turn on the first and last PQ of the week, missing all the ones in the middle.

 

But, once I refreshed the window, all PQ's were checked. I have run it several times on my machine and it has worked every time here. Another Geocacher has reported that it didn't work for him.

 

If someone can figure out how to have GSAK determine the day of the week, a much more elegant and bullet proof solution could be developed where the entire week's PQ's wouldn't have to be called each time.

 

Good luck.

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Here's my $0.02...

 

The people who can't understand why people have more than one PQ (or even two PQs) probably don't live in an overly saturated area. There are over 100 caches within 2 miles of my home (most of which I've found). It takes three PQs for me to cover the distance from home to work twenty minutes away, and four PQs to cover the distance to my parents' home thirty minutes in the other direction. I need at least ten PQs to cover the areas I frequently travel to that are less than an hour from home. And, I've even had to filter out all micros just so that I can get better coverage with those "bubbles" and not have too many gaps. It would take about 16 PQs to cover my home area if I included micros.

 

I've staggered my PQs so I get 2-3 per day to cover that small area. I've opened up a second paid account to help gc cover the cost. I've had to write special software to stitch all the PQs together. And I *have* to rely on automation to process those PQs so that I can instantly sync up my GPS and Palm Pilot every day. And now I have to send the PQs to the PQ-only email address I normally use *and* to my regular email just so I can tell gc that I really want the PQs that I've already asked for.

 

Just because you don't understand why I have more than one PQ, doesn't mean I don't have valid reasons for receiving them, and valid reasons for missing errant notices regarding them...

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Why do you need so many PQ's when you have found only 10-20 in the last 6 months? I live in the same general area (have found several of yours) and only have one PQ scheduled a week (for new caches). I will run one when I cahce in a new area or one I haven't been in a while (I get down to SJ about once every 4-6 weks). There is no reason to run 35 a week as CR has stated he does.

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Why do you need so many PQ's when you have found only 10-20 in the last 6 months? I live in the same general area (have found several of yours) and only have one PQ scheduled a week (for new caches). I will run one when I cahce in a new area or one I haven't been in a while (I get down to SJ about once every 4-6 weks). There is no reason to run 35 a week as CR has stated he does.

Nitpick: I don't think that CR said he got 35 PQs, that was the OP.

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Why do you need so many PQ's when you have found only 10-20 in the last 6 months? I live in the same general area (have found several of yours) and only have one PQ scheduled a week (for new caches). I will run one when I cahce in a new area or one I haven't been in a while (I get down to SJ about once every 4-6 weks). There is no reason to run 35 a week as CR has stated he does.

It's true we've slowed down a lot over the past 6 months. Fighting state legislation, clearing your local area out, the brutal weather, and high gas prices all conspired to slow us down.

 

However, I think you are a bit confused on who I am. I live on the opposite coast as you and unless you've logged them under a different account, I find only one log by you in our stomping grounds and that is on a locationless where you found an artisian well in CA.

 

Additionally, as already been pointed out, I don't run 35 a week. I only run a mere 22 and third of those are to update a website for the local group. I run 15 a week to update GSAK.

 

Lastly, there is a reason I like to keep GSAK up to date. When we do have the opporunity to go geocaching any little thing that gets us out the door quicker helps.

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All scheduled PQ's are for a week, that is a cycle.

 

So I would think that after a week all unused PQ's would be shifted out.

 

Why do we still have to confirm the next PQ? Why?

In attempt to reduce server load and make PQ's run faster, Jeremy has made it so people have to click a link in their email if they want the PQ renewed. They are trying to weed out PQ's from inactive cachers.

 

Mind you that this is just a stop-gap measure until a long term solution can be implemented.

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All scheduled PQ's are for a week, that is a cycle.

 

So I would think that after a week all unused PQ's would be shifted out.

 

Why do we still have to confirm the next PQ? Why?

In attempt to reduce server load and make PQ's run faster, Jeremy has made it so people have to click a link in their email if they want the PQ renewed. They are trying to weed out PQ's from inactive cachers.

 

Mind you that this is just a stop-gap measure until a long term solution can be implemented.

But hh1's point is that the inactive cachers have been weeded out after 1 week of the new policy.

 

And the change has made a huge difference. I had some weekly (Saturday) PQs that had been running around 5am start to run about 1:30am after the inactive stuff was cleared out.

 

If the server can now finish each day's requests (so everybody is getting what they asked for), it doesn't seem that the re-confirmation is needed any longer.

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Honest question here -

 

Would it be possible to send the PQ emails out with a read confirmation request? I realize that not all clients would handle that, but it might help to prevent people from missing a PQ because they weren't paying attention. I don't know how long the new reply mechanism is going to be in place, so if it's truly short-term, then maybe this kind of extra effort (on the part of the gc folks) isn't worth it. Still, I know a number of geocachers that are lucky to be able to check their email, so expecting them to manually respond will probably leave them confused.

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There is another thread in the same area about this issue. PQs are running but not being e-mailed out. No one from Groundspeak has responded yet. It's going to screw up my weekend at this rate...

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=106809

Update: As has been noted in the other thread, Elias has fixed the problem with the email server (Coaster: I know *you* know this already, I'm just bringing everyone else up to date).

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People that are complaning are just too lazy to read the e-mails. The link was even in BOLD.

Yup, my procmail rule that automatically spits out the pocket query into a file that I can then easily manipulate noticed the BOLD in the mail... NOT...

:0 :
* ^Subject: \[GEO\] Pocket Query: \/.*$
| /home/abc/bin/pocketquery

It has nothing to do with being "lazy", it has to do with being automated.

 

The lack of notification by some other means is inexcusable.

 

I certainly hope that this "loss of feature" is fixed (in one way or another) soon.

 

BTW, I've updated my script with the following line to make it all good:

 

wget `tail -1 $DESCRIPTION`

 

so it's no big deal. :huh:

Edited by knobee
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Honest question here -

 

Would it be possible to send the PQ emails out with a read confirmation request?

I have my client set up to not respond to comfirmation requests. I have an issue with people knowing when I read my e-mail.

What TL said... I don't want people knowing WHEN or IF I read their email. There are a certain few that go straight to the trash can :anitongue:

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What's going on with these Pocket Queries?

I too run GSAK but I've never had that program download my queries for me ... I save the attachments myself (yeh, call me lazy for not utilizing all of GSAK's capabilities :laughing:).

I never read the text in the email as it is usually contains the same old 893blahblah-thumb.gif ... so I just saved the attachment & moved on.

 

I only noticed that there was something going on when my queries stopped arriving in my email. :lol:

 

Anyway, it says in the email ...

 

<snip>

"Due to the recent issues with the Pocket Query Generator, you will need to click on the link at the end of this email to re-run this query a week from today."

 

"Run Pocket Query next week:"

[link]

</snip>

 

Well, I clicked on that link (which kindly took me to my Pocket Query page at gc.com) and I tried to tick the box to reactivate the query again to run next week (as the email told me to do) and I got the following response ...

 

"Sorry. You have exceeded the maximum limit of 5 queries per day for Friday"

 

Huh? :lol:

Yes, I got my queries this time around, but I thought I was reactivating them for next week as the email stated!?! :huh:

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Additionally, as already been pointed out, I don't run 35 a week. I only run a mere 22 and third of those are to update a website for the local group

 

Is redistributing Groundspeak content like that within the scope of the site TOS?

I'm not "redistributing" anything other than the titles, owner, a few other bits of information, and the link to the cache page. There are no particulars like discription or coordinates.

 

That's not to mention TPTB are fully aware of what I'm doing.

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Here's an idea.

 

Everytime Geocaching withdraws $3 from my checking account, they automatically renew my queries... since that's why I subscribed to the website in the first place.

 

Seriously - imagine if you had to send in a postcard every time you got a magazine at home to renew for the next issue. Afterall, Time, Newsweek, Playboy, whatever - they're just weeding out those who don't actually READ the magazines... even though they subscribed.

 

See? Isn't that silly?

 

Inactive cachers should be flushed by now - let's get pass this nonsense and re-enable auto-renew.

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What's going on with these Pocket Queries?

I too run GSAK but I've never had that program download my queries for me ... I save the attachments myself (yeh, call me lazy for not utilizing all of GSAK's capabilities :rolleyes:).

I never read the text in the email as it is usually contains the same old 893blahblah-thumb.gif ... so I just saved the attachment & moved on.

 

I only noticed that there was something going on when my queries stopped arriving in my email. :P

 

Anyway, it says in the email ...

 

<snip>

"Due to the recent issues with the Pocket Query Generator, you will need to click on the link at the end of this email to re-run this query a week from today."

 

"Run Pocket Query next week:"

[link]

</snip>

 

Well, I clicked on that link (which kindly took me to my Pocket Query page at gc.com) and I tried to tick the box to reactivate the query again to run next week (as the email told me to do) and I got the following response ...

 

"Sorry. You have exceeded the maximum limit of 5 queries per day for Friday"

 

Huh? :P

Yes, I got my queries this time around, but I thought I was reactivating them for next week as the email stated!?! :P

Clicking the link automatically renews the query for the next week. Once you're there, it should already be checked and ready to run the following week. You don't need to click the check box.

 

I might as well throw in my 2 cents now. I'm one of those people that never saw the message in the PQs. I just happened to see this thread when browsing the forum, otherwise I never would have seen the message. I have GSAK download the queries from a dedicated email account. GSAK downloads, processes the query, and deletes the email, so there's never a chance for a human to read it. I agree that TPTB should have sent out the information that they were doing this some other additional way, like an email to all premium members, or to everyone that had PQs running. But, it was an emergency situation that wasn't planned ahead of time, so they didn't think about it. It was inconvenient for me, and I'm sure they learned for next time, but it's definitely forgivable :P

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As someone else pointed out, it is not Groundspeaks problem. You were notified and in an easy and obvious way. It is not their fault that you used a third party program to extract the data from the e-mail without reading it. Same as if you shredded an important document because you didn't read the contents of an envelope before throwing it out, it's not their fault. Not everyone uses GSAK (non premium members and Mac users). Why should they have to send out extra e-mails?

Edited by Wacka
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Clicking the link automatically renews the query for the next week.  Once you're there, it should already be checked and ready to run the following week.  You don't need to click the check box.

I clicked on the link & it took me my Pocket Query page and there was NO tick in the box beside the query in question. :laughing:

 

When I tried to place a tick in the box I then got the following response ...

 

"Sorry. You have exceeded the maximum limit of 5 queries per day for Friday"

 

icon_rolleyes.gif

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As someone else pointed out, it is not Groundspeaks problem.

 

Why should they have to send out extra e-mails?

I think it is Groundspeak's problem because they have additional methods of notifying their customers...many of which have been explored earlier.

 

I'm a little bothered that there is no response from them indicating that they agree that they could have done this better. :laughing:

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What's going on with these Pocket Queries?

I too run GSAK but I've never had that program download my queries for me ... I save the attachments myself (yeh, call me lazy for not utilizing all of GSAK's capabilities :cry:).

I never read the text in the email as it is usually contains the same old 893blahblah-thumb.gif ... so I just saved the attachment & moved on.

 

I only noticed that there was something going on when my queries stopped arriving in my email. :laughing:

 

Anyway, it says in the email ...

 

<snip>

"Due to the recent issues with the Pocket Query Generator, you will need to click on the link at the end of this email to re-run this query a week from today."

 

"Run Pocket Query next week:"

[link]

</snip>

 

Well, I clicked on that link (which kindly took me to my Pocket Query page at gc.com) and I tried to tick the box to reactivate the query again to run next week (as the email told me to do) and I got the following response ...

 

"Sorry. You have exceeded the maximum limit of 5 queries per day for Friday"

 

Huh? :cry:

Yes, I got my queries this time around, but I thought I was reactivating them for next week as the email stated!?!  :cry:

 

hmm... I don't seem to have this nice blah blah smiley in my smiley list

 

where does one get all these special smiles?

 

cc\

Edited by CompuCash
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I also complained to Groundspeak about this auto-disabling PQ's unless you click a link. I don't like it... at all!

 

My opinion: I pay 30 bucks a year to become/stay a premium member. Paying has certain benefits, for me it's only the pocket queries that count. You get a maximum of 20 PQ's, of which 5 can run every day (in the order that the most recently run PQ's are running last in the queue) and every PQ can have at most 500 caches. And, because I'm paying for it, I expect to be able to get exactly that!

 

I understand the need to disable unneccesary PQ's which are no longer used and/or going to mailboxes that are no longer read. For that, you only need one run of auto-disabling PQ's. But Groundspeak seem to keep this feature enabled for much longer. And they don;t need to, since all unneccesary PQ's are already disabled now. A (quarterly) mail to the gc.com listed mailaccount of premium members to acknowledge they are alive would be enough for the future.

 

It can also be a financial matter... but... a new server would cost Groundspeak at most 5000 bucks, so every 200 members could have their own PQ server. I guess you can handle much, much, much more than 1000 PQ's a day on one server, since now two servers seem to handle all PQ's. So not the complete 30 bucks are needed to buy hardware for the PQ's.

 

But, because the answer of Groundspeak was (to say the least) of a non-cooperative kind (some would say it spelled "bug off!"), I found a technicall solution to their technical solution. :wub:

 

I now run a scheduled retrieval of the links in the mails every week on thursday, a day I don;t use for PQ's any way. Easy from Internet Explorer, menu Tools -> Synchronise and/or by editing the properties of a favorite and enabling "make this page available off-line". That way, every week my PQ's get enabled automatically again. No need to click links anymore. Easy import of PQ's in GSAK again. Life is beautifull. :(

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What's going on with these Pocket Queries?

I too run GSAK but I've never had that program download my queries for me ... I save the attachments myself (yeh, call me lazy for not utilizing all of GSAK's capabilities :().

I never read the text in the email as it is usually contains the same old 893blahblah-thumb.gif ... so I just saved the attachment & moved on.

 

I only noticed that there was something going on when my queries stopped arriving in my email. :)

 

Anyway, it says in the email ...

 

<snip>

"Due to the recent issues with the Pocket Query Generator, you will need to click on the link at the end of this email to re-run this query a week from today."

 

"Run Pocket Query next week:"

[link]

</snip>

 

Well, I clicked on that link (which kindly took me to my Pocket Query page at gc.com) and I tried to tick the box to reactivate the query again to run next week (as the email told me to do) and I got the following response ...

 

"Sorry. You have exceeded the maximum limit of 5 queries per day for Friday"

 

Huh? :ph34r:

Yes, I got my queries this time around, but I thought I was reactivating them for next week as the email stated!?!  :lol:

Just clicking the link reactivates the PQ. You shouldn't have to tick the box again.

Edited by Markwell
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Additionally, as already been pointed out, I don't run 35 a week. I only run a mere 22 and third of those are to update a website for the local group

 

Is redistributing Groundspeak content like that within the scope of the site TOS?

I'm not "redistributing" anything other than the titles, owner, a few other bits of information, and the link to the cache page. There are no particulars like discription or coordinates.

 

That's not to mention TPTB are fully aware of what I'm doing.

I checked around the office and no one seems to know about this. Do you have an email giving you permission outside of the TOS of the site?

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