Default "drop Log" On Travel Bug

[+ibycus]

If you look over most travel bug pages, most have some real information in the retrieval log, but nothing in the drop log. I think this is a by-product of how dropping a travel bug works. Not often do people bother to go back and edit their drop logs to contain meaningful information.

 

I would like to see a little box on the log entry page that if you checked when dropping a travel bug in to a cache it would duplicate your log entry on the cache to the bug's page as the text of the bug drop log entry.

 

Thoughts?

[+Jester2112]

Here's my thought, OMG, I've just had another "duh" moment. I've seen folks have comments for the drop log and didn't spend enough time thinking about how they did it to figure out I could go back and edit the log to add my comments. So, I'm your prime example of why your idea is a good one. Now I'll need to go visit the drop log for all my bugs and copy and paste my logs from the caches. Thanks for helping me with one of my many "duh" moments.

[+TheAprilFools]

Excellent point. I know when I pick up a TB, I really don't have much to say but am given the opportunity to say something, while when I drop a TB, I would have more to say but you have to go to several extra steps to do so. If they was a check box to duplicate the cache log entry or an extra text box to enter TB notes when dropped I think that would fit the requirement.

[+WildGooseChase]

I think I would prefer another text box on the cache log entry page in which to put a seperate log that would be for the bug drop.

 

As a bug owner I don't need a bunch of logs like:

 

"TNLNSL."

"Thanks for the cache."

"That was a tough cache. Thanks for the fun."

 

Those have nothing to do with my bug so why do I care about that? I would like to hear about my bug and what it has done, not how much fun the cache was.

[+ibycus]

I was just trying to think of something easy and quick to implement that wouldn't cause the existing interface to get overly complex.

 

My feeling is, is that if a cacher only had something like TNLNSL, then they wouldn't bother to check the little box that said "Duplicate this log entry on travel bug page [ ]", which would of course default to not being checked.

 

If I had a box like that, personally I would make sure that my log might be interesting for both the cache, and the bug owner.

 

Something along the lines.

 

"Brought (TB Name) to the cache. It was a (tough hike)/(easy hike), (not many people out today)/(lots of people out today). Looks like (lots of people)/(not many people) have visited the cache recently. Beautiful views. (TB Name) seemed to be quite happy here, so I left him. Thank you for the wonderful cache, and I hope (TB Name) enjoys his stay and moves on quickly."

 

Obviously this is somewhat generic, but you can see how the log makes logical sense for both the bug, and the cache log. As a bug owner, it's nice to get more information about *where* your bug is being left (of course you can go through the logs on the pages of the bugs, but how many people actually do that?). Just makes things generally a more interesting experience.

[+Anonymous']

I think it sounds like a good idea. Generally when i log my pick up for a TB I just say "will move on soon" Rather dull don't you think? I usually have more to say when I drop it off but I never put it in a note for the bug because it's too much of a hastle when the website is running really slow and you're trying to log 10 caches.

[+welch]

"Not often do people bother to go back and edit their drop logs to contain meaningful information. "

 

hmm... thats true. I personally never do edit them. If I want to add something else I just put up a note. Usually though I figure if they want to read about the cache or whatever went into dropping it off somewhere, they can just look up the cache and see whats in the log (if its still there).

 

Edited to add:

I don't think this would be a bad feature, I just don't know that would use it.

Edited September 21, 2005 by welch

[+tls11823]

I always put in a note for the bug, which means several steps. But I wouldn't be in favor of copying the cache logs notes to the bug log. I would rarely want to say the same thing in both places. I'm really keen on the idea of a separate text box, but there would have to be one for each bug you dropped off.

[+ibycus]

I always put in a note for the bug, which means several steps.

 

Horray, you're one of the very few who bother...

 

But I wouldn't be in favor of copying the cache logs notes to the bug log.  I would rarely want to say the same thing in both places.

 

Of course ideally one wouldn't, but I think its pretty obvious that the ideal isn't really going to happen. I don't think it would be too hard to write your log such that it would fit for both the cache, and any bug you were dropping off.

 

  I'm really keen on the idea of a separate text box, but there would have to be one for each bug you dropped off.

 

Which is why I don't think this is a likely possibility. We don't want to complicate the interface (or at least we want to complicate it as little as possible). Remember there are people of all computer skill levels using the site, and some of them would be pretty worried if they had to (or thought they had to) fill in a bunch of boxes each time they dropped off a bug (maybe think they *had* to drop what ever bug they were holding when they logged their next cache or something like that).