+GRANPA ALEX Posted October 15, 2005 Share Posted October 15, 2005 Keeping one eye open for this, it IS exciting and timely too, especially for improved caching efficiency at the higher gas prices. What a convenience it will be to have a complete layout of the days targets - WOW! Link to comment
Jeremy Posted October 15, 2005 Share Posted October 15, 2005 Things look good for a Monday afternoon release. Fingers crossed Link to comment
+wildearth2001 Posted October 15, 2005 Share Posted October 15, 2005 (edited) I think those are either National Parks or Missle Testing Ranges... Are you suggesting that Mexico be a missle testing range? And Canada -eh Nope... <IMAGE DELETED> The red area to the southeast I think is Smokey Mountain Nat'l Park. The red area to the southwest I would think is missle testing and/or dessert. What's up with the lightblue circled area in the midwest? Open farmland with no parks? Actually the red circle in the SW looks like it is the Navajo Reservation.... Edited October 15, 2005 by wildearth2001 Link to comment
+geognerd Posted October 15, 2005 Share Posted October 15, 2005 Things look good for a Monday afternoon release. Fingers crossed Very exciting. Jeremy, will there be any instructions on how to use the new feature? Maybe a short explanation here in the forum before the release? Link to comment
+Fraverco Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 (edited) Jeremy... Thank You!!! Shivering with Anticipation!!! I wonder where on GC.com is this going to be shown? Is there a "New Features" area? Edited October 17, 2005 by JamesWyatt Link to comment
+muchado Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 The Google Earth map is great for browsing caches worldwide, but I think it's too noisy for organizing my personal caching info. I've got to tip my hat to the Google Maps API for that. I've been using .loc data from geocaching.com, adding a field of user data that allows me to specify the marker icon and comment, and then put it all up on a Google Map. I mark my finds with a green baloon, DNF with yellow, my home with blue, and all the rest stay red. I use the comment to display a date found/not found. It's just what I was looking for. Unfortunately, the cache data is fairly static and I edit the XML with a text editor at the moment. I guess I could use GSAK... I'm a quadruple newbie - Google Maps API, Java, HTML, and Geocaching, but it was fairly painless to put it together. It's very basic with no bells & whistles, but it's a good starting point for me. If you have any suggestions on better implementation or implementation of enhancements, feel free. For me anyways, I plan to make heavy use of both my personal map and the Google Earth map - earth for browsing and my personal one for actual caching. My Cache Map Link to comment
+TFTC Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 For me anyways, I plan to make heavy use of both my personal map and the Google Earth map - earth for browsing and my personal one for actual caching. My Cache Map That's very cool! Is there a web site that spells out how to do that or might you consider throwing a brief tutorial page on your site? Thanks for showing us the possibilities! Link to comment
+muchado Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 I pretty much just used the tutorials at Google Maps API. I used their examples - especially the one about integrating XML. Probably the best tutorial is to just look at the page source (index.html) and XML file (geocaching.xml) on the site itself - it spells everything out pretty clearly. Google Maps API Link to comment
robertlipe Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 the bigger trick is to figure out how to do this without violating the TOS. http://www.geocities.com/muchadogeo/geocaching.xml is clearly derived from a .loc obtained from this site. Those are covered by http://www.geocaching.com/waypoints/agreement.aspx?ID=-1 which inclues "· Licensee shall not ... transfer, in whole or in part, or provide unlicensed third parties access to the Data" I don't know if the King Frog will bust down your door over such a thing, but it's worth some thought. I _really_ wish there was an approved way that was actually reachable with reasonable cost to provide "value add" services like this... Link to comment
+muchado Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 geocaching.com provides the .loc download for personal use. The webpage is for my personal use. I'm not trying to become a provider of the information - the links in my markers lead directly to the geocaching.com website. I did, however, want to provide the Google Map API to display your own personal data. If someone at GC complains, I'll take it down, but I don't interpret my own web page of my interested caches to be a violation of the TOS. It certainly isn;t my intention to violate it. Link to comment
Jeremy Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 If someone at GC complains, I'll take it down, but I don't interpret my own web page of my interested caches to be a violation of the TOS. It certainly isn;t my intention to violate it. I'm not a lawyer, but the way that you are using the geocaching data does seem to violate the TOS on the web site. I have raised the issue of using Google Maps seeming to violate the TOS of Geocaching.com, and we're looking into ways to modify the TOS to allow some use of the Map service from Google to show things like your cache finds. However in the meantime you should probably shut it down. Link to comment
+TFTC Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 I'm not a lawyer, but the way that you are using the geocaching data does seem to violate the TOS on the web site. I have raised the issue of using Google Maps seeming to violate the TOS of Geocaching.com, and we're looking into ways to modify the TOS to allow some use of the Map service from Google to show things like your cache finds. Thanks for looking into that, Jeremy. Probably the only way it would work would be if Geocaching.com provided that feature for premium members - e.g. there was a Google Maps link on your bookmarks page (which would at least limit the data to 100 points), since I think the only point of using Google Maps instead of Google Earth (other than having a Mac ) would be because you wanted to share it with other people. Link to comment
+muchado Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 Again, let me state that I'm not trying to take anything away from geocaching.com. I like everything they stand for and wouldn't want to cause any dilution of intellectual property. However, I would also like to use some derived information for my personal use through Google Maps - there is a such thing as fair usage. So, here's a thought on how we or GC could keep everyone happy with regards to both Google Maps' TOS and GC's TOS. The only information from GC shown on my Google Map is the name of the cache, the ID, and the location. For any other information, you have to go to geocaching.com. I'm assuming the cache names and ID are not really an issue and don't dilute your IP. The only thing of any interest here are the coordinates. That's the real value. So, I propose that I skew the coordinates by some random heading and random distance within 100' or so. That's more than accurate enough for my needs with regard to my map, but is virtually useless to any geocacher. In order to get the exact coordinates and find the cache, the path of least resistance would be through the geocaching.com site. The geocaching.com waypoint download could even supply the skewed coordinates themselves in a new field. Otherwise, I can skew the coordinates in the XML file before putting it up on the site. So, even those intrepid enough to read the XML couldn't get to the "goods". Link to comment
Jeremy Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 (edited) Again, let me state that I'm not trying to take anything away from geocaching.com. I don't think anyone was inferring that you were. I'm just stating that what you are doing now is probably violating the TOU. I won't argue "fair use" with you since I don't have a lawyerly degree on my wall. Thanks for the feedback. I'll take that into consideration when we chat about the current TOU and possible changes. (edit: wrong wording and poor proofreading) Edited October 21, 2005 by Jeremy Link to comment
+muchado Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 I've taken down the "real" XML data and have left some sample skewed data - looks weird with one now in the middle of a highway and another on the wrong side of a large river. Link to comment
+GeoBlank Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 I am currently getting the following - developer on a bike - updated to load waypoints instead of just a track from a gpx file. http://www.viavirtualearth.com/vve/Gallery/GPXPlotter.ashx So once that My Finds Pocket Query is ready I will be ready Link to comment
+TFTC Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 I am currently getting the following - developer on a bike - updated to load waypoints instead of just a track from a gpx file. http://www.viavirtualearth.com/vve/Gallery/GPXPlotter.ashx Have you seen any php/mysql versions of your plotter? I have a friend riding a motorcycle around the world and would love to find a way he can show his tracks on his web site (not aspx though). Link to comment
+Prime Suspect Posted October 22, 2005 Share Posted October 22, 2005 Hypothetical question - A google map API-driven website, that allowed anyone to upload their own LOC or GPX file, and it would display the caches. Would that be a TOS violation? Link to comment
Jeremy Posted October 22, 2005 Share Posted October 22, 2005 (edited) "non-transferable" would seem to cover that in the terms of use. This is unfortunately the last I will talk on this subject. Read the TOU thoroughly and ask a lawyer if you have specific questions. Edited October 22, 2005 by Jeremy Link to comment
CoyoteRed Posted October 23, 2005 Share Posted October 23, 2005 (edited) 3. License to Use Site; Restrictions Groundspeak hereby grants You a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to view and use the Site in accordance with this Agreement and any guidelines or policies posted on the Site. Groundspeak reserves the right to suspend or revoke, in its sole discretion, the license hereunder and to prevent You from accessing all or any portion of the Site with or without notice or reason and without liability on the part of Groundspeak. While it can be very well argued that an independently compiled list of caches that one has found, going to find, owns, or a host of other listing criteria can not be claimed to be in violation of copyright, either from Groundspeak or the original authors, the above quote is the "gotcha." Whether or not you are in the right is not the real issue. Jeremy and his partners have every right to ban you from this site for no reason whatsoever. If they don't like what you are doing even on an independent site they may very well ban you from this one. So, whether or not lawyers get involved or even if the TOU is changed or not, be careful of what you do and whether it is "frowned upon" by the TPTB. They hold all the cards. Edited October 23, 2005 by CoyoteRed Link to comment
+Teamhawaii1981 & blueicyrose Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 Is there a way on the new KML feature to have it stay in the GE application. I download it and get it working great in GE; but it is never there when I reopen, I always have to go back and download it again. It might just be the way it is... Link to comment
Jeremy Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 Drag the "Geocaching Network KML" folder to your "My Places" folder and it will stay. Normally when you close Google Earth it asks you if you want to move it. Link to comment
+Teamhawaii1981 & blueicyrose Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 Drag the "Geocaching Network KML" folder to your "My Places" folder and it will stay. Normally when you close Google Earth it asks you if you want to move it. Brilliant! That worked great. Thanks, Jeremy. Link to comment
Jeremy Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 Sure. Just so you know, however, after 7 days or so you have to get a fresh link. The links will expire after a time. Link to comment
+NomadVW Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 Don't forget to convert any lat/longs from GC.com in Japan to Tokyo Mean Datum, since Google seems to refuse to do the reverse math for us. It's these kinds of things that make me glad GC.com hasn't adopted Google Maps whole scale yet. Since I'd made this comment several times, time to correct the thing. Google's web site now uses WGS84 coord entry for the URL/search box on Google Maps, and www.google.co.jp. I haven't found the change in the API yet for this, so unless GC.com employs google api, rather than just linking to it, no big deal. Anyway, change all my other comments to say "Japan maps now utilize WGS84 when submitted to maps.google.com and maps.google.co.jp" VW Link to comment
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