+StarBrand Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 ****Not a discussion of the actual changes themselves**** So I went to grab a cache yesterday afternoon with my son.... Then, as I have done hundreds of times, I quickly went online to the nearest computer and printed the page for the cache listing and headed out. I knew the cache was about 16 miles from home in a nearby town. I took off about 30 minutes before sunset. As I got close to the town I pulled over to plug the coordinates in my GPSr. Behold, no coordinates, only a friendly reminder to log in to see coordinates. ARRRRGGGHHH!! So I grab my cell phone and called my wife only to hear the warning beep that the battery was dying. I felt like some kind of amateur rookie. No coordinates, no cell phone and the usual paperless DELL Axim on my desk at work. Fourteen and half miles from home........sigh I headed home - got the cell charger, got the coordinates, got the Dell, grabbed spare batteries for the GPSr. Assured my son that we would find the treasure. Left the house to the echo of my wife's laughter. Went back and spent 45 minutes on a 1/1 cache that was 160 feet from the posted coordinates (clue helped). Was dark when I got home. I got FTF. Anybody else got stung yet?? (ps - thanks (sic) for all the hard work on the new changes guys!!) Quote Link to comment
+Raine Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 Congrats on the FTF Quote Link to comment
+The Leprechauns Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 Congrats on the FTF Thanks, Raine, for tacking an extra month onto StarBrand's premium membership to compensate him for the gas he wasted yesterday. Quote Link to comment
Jeremy Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 But StarBrand has enriched all of our lives with such a funny story. How can you repay that? Quote Link to comment
ju66l3r Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 Well, there goes the argument used here for years that you didn't have to create an account to go geocaching. Quote Link to comment
+Moose Mob Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 Well, there goes the argument used here for years that you didn't have to create an account to go geocaching. I always thought the policy was "you don't have to pay to find a cache". But I am sure you will find a link to argue against that. Quote Link to comment
+carleenp Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 (edited) Well, there goes the argument used here for years that you didn't have to create an account to go geocaching. I don't remember that argument? I remember the statement that geocaching is free. It still is since an account is free. Edit: Moose Mob is faster than me. Must be that car..... P.S. Funny story Starbrand! Edited October 18, 2005 by carleenp Quote Link to comment
+sept1c_tank Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 ...Behold, no coordinates, only a friendly reminder to log in to see coordinates. ARRRRGGGHHH!!... I felt like some kind of amateur rookie... Did you not see that question on the rookie test? Quote Link to comment
JohnX Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 But StarBrand has enriched all of our lives with such a funny story. How can you repay that? By setting him up with a few months of premium membership? Quote Link to comment
JohnX Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 Thanks, Raine, for tacking an extra month onto StarBrand's premium membership to compensate him for the gas he wasted yesterday. Look what I failed to read. It's not the first time I should have kept my mouth shut and failed to do so. Quote Link to comment
+Prime Suspect Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 I was 2/3rds through writing a Stats Banner Wizard greasemonkey script that would plug into the Accounts page. It was very slick. And now obsolete. But that's okay. I consider my scripts to just be interim solutions. Quote Link to comment
ju66l3r Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 Well, there goes the argument used here for years that you didn't have to create an account to go geocaching. I don't remember that argument? I remember the statement that geocaching is free. It still is since an account is free. Here you go. Straight from the horse's...mouth: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...dpost&p=1246162 Or how about this very absolute statement: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...dpost&p=1246162 To add something to these thoughts: What about park rangers/land managers who want to check in on their properties? Now they have to sign up with the site? What about the users who are banned due to forum violations? Now they're not even allowed to geocache nicely even if they won't act appropriately on a forum? What about the new users that were always the poster children for not doing something like this? As mini cachersaid in another forum, what does this stop other than those who can program a scraper but can't add in cookie support? Remember me doesn't like keeping me logged in. It probably has something to do with using multiple computers to access the site (each one's cookie not being the latest info or something). It just became more annoying to browse the caches. Quote Link to comment
Jeremy Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 (edited) Here you go. Straight from the horse's...mouth: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...dpost&p=1246162 I was shown the errors of my ways since then and have given in to the account required "feature" of the site. What about park rangers/land managers who want to check in on their properties? Now they have to sign up with the site? Yes. They do. We have been offering free PMs to park managers for a while now in order to address people who think they can get away with listing ones as subscriber-only caches too. Land managers are pretty computer savvy too. What about the users who are banned due to forum violations? Now they're not even allowed to geocache nicely even if they won't act appropriately on a forum? Oops. Nice benefit. I didn't think of that. What about the new users that were always the poster children for not doing something like this? We'll have to find out how it works out. As mini cachersaid in another forum, what does this stop other than those who can program a scraper but can't add in cookie support? That's for us to know and them to find out. Remember me doesn't like keeping me logged in. It probably has something to do with using multiple computers to access the site (each one's cookie not being the latest info or something). It just became more annoying to browse the caches. Sorry about that. I personally never use "remember" me so I don't find it a problem anyway. Edited October 18, 2005 by Jeremy Quote Link to comment
+Moose Mob Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 Sounds like the disinformation to the cache maggots. And even if Jeremy had a change in mind, where is there a real problem? Quote Link to comment
+carleenp Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 (edited) I didn't remember those. I guess minds change. Nothing wrong with that. I do remember quite a number of people advocating for a loggin requirement. Perhaps discussion of whether the change is good or not is better for another thread? It really isn't the topic that this thread intended I think. Edit: I was typing while Jeremy and Moose Mob were responding. Edited October 18, 2005 by carleenp Quote Link to comment
Jeremy Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 Yep. Angst can be directed to an ongoing thread. Not a lot of negatives in there though. Back to the OP... Quote Link to comment
+Lil Devil Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 Remember me doesn't like keeping me logged in. It probably has something to do with using multiple computers to access the site (each one's cookie not being the latest info or something). I do the same thing. One thing I noticed, is if I log out on one computer, it seems to log me out on all computers. If I don't log out anywhere, I don't have a problem. Quote Link to comment
+StarshipTrooper Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 No angst here. I LIKE the idea of requiring a logon. Sorry for anyone who got caught. Paperless caching is the way to go! Quote Link to comment
+martinell Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 From my perspective this feature could turn off potential future cachers. Being able to "test drive" is why I first bothered at all. I would have never went out and found that first cache if I would have been forced to create an account and log in. After I got the coords, went out and found it I was hopelessly hooked and then signed up for an account so I could recount my "adventure". I certainly understand the desire to have direct control over the website by knowing who is getting what, encouraging them to log, all other valid busines reasons, however I do question if it will turn away people. Well that's my two-cents worth... Quote Link to comment
+kentuckygirls Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 It doesn't matter to me either way. When I first learned about geocaching I would have created an account to find a cache, it would not have scared me away. If I didn't like it then I would have just disappeared but it is apparent that I am addicted!! Quote Link to comment
+ShowStop Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 I just noticed the GC.com WAP interface still displays coords without having to login. Too bad that site doesn't work on my phone. Whats even worse is the other WAP site that does work on my phone...now requires me to login to see the coords. Quote Link to comment
+Thrak Posted October 24, 2005 Share Posted October 24, 2005 I made an account immediately anyway so that I could access the forums. You needed an account for that part already and I really wanted to get some info on the subject. Heck, I wasn't about to go buy a GPSr without more info! Making the account didn't bother me a bit. Of course I also don't mind paying the measly amount charged for a Premium Membership either. I consider it great value for the cost. Geocaching has had a VERY positive impact on my life. I really appreciate the site and the responsiveness of the staff here. I've been in numerous forums in other places for other topics and I have NEVER seen such immediate response to issues as I have seen here. The staff here is awesome. Making an account (and paying for a PM) is a very small price indeed for what we get here. Quote Link to comment
+ParrotRobAndCeCe Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 What about the users who are banned due to forum violations? Now they're not even allowed to geocache nicely even if they won't act appropriately on a forum? Bah, that's not true. I was banned from the forums all weekend long and still got into the rest of the Geocaching site just fine! Quote Link to comment
Keystone Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 Welcome back! And you're right. You really need to screw up badly to be banned from the forums AND the website. Quote Link to comment
+humanloofa Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 I never noticed that before I always make sure I'm logged on, the first thing I do is check my caches. I don't see a problem with it It only takes a few seconds to create an account, and this way they know how many different people are looking at the site. I got introduced to caching by meeting people in the woods and they invited me to join them, I was hooked. Quote Link to comment
+teamjack&birdie Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 Same thing happened to us this last weekend on one of our geocaching campouts, except we were more like 2 hours from home and had 3 out of the 5 we printed with no coords. We were having to start and restart our computer due to printer difficulties and that didn't help, but often I don't log into our account just to print out caches..... Didn't need to in the past and had no way of knowing until now the necessity. It certainly did put a big damper on our trip and get tempers going considering we are premium members and the caches looked like lots of fun... Quote Link to comment
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