Want: Contacting Cache Owner

[+Geo-Credibles]

If I want to contact a cache owner about a certain cache, I think it would be nice if on the cache page there was an email link that would put the referenced cache automatically into the email. I go to profile, click on email cache owner and forget he hasn't a clue what I am talking about. Either what I suggested or put a line to fill out in the form that says Cache Number_____________. thanks

[+CompuCash]

there already is a link to the owner's profile page -

 

just click that and then - send message

 

cc\

[+jon & miki]

there already is a link to the owner's profile page -

 

just click that and then - send message

 

cc\

Yeah, but the email the owner recieves has nothing to tell him or her what cache the email is referring to. I've forgotten to include a reference a couple of times when corresponding with cache owners and it would be nice if the subject or text or an attached URL had been included automatically to indicate what cache page I clicked from when I started the message. A one-click "send" from the cache page really would be nice.

[+Mopar]

If we're gonna get that lazy, how about a drop down menu of generic emails to chose from so we dont have to type out the cache name OR the fact the logbook was damp or something?

[darwinmay]

"Hello, I'm contacting you about GCXXXX"

 

Took me 5 seconds to type.

[+Team GPSaxophone]

"Hello, I'm contacting you about GCXXXX"

 

Took me 5 seconds to type.

Even less if you copy/paste the gc number into the subject line

[+CompuCash]

there already is a link to the owner's profile page -

 

just click that and then - send message

 

cc\

Yeah, but the email the owner recieves has nothing to tell him or her what cache the email is referring to. I've forgotten to include a reference a couple of times when corresponding with cache owners and it would be nice if the subject or text or an attached URL had been included automatically to indicate what cache page I clicked from when I started the message. A one-click "send" from the cache page really would be nice.

 

now THAT's a different story - one I like.

 

I've had the same thing happen.

 

I forget on the other side tho - when I get a notice of found caches - I have to be careful which one I am talking about when I answer back.

 

cc\

Edited November 27, 2005 by CompuCash

[+Hynr]

I agree with the original post. I too have many times fogotten to mention which cache I am referring to. It has nothing to do with laziness. I would suggest that next to [profile] we have another link [e-mail owner regarding this cache] and have that link directly to the e-mail page PLUS add the GCcode and name on the subject line.

[+Geo-Credibles]

I agree with the original post. I too have many times fogotten to mention which cache I am referring to. It has nothing to do with laziness. I would suggest that next to [profile] we have another link [e-mail owner regarding this cache] and have that link directly to the e-mail page PLUS add the GCcode and name on the subject line.

This is EXACTLY what I thought would be great. and the drop down menu with all the generic emails isn't bad either! maybe people can't type and are lazy. What is wrong with being lazy? You make it sound like a disease.

[Hugh Jazz]

It's a great idea and one that would help foster communication between players, without adding to the programming burden of the site owners. It can't be more than a couple lines of code for something that would be very useful to have. I've wished for this myself on occasion.

 

Oh and I know it was posted as a joke but what's wrong with a drop-down menu of possible email topics? That too would also foster easier communication between cachers.

 

Rule number one of marketing: Listen to the customer. Rule number two: Never laugh at the customer's suggestions. You don't have to implement one single feature they request but never discourage the free feedback.

 

Customers who tell you exactly what they want are a treasure to be, erm, uh, treasured.

Edited November 27, 2005 by Hugh Jazz

[+Mopar]

What is wrong with being lazy? You make it sound like a disease.

It is a disease. Obviously there is a physical aspect to the disease, that geocaching helps alleviate.

Much, much worse, is the social impact as we as a society become less and less able to do anything for ourselves.

"It's too hard to type out a few words, we need big brother to do it for us!"

 

Not everything you want is what you need.

But this is pretty much off topic for this entire website, so I'll stop.

[Keystone]

People forget to mention the cache they're writing about quite frequently. It's up on their monitor, so the other person *must* know which one they're talking about, right?

 

As a volunteer cache reviewer, this happens to me often enough that I have a form letter that I send back to people who write to me without mentioning the cache they're concerned about:

 

Hello,

 

I'm sorry, but I typically deal with more than 100 caches each week, either new submissions or existing caches with maintenance issues.  When responding to requests from geocachers, it helps me a lot if the writer identifies the geocache that they are writing about.

 

Please reply to this message with the name of the geocache and its "GC number" (the six-digit alphanumeric code beginning with "GC" that appears on the cache page next to the words "Use Waypoint:").  I will then be happy to respond to your message.

 

Thanks,

Keystone

Geocaching.com Volunteer Cache Reviewer

[+Renegade Knight]

Before you clikc the contace cache owner link, copy the URL of the cache to your clipboard.

 

Then paste it in your message. It's fairly simple and I"ve been doing that for a long time with no problems.

[+NotThePainter]

Yes, it is easy for the poster to do so, but that misses the point. Many emailers do not do this and this makes it harder on the recipient. I've certainly recieved emails on my hides and I haven't had a clue which hide the sender was talking about it.

[+Hynr]

What is wrong with being lazy?  You make it sound like a disease.

It is a disease. <snip>

Before you clikc the contace cache owner link, copy the URL of the cache to your clipboard.

 

Then paste it in your message.  It's fairly simple and I"ve been doing that for a long time with no problems.

Sometimes laziness is irritating (as in "too lazy to read the thread"), sometimes laziness is an artform. I am attempting to perfect the latter and I am not seeking any help with it. I do occaisionally need help with forgetfulness and ... (darn, I forgot what I was writing about).

[+RREngineer]

There seems to be more time spent on why the cache name or GC number shouldn't/can't/doesn't need to be added than the time it would take to do it. That would satify that problem that I also would like to see changed. The ones that think that is lazy then they can do it the way they always have done it and then everyone will be happy. Besides, it not laziness. Its frustration to click on the email link and then you remember you don't have the GC number and then have to go back to look for it. So, everyone that does that suffers for the few line that could be added to solve the problem.

[+Tharagleb]

I asked a long time ago that when you used the email a cacher feature you could put something in the subject line. For instance you could type in the GCXXXX number and the subject would be:

 

Tharagleb contacting you from Geocaching.com about: GCXXXX

 

This would facilitate the threads in gmail also. My solution does not help if you forget to add a reference at all. But the same is true everytime somebody forgets to attach their attachment with email.

[+DcCow]

If we're gonna get that lazy, how about a drop down menu of generic emails to chose from so we dont have to type out the cache name OR the fact the logbook was damp or something?

Mopar,

 

I wouldn't call it Laziness, but efficiency! The less time I spend at the computer, the more time I have to Cache

 

I live in Germany, and have to translate most of the cache pages. Sometimes I have to email the cache owner to get some clarification on something that just doesn't translate correctly. Having the email link from the cache page automatically put in a reference to the cache would be a great addition.

 

I have also received emails from other cachers about my caches, and a few have forgotten to include which cache they were referring to. Fortunately, I don't have that many!

 

DC

[+Mopar]

It's just email people!

Don't you use email every day?

When you email someone other then through geocaching.com, do you explain what you are talking about or do you forget?

When you email a company for info about a product or service, do you remember to mention what widget you're interested in?

When you email a coworker, do you mention what project you're inquiring about?

Most of us use email every single day, and we remember to tell people why we are emailing them. What is it about geocaching that makes normal people suddenly incapable of doing the simplest things for themselves? What is it about geocaching that makes otherwise normal people want Jome guy named Jeremy to do every little thing for them?

I don't get it.

[+Hynr]

Mopar, we can all tell that you don't get it. No need to clarify that. I do appreciate you thinking that I am normal. As geocacher, I have been masquarading as that and I am glad it's working.

 

Obviously the requested feature would not be of benefit to you because of your superior mental capacities. Most of us know how to use the subject line in our e-mail client software; I, for one, don't need that explanation. What does impress me is that you figured out how to add a subject line to the email you send through geocaching.com, and that you have managed to cut-and-paste into it. How about sharing that with the rest of us?

[+Mile Runner]

there is an easy html tag to do this

<mailto="cacheowner@domain.com?subject=yo your cache has issues?body=cache concerned">

this whould make an email to cacheowner@domain.com with a subject of yo your cache has issues and the first line of the body(or atleast untill the writer of the email deleted it) cache concerned

[+Mopar]

Mopar, we can all tell that you don't get it. No need to clarify that. I do appreciate you thinking that I am normal. As geocacher, I have been masquarading as that and I am glad it's working.

 

Obviously the requested feature would not be of benefit to you because of your superior mental capacities. Most of us know how to use the subject line in our e-mail client software; I, for one, don't need that explanation. What does  impress me is that you figured out how to add a subject line to the email you send through geocaching.com, and that you have managed to cut-and-paste into it.  How about sharing that with the rest of us?

[+dogbreathcanada]

What is it about geocaching that makes normal people suddenly incapable of doing the simplest things for themselves?

What are you arguing for? A return to Little House on the Prairie? It's a computer system. If some aspect of communications can be automated, such that it saves time and alleviates errors, then it should be implemented. What are you arguing about? Jeez, leave the computer, go back outside and start chopping wood and stoking your furnace.

[+Mopar]

What is it about geocaching that makes normal people suddenly incapable of doing the simplest things for themselves?

What are you arguing for? A return to Little House on the Prairie? It's a computer system. If some aspect of communications can be automated, such that it saves time and alleviates errors, then it should be implemented. What are you arguing about? Jeez, leave the computer, go back outside and start chopping wood and stoking your furnace.

Ah, my furry little friend, you don't know how happy that would make me if I could.

 

But back on topic. If such a change WAS made to appease the 1% who are too lazy to do something themselves. it would only cause confusion for another, probably much larger segment of the community who are used to the way things have always been. Instead of 3 people asking for an automatic subject line "re:the cache page I'm looking at"; there would be 30 people now thoughly confused because they used the cache page link to to email the hider about something OTHER then the cache page and don't understand WHY the email about the upcoming event went out with a subject line of "concerning cache CGxxxx". You know I'm right.

[+DcCow]

What is it about geocaching that makes normal people suddenly incapable of doing the simplest things for themselves?

What are you arguing for? A return to Little House on the Prairie? It's a computer system. If some aspect of communications can be automated, such that it saves time and alleviates errors, then it should be implemented. What are you arguing about? Jeez, leave the computer, go back outside and start chopping wood and stoking your furnace.

Ah, my furry little friend, you don't know how happy that would make me if I could.

 

But back on topic. If such a change WAS made to appease the 1% who are too lazy to do something themselves. it would only cause confusion for another, probably much larger segment of the community who are used to the way things have always been. Instead of 3 people asking for an automatic subject line "re:the cache page I'm looking at"; there would be 30 people now thoughly confused because they used the cache page link to to email the hider about something OTHER then the cache page and don't understand WHY the email about the upcoming event went out with a subject line of "concerning cache CGxxxx". You know I'm right.

Mopar,

 

Here have a beer! The worlds not going to end over this minor recommendation. Scoot over and I'll join you for that beer!!

 

DC

 

Edit: Did I mention that I'm in Germany - where they have some of the best beer!!!

Edited November 29, 2005 by DcCow

[+Hynr]

Mopar, so you think that this feature should not be implemented because someone might inadvertently click on the wrong of one of two adjacent links as suggested above:

... I would suggest that next to [profile] we have another link [e-mail owner regarding this cache] and have that link directly to the e-mail page PLUS add the GCcode and name on the subject line.

My sense (just guessing, of course) is that most folks can figure it out. Edited November 29, 2005 by Hynr

[+DcCow]

Who moved my cheese!

 

DC

[+welch]

If I want to contact a cache owner about a certain cache, I think it would be nice if on the cache page there was an email link that would put the referenced cache automatically into the email. I go to profile, click on email cache owner and forget he hasn't a clue what I am talking about. Either what I suggested or put a line to fill out in the form that says Cache Number_____________. thanks

At first I thought it would be bad, then good, then bad again...

What it comes down to for me, is that even if it was an excellent idea and desperently needed (which i'm not still not sure of), unless it gets changed this afternoon, every email you send between now and whenever it might change, needs you to include the info yourself. Just putting something concise and relevent like 'TB such and such' or 'GCABC' as the first line does the job fine. And a side effect of doing it this way is that any change becomes moot because its isn't going to do anything helpful.