GEOCACHEUK,COM - HELP, PLEASE

[+Birders]

We rarely use GEOCACHEUK because of the problems we have in logging in. Today a new cacher referred us to something on the site which we want to assist him with but do you think we can acces it? Not likely!

 

First we try to log on using our code words, but it doesn't like them so we try to register... and the thing tells us that the words are already in use (so WTH doesn't it let us in?). So, we tell it we've forgotten our password and a new one promptly arrives and we try to log in.. Wow SUCCESS, we're in!! But, we then try to get to our stats and the new page tells us we need to log in.... we do so, using the "new" password and, guess what? The pigging thing tells us we need to register!!!!

 

Very, very sorry if this offends anyone but that site is really unfriendly - to us anyway. We have no trouble at all with any other site on the WWW and we're both very active on the web..

 

If it's all our fault then we apologise profusely, but just where are we going wrong?? We're using WinXP and IE7 and also AOL (have tried both browsers but the same happens)

 

PS.. We just went to the page again and we're still looged in... "Hi birders", it says. Yet when we click "UK Geocache stats" it tells us to log in...............

[+kewfriend]

We rarely use GEOCACHEUK because of the problems we have in logging in. Today a new cacher referred us to something on the site which we want to assist him with but do you think we can acces it? Not likely!

 

PS.. We just went to the page again and we're still looged in... "Hi birders", it says. Yet when we click "UK Geocache stats" it tells us to log in...............

I have had exactly the same problems from time to time. Clear the cache and then follow the google link is the only way I have ever got it to work.

[Deego]

Hi Sorry your having problems....

 

There are 2 login systems. the forums and front pages are an off the shelf system and can have a different password.

 

Try this...

 

Goto http://stats.geocacheuk.com/login.php and use the same username and password as you use for the trigpoint site . Does that work?

Edited December 14, 2006 by Deego

[+Birders]

Goto http://stats.geocacheuk.com/login.php and use the same username and password as you use for the trigpoint site . Does that work?

 

Yes, Brian. That worked fine thank you very much. Pity is has to be so difficult but thanks for your efforts. We use Trigpointing quite a lot and have always gone straight in with no hassle.... it's the geocache bit which has caused so many probs.

[Deego]

The trigpoint and stat's use the same coding and password.

 

We did talk about trying one system wide login but its hard to implement with the off the shelf forums.

 

Sorry again.

[+Birders]

OK.. thanks. Does the Interactive Map work? All it does is lock up my PC (winXP, 3.2meg, 1gig RAM and loads of space).

[+kewfriend]

Hi Sorry your having problems....

There are 2 login systems. the forums and front pages are an off the shelf system and can have a different password.

Try this...

Goto http://stats.geocacheuk.com/login.php and use the same username and password as you use for the trigpoint site . Does that work?

Nope

Nightmare ... really really LOATHE this site - utterly UNUSABLE - complete and utter RUBBISH with respect to logins - yet it worked a week ago!

[+The Mighty Shark]

Does the Interactive Map work? All it does is lock up my PC

I have to agree on that one. I don't even bother going there any more.

[Nediam]

I know this doesn't really help much but I've never had any problems with the site.

 

I admit though that the Interactive Map can be a pig to load at times and have to click on the "No" button far too many times. I get around it by using the GIS map which I find to be much quicker . You could try using the the Interactive Map after running a search. That will reduce the amount of data it has to download and will speed things up a lot!

 

With regards to the login problems, it could be down to your own set ups or a conflict between the server. Any chance you could post your machine specs and IP details? You never know, someone might spot something. Useful info would be wether your firewall is on, what virus protection you use and what it's set at, plus the way your browser is set up. What browser are you using?

 

Don't forget, the site is free and run by volunteers in their spare time.

[barryhunter]

Does the Interactive Map work?

 

Agreed, the Interactive Map link on the homepage is next to useless (well it does work, just VERY slowly), just so many caches*!

 

However its very rare you would need the whole UK anyway, you are better doing a specific location search (very flexible input!) and limiting it to say 50km, then click the Interactive Map link on the search results, works brilliantly...

 

Alternatively try the GIS map, not quite as friendly, but should be more usable with the number of caches.

 

A further option is the Virtual Earth map, this has the benefit of plotting caches in a Local Live map, so gets the high resolution (but about 6 years old, before someone complains) aerial photography

[even 3D if you lucky enough to have a computer able to run it ]

 

* maybe its time to reintroduce a limit to the number of caches it will display?

[+kewfriend]

With regards to the login problems, it could be down to your own set ups or a conflict between the server. Any chance you could post your machine specs and IP details? You never know, someone might spot something. Useful info would be wether your firewall is on, what virus protection you use and what it's set at, plus the way your browser is set up. What browser are you using?

 

Don't forget, the site is free and run by volunteers in their spare time.

 

EZ e-trust firewall ( ex of ZoneAlarm) with full pass-through permissions granted. IE7 on default settings.

 

Typically some other sites need pass-through permissions like BritishAirways, Geocaching and GMail but they all work fine. (NewScientist was a nightmare - but thats because they seem to have told porkies about the way they manage cookies). What is infuriating about geocacheuk is that on some days it logs in fine but on other days it reprompts endlessly for login - rendering it loathsome and unusable. Its the shere random functionality that drives me away. This evening, for instance I've logged in fine - and its held my login onto the stats pages. A few hours ago I could happily have fired a cruise missile at the site.

 

There really is a problem, which in someone's spare time, does need looking at.

[+scottpa100]

It works every time for me, but I think its the way I access it that makes it work. I've just favourited my stats page. Go to that favourite, and from there navigate to other bits.

 

I think the website (geocacheuk.com) all in all is good - and its free and run by volunteers. I think its fine to gripe about the geocaching.com website, for example, when you're a premium member. If you're just using as a normal member and sometimes it don't work - well, just try again later.

[Edgemaster]

I use G:UK regularly and find myself logged in nicely all the time (on both sections). But, then again, I use no weird cookie filtering stuff, and just have a plain firefox (v3 alpha if i'm feeling adventurous), with no firewall (i'm NATted and am careful), and AVG just to keep some sort of virus protection, just in case. Cookies really aren't to be worried about in my view, yes, they can track you, but so can server logfile analysis to an extent.

 

One nag I have with G:UK is that virtual earth doesn't work for firefox (no waypoints load), but I use the gc.com google maps for that..

Searches are a little slow, I'd like to see something like the one box search that there is on Trigtools, although the flexibility of the current search is good.

 

I also love the file downloads, particularly the full uk+descriptions. I could probably take a closer look at that sometime and make it nicer for my own use in some way...

 

I guess it would be quite possible to link the stats and main site together, but it would be quite a bit of work. It could probably be made clearer that the two sections of the site are seperate as far as logins are concerned.

 

There's probably something else I wanted to say here, can't quite remember though..

Oh, and there'll always be complaints about the yellow/orange colour scheme. A friend of mine keeps whining at me how I can use such a 'dated, slow site'. It's da.mn useful though!

[Nediam]

With regards to the login problems, it could be down to your own set ups or a conflict between the server. Any chance you could post your machine specs and IP details? You never know, someone might spot something. Useful info would be wether your firewall is on, what virus protection you use and what it's set at, plus the way your browser is set up. What browser are you using?

 

Don't forget, the site is free and run by volunteers in their spare time.

 

EZ e-trust firewall ( ex of ZoneAlarm) with full pass-through permissions granted. IE7 on default settings.

 

Typically some other sites need pass-through permissions like BritishAirways, Geocaching and GMail but they all work fine. (NewScientist was a nightmare - but thats because they seem to have told porkies about the way they manage cookies). What is infuriating about geocacheuk is that on some days it logs in fine but on other days it reprompts endlessly for login - rendering it loathsome and unusable. Its the shere random functionality that drives me away. This evening, for instance I've logged in fine - and its held my login onto the stats pages. A few hours ago I could happily have fired a cruise missile at the site.

 

There really is a problem, which in someone's spare time, does need looking at.

 

I have used an anti virus and firewall software in the past that has allowed me access to all the sites that I normally use. However, for some reason it would not allow me to go to the Argos website!!! It had me trully frustrated and I was close to re-formatting my PC (or throwing it out of a window via a sledge hammer). Fortunately someone suggested that I just uninstall the 3rd party software and try again. With the supposedly superior software removed, the PC and internet worked fine

 

Do you have access to another PC ie a work or friends computer? If you do, then have a go at logging on using your account details from their PC. If it works fine then you have probably narrowed the problem down to your "end". If you still have problems then it is probably due to issues at the "Geocache UK" site. (It would be best if you used a friends PC who has a different set up to yours).

 

If all that fails, it may be worth contacting your ISP and asking them if they have any idea what may be wrong. I've heard plenty of problems being caused by a certain ISP (who shall remain nameless )

 

Must admit though that the "intermitent" fault you seem to have does seem rather strange. Hope you get it sorted, keep us informed of any further "developments".

[+Alice Band]

Curiously I found that accessing the site via a Mac in a cyber cafe gets me different results (the mac doesn't like it very much) than when I use my home PC (or other PC's for that matter). This has led me to conclude that its the originating PC software of the cacher rather than the website that's causing the problem.

Cookies are a swine at the best of time, and I have been tweaking my settings for a while now. However, in order to view gc.com's entire front page I have to deactivate my firewall for some reason regardless of time spent sorting the settings, something which I don't want to do so for now I don't get to see the photos on the main page.

 

My penny's worth *plink*

[+The Bolas Heathens]

Works great on my Macs so I'd go along with the view that it must be to do with the hardware / software used by the viewer.

 

It was a bit of a pain with the different logons when I first accessed the sites but now my password manager has the details it needs, the access is seamless

[+kewfriend]

 

Do you have access to another PC ie a work or friends computer? If you do, then have a go at logging on using your account details from their PC. If it works fine then you have probably narrowed the problem down to your "end". If you still have problems then it is probably due to issues at the "Geocache UK" site. (It would be best if you used a friends PC who has a different set up to yours).

 

If all that fails, it may be worth contacting your ISP and asking them if they have any idea what may be wrong. I've heard plenty of problems being caused by a certain ISP (who shall remain nameless )

 

Must admit though that the "intermitent" fault you seem to have does seem rather strange. Hope you get it sorted, keep us informed of any further "developments".

Thanks for that - all four PCs here are similarly configured: EZ, IE7, Office03 etc and all generate the same random behaviour on the UKGeo site. It could be an ISP issue but to be fair to Telewest cable: they actually seem quite good ( very few issues with them ). I was wondering if its a connections issue with the UKGeo server. Edited December 15, 2006 by kewfriend

[barryhunter]

One nag I have with G:UK is that virtual earth doesn't work for firefox (no waypoints load),

 

Hmm, that is strange I developed it on Firefox (1.5) , (testing on IE of course! & FF2.0). I've noticed that sometimes the caches load off the right of the viewable area, confirm this by viewing the East coast, where it still displays nicly. (this has been confirmed a bug in the Virtual Earth JS, and seems to affect all brwosers equally)

 

Unfortunatly the 3D wont work on FF, but does work on IE.

[Nediam]

...Thanks for that - all four PCs here are similarly configured: EZ, IE7, Office03 etc and all generate the same random behaviour on the UKGeo site. It could be an ISP issue but to be fair to Telewest cable: they actually seem quite good ( very few issues with them ). I was wondering if its a connections issue with the UKGeo server.

 

Are the 4 PC's you are referring to at your workplace or home? If you are only having problems with those 4 PC's it is likely to be some problem with the router software. Our network at work has a router firewall program that blocks some internet sites or prevents them working correctly.

[+kewfriend]

All at home, and its an old Netgear router before the time they invented firewalls

[Edgemaster]

One nag I have with G:UK is that virtual earth doesn't work for firefox (no waypoints load),

 

Hmm, that is strange I developed it on Firefox (1.5) , (testing on IE of course! & FF2.0). I've noticed that sometimes the caches load off the right of the viewable area, confirm this by viewing the East coast, where it still displays nicly. (this has been confirmed a bug in the Virtual Earth JS, and seems to affect all brwosers equally)

 

Unfortunatly the 3D wont work on FF, but does work on IE.

 

Very weird then. Just checked in safe mode with all plugins disabled, but still no luck. I'll see if I can trace it with Wireshark, JS console etc.

 

Aha, just spotted an error in the JS Console:

Error: uncaught exception: Msn.Drawing.Exception: Your Web browser does not support SVG or VML. Some graphics features may not function properly.

 

v3a doesn't give that error, but another:

Error: d has no properties
Source File: http://maps.live.com/veapi.ashx?v=1.3.0908172755.52
Line: 1

 

And always this CSS error, possibly it?

Warning: Error in parsing value for property 'width'.  Declaration dropped.
Source File: http://stats.geocacheuk.com/virtualearth/
Line: 0

Edited December 15, 2006 by Edgemaster

[Nediam]

All at home, and its an old Netgear router before the time they invented firewalls

 

Can you get access to another PC? Such as at work or a fiends. Might be worth trying to log into your account using their PC. If you still can't get in that it would suggest it's not a fault with your stuff.