Friends Facility

[+Boardslider]

Well, I've obviously been asleep for a few weeks, cos I've done a forum search and read a bit of banter about this, but I have my doubts:

 

#1 why is this 'new' feature turned on in my profile by default without any warning so that the first I know about it is when a freinds request arrives

 

#2 is it secure? the first (and only) request I receive comes from a member who only registered yesterday, lives at the other end from the country from me and with whom I almost certainly have nothing in common. In fact it has all the appearance of a 'bot mail'

 

#3 I don't recall any official announcent about this (other than the two threads that the search threw up) so wonder why it wasn't better 'launch' with some explainations and etiquitte guidelines

 

Legal bit

To the person who made the request - if you are genuine I apologise in advance for my scepticism (I find life simpler if one always carres a good supply) and if you would like to reform your request explaining why you think I would be a suitable and helpful freind for you, I will be all to happy to accept.

 

To anyone else - I am prepared to find out what this feature is supposed to achieve so if you know me, have vistited my caches or have some other connection, please feel free to send an introductory request

[+Team Sieni]

There's a thread about it here that may help.

[+Boardslider]

That was one of the threads I found as mentioned. AFAICT it doesn't answer any of my questions.......

[+Team Sieni]

You'll probably get better mileage out of the GC.com website forum than the UK forum for this.

 

The following are just my opinion, so pretty much a waste of time, really :

#1 Why was it enabled? Why not? The send-email feature is also enabled, and it's pretty similar. In fact a whole host of stuff like floaty pictures got enabled at the same time.

#2 Is it secure? Probably no more and no less secure than the send-email facility. If you don't want to accept the request you received then just ignore it. I would but then I'm a miserable so & so

#3 It was mentioned quite a bit when the last batch of features came out - the thread I linked to was one of several running at the time regarding the various features. Groundspeak don't tend to go for neat and tidy release notes, they seem to have more of a shoot first and ask questions later approach. It's more fun that way ...

 

As Jeremy says - "it doesn't do a whole lot at the moment. You'll be able to watch your friends in the near term (and get emails when they log caches)."

 

Not a feature that interests me personally, but I suppose it may be good for some, eg if you are in a club, or are competing with your friends to get to a particular milestone first.

[+Boardslider]

I suppose that helps a bit. FWIW I have left the allow invites turned on given the content of my post, but I was just concerned that the way the original request was so off the wall.

 

"hi there my naame is <removed>. im new to this and accidently came across

this site plz can you help me?"

 

From a user that has only just registered, call me a miserable so & so too, but that is hardly going to elicit a response.

[+studlyone]

I suppose that helps a bit. FWIW I have left the allow invites turned on given the content of my post, but I was just concerned that the way the original request was so off the wall.

 

"hi there my naame is <removed>. im new to this and accidently came across

this site plz can you help me?"

 

From a user that has only just registered, call me a miserable so & so too, but that is hardly going to elicit a response.

 

Now you'll never know if it was a Nigerian General wanting to put some money through your bank account

 

 

I have to agree with you - the text does sound very fishy to me.

[Edgemaster]

There were release notes of some form here: http://portal.Groundspeak.com/blogs/geocac...05/17/5903.aspx

[+weston wanderer]

You're lucky! No one has yet requested to be my friend!