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Problems with new version of Google Maps


kfir

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I have to come in with a dissenting vote here. The old maps simply didn't work great for a large number of users. Yes, in low density areas where a cacher had never visited, they had some appeal, but that's an increasingly less interesting demographic over time.

 

The new maps are not "useless"; they're different. To the "different is bad - run in circles. scream and shout" crowd, there is no mitigating change. To most people, the improved density is an improvement. Yes, there's room for improvement still, especially in rural areas, but screaming for reversion instead of improvement is just wrong.

 

The maps are optimized for online use. This IS a website, you know. If you want local maps that are suitable for printing, pull the data sets to your local computer and print them. Then you'll have complete control over what is or isn't printed. Optimizing for paper and optimizing for page views are different.

 

I like the new maps. There are things I wish were better, such as zoom level in rural areas. Do I miss preview in PQs? You bet. But I'm really not getting the whole "eeek, change is bad - go back to the turn of the century" thing here.

 

Every time I see one of these long threads where the vocal minority "demand" change, I cringe because I know it's that much less likely that we'll see any *actual* change implemented here. "Oh, no, we can't fix the yellow pushpin problem. People will complain that they like that..."

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I like the new map, but I'm missing some features:

  • a little number with the icons in the map and the corresponding number in the list
  • I can't see which caches I already have in a selected bookmark-list (for example make a checkbox near "hide my finds" and "hide my caches"
  • hovering over a cache in the listing doesn't highlight the cache in the map (and vice versa)
  • in the listing you can't see if a cache is disabled

Thanks

Ecki

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When I pan the map the caches in the new area don't show until I zoom in or out. Kinda annoying. Anyone else with this problem?

 

Yeah, same problem. They'll appear if I click and drag the map around, if I use the arrows to move it they don't. Either zooming in/out (as you said) or dragging it a little gets them to load. Running IE6 on WinXP.

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What happened to the state level maps? I like to pull up a whole state at once and scan to whole state for caches, since I'm in an isolated area. When I do a search by state, then click on the map icon, I get nothing. Please bring this back. I think the new maps are useless since I can't zoom out over 15 miles. We need to have both options. :laughing:

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After all the work and time they put into the new maps, I don't think they will completely abandon them. I think a way to make everyone happy would be to make a link on the bottom of the new maps page that will allow a user to use the old maps. I really wish that they had sent out an e-mail or put an ad on the GC.com front page requesting testers for the new maps before they actually implemented them. There are a few good ideas that were put into the new maps, like the "hide my finds/hides" and the increased number of caches shown. But they could've added those features to the old maps instead of making completely new ones and getting rid of all the nice old features. I really do think that being able to toggle between the old and the new maps would be great and would please alot more people than just having one or the other.

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IE7, Windows XP Media Edition

 

Full screen sized map this morning: Great!

No longer locks up after clicking on a cache: Great!

Hide and Find My Caches/My Finds now works after scrolling/zooming IF I uncheck/recheck them. : Better.

 

What is the purpose of "My Place Marker"? It at least should have balloon help (it does once you double-click it and it drops the marker in the center of the screen, but not before)

 

I double-clicked My Place Marker and the screen locked up... no scroll, no zoom. After some period of time, I got a popup message:

 

EO.Web Controls Client Side Debug Message:

 

The callback on cbAjax has failed due to a server-side exception.

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On IE7 XP edition, I said earlier that when I click on the listing of caches, the map freezes, that it still does, but at least now I can click on a cache and read the page and TB inventory, close it, and the map doesn't freeze. So, if that all makes sense, if I click on list of caches, the map still freezes. Also, I am only 31 years old. My eyes are fine, but what if my 55 year old father wanted to check out geocaching? He can not read the TV Guide without his glasses and that is still a show in itself, how do you expect him to see the icons if I can barely see them. I still like the new map, just got some bugs to take care of.

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Still has all the same problems as the last two "testing releases".

* No Pocket Query review on the map.

* Once I click Show Cache Listing I can no longer scroll in the map area, perform location search or view the info on the cache! Renders the map WORTHLESS! (same goes with if I click on the link to include the Waymarks)

* Miss the ability to manage bookmarks while on the map screen. Now when I look I have no idea if I already have the cache on one of my bookmark lists... So now I actually have to go and open each cache's page just to find out if I have it bookmarked. WASTE OF TIME!

* Using the Hide My Finds checkbox works fine until you scroll or change zoom at which point it is still checked but no longer is being applied as a filter.

* The Cache Type Legend does nothing when you check/uncheck a box (not sure what it is supposed to do)

* Miss the ability to see the list of caches on the left (I would recommend still keeping a listing (it could be below the map for all I care, but at least have it somewhere on the page so it can be printed along with the map. You can't do that when it is a popup.)

* Miss the numbering on the caches displayed. Now you can pull up a list of caches but it is pretty useless because you don't know which symbol on the map represents that particular cache. It is like an easter egg hunt trying to find it out of all the ones that appear (especially in a big city like Atlanta)

* 15 mile limit is awful in rural areas. Suggestions were offered last time when you were offended that no one gave any but this time it appears none were considered.

* Unrelated to the map, but a problem that still persists in each "testing release" when you want to log a find, the date no longer is maintained between logs as it was in the "good version". VERY ANOYING when you have to change the date each time you enter a log and it allows for a lot of mistakes!

 

Yes, I am getting frustrated with the fact that it appears no "fixes" have been put in place for any of the problems that keep being repeated each time a test release is put out there. I am probably wasting my time repeating this same list for the 3rd time but hopefully someone out there is actually listening!

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What about the missing map preview for Pocket Queries, will it be implemented again or will this feature be dropped for good?

 

No, it will be back. It's all related to the google maps issues we're having.

 

Sweet! I love that feature. It takes awhile to work out the kinks, but I think all the changes are going to make the site much easier to use.

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I have IE and everytime I click on something, the map freezes. I'm all up for change, as long as it works. Hopefully you will have this fixed soon. That is probably my only complaint.

 

I had the same problem when the new maps were online around October 3-4, but things are working pretty good with the current maps except when I click the big blue pushpin in the upper left corner near the "zoom" bar. Everything freezes when I push that, but I don't even know what it does, so I have no need to push it.

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I like some of the new features, but perfer the old maps because:

 

1. Icons were bigger for the visually impaired.

2. The list of caches found on the map was displayed.

3. One could zoom further out to get a "big picture" of an area one contemplates visiting.

 

I do, however, like being able to display more than 20 caches and being able to check and uncheck what's being displayed.

 

Finally, if I had to choose, I'd go with bigger icons and a list of displayed caches over the benefits of more than 20 caches.

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Cool! 1st time I have the chance to see the new maps. :D

 

My comments if any value...

 

The new little icons are too small. Not a lot too small but there is tiny and small you know. On the legend on the right they are 16x16 but I believe they are 2-3 pixel smaller on the map, we can see it. 20x20 on the map should be a minimum.

 

Instead of Show Cache Listing, I much prefered the way it was possible to hover a name or a cache on the map and it was highlighting the name or the cache on the map. Much easier to quick look which is where, it was awesome.

 

Now I don't know why but if I do nothing for 1 minute, the map freeze, I cannot move the map or zoom in/out. If I reload all is find but this may be due to the testing going on.

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I used the old maps to help get me into the area of caches. I printed them out to use as a reference. The name of the cache on the map and the list beside it allowed me to correlate the map location with the cache description on my PDA and the info on my GPSr. The new map provides only icons with no identifying information. Therefore, when I print it out, I have no way of identifying which icon represents which cache. That makes it useless for my purpose.

 

I do like the fact that the new map is larger. Please add some method of identifying the cache icons when the map is printed out.

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As has been expressed several times in this discussion, we conceed that the new Geocaching.com Google Maps may offer some features that some cachers want, but many of us REALLY want, like, and need the older format. Is it really too much to ask to have access to both. Also, as said before, that map option used to be BY FAR the best map option, but now is nearly useless. (It seems that the Geocaching.com Map and the Google Maps were combined while giveing up the best and most desireable features of the old Geocaching.com Google Maps.)

Groundspeak, we hope you are listening!

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Hear, Hear! I totally agree. Spent the morning caching and while the new map was great for size - really hard to determine which cache was which - even though I had tried to print out the listed caches on the side - but it overlapped on the map. :D

Edited by crwildwood
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Aloha all from Honolulu...

 

I too feel overly compelled to chime in on this topic as I really did get better results with the way the google maps were BEFORE the change. If this is the way it is and there is no way to go back to the old way, then I'm going to be very sad indeed. The features I liked most were the way I could drag the map around and if I wanted to quickly look at the cache listing, all I had to do was click on the baloon and the listing would be summarized at the top (without opening a pop-up to open yet another window).

 

PLEASE bring back the old way, even if you need to add another option to the mapping list:

 

For online maps...

Geocaching.com Maps

Geocaching.com Google Map (old school)

Geocaching.com Google Map (new school - advanced)

Google Maps

MapQuest

Microsoft MapPoint

Yahoo Maps

Rand McNally

Topozone

Terraserver

Tiger Census Maps

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Ok, update time.

 

Most, if not all of the bugs with the Geocaching Google Maps should be fixed, so please let us know if you see anything wonky.

 

As for the hate hate hate comments, let me try to explain what's happening with the new maps. Basically, the third party software we use to serve the maps updated and forced us to update as well rather than implement a complicated workaround to keep the old maps. The result is the "new" Google maps you see now, containing the bare minimum of features. Our goal is to integrate all of the old features you loved into this new map as well as some cool new ones (e.g. view your caches along a route).

 

Let me repeat that: Over time we will return as many as possible of the cool features you enjoyed with the old map. I recognize that this has inconvenienced some of you and for that I'm really sorry.

 

Until then we can all pretend it's the 1800's and go find geocaches with only our Garmin yellows and a set of coordinates. :D

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Ok, update time.

 

Most, if not all of the bugs with the Geocaching Google Maps should be fixed, so please let us know if you see anything wonky.

 

As for the hate hate hate comments, let me try to explain what's happening with the new maps. Basically, the third party software we use to serve the maps updated and forced us to update as well rather than implement a complicated workaround to keep the old maps. The result is the "new" Google maps you see now, containing the bare minimum of features. Our goal is to integrate all of the old features you loved into this new map as well as some cool new ones (e.g. view your caches along a route).

 

Let me repeat that: Over time we will return as many as possible of the cool features you enjoyed with the old map. I recognize that this has inconvenienced some of you and for that I'm really sorry.

 

Until then we can all pretend it's the 1800's and go find geocaches with only our Garmin yellows and a set of coordinates. :D

 

I don't see why someone couldn't have told everyone this on Oct. 3rd or on an earlier date when the maps were changed. :mad: Hopefully it won't take too long to add back the old features to the new map.. :o

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Problem: when I'm logged in on my premium account the check boxes for the cache types do absolutely nothing. I presume they are supposed to show/hide cache types.

 

I'm using on 2 separate, but identical systems: IE 7.0.5730.11 on a Windows XP SP2.

If I understand correctly what you are referring to, the check boxes do work with Opera 9.23 on Windows XP Media Edition.

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Most, if not all of the bugs with the Geocaching Google Maps should be fixed, so please let us know if you see anything wonky.

When scrolling along a route on the map, large areas will become grayed out and not display anything. Also while scrolling along a route many caches will not be displayed at all or maybe what is happening is that they stop displaying on the map.

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Ok, update time.

 

Most, if not all of the bugs with the Geocaching Google Maps should be fixed, so please let us know if you see anything wonky.

 

As for the hate hate hate comments, let me try to explain what's happening with the new maps. Basically, the third party software we use to serve the maps updated and forced us to update as well rather than implement a complicated workaround to keep the old maps. The result is the "new" Google maps you see now, containing the bare minimum of features. Our goal is to integrate all of the old features you loved into this new map as well as some cool new ones (e.g. view your caches along a route).

 

Let me repeat that: Over time we will return as many as possible of the cool features you enjoyed with the old map. I recognize that this has inconvenienced some of you and for that I'm really sorry.

 

Until then we can all pretend it's the 1800's and go find geocaches with only our Garmin yellows and a set of coordinates. B)

 

Could you please explain what bugs you are talking about? I find that the ones I would consider bugs have yet to be fixed and things appear to be worse.

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Testing Google Maps this evening using IE7, many of the issues (locking, checkboxes, etc.) I experienced earlier are fixed. My main issue now is that the waypoint names do not appear on the map. Before, I could print the map of an area (like a park) and see all of the waypoint names on the map. The legend would include the waypoint name and cache name. Now, unless I'm sitting at the computer doing a mouseover, a printed map is of little value because I don't know which cache is which.

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Testing Google Maps this evening using IE7, many of the issues (locking, checkboxes, etc.) I experienced earlier are fixed. My main issue now is that the waypoint names do not appear on the map. Before, I could print the map of an area (like a park) and see all of the waypoint names on the map. The legend would include the waypoint name and cache name. Now, unless I'm sitting at the computer doing a mouseover, a printed map is of little value because I don't know which cache is which.

 

I concur completely.... with IE7. We'll see about IE6 tomorrow when I'm at work. But I'm 90% pleased now with the maps under IE7. I agree that there needs to be an indexed list to the caches and some method of printing out the listing.

 

Nice touches that I had missed before are the ability to Bookmark or Send to GPS from the cache details balloon!

 

Whoops!! Showing the Cache Listings locks the map up tight. No zoom, no pan, no dbl-click details.

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I am using IE6. Here are a few things that I have noticed need fixing

 

1. Map freezes (no panning, zooming, etc) after clicking on "show cache listing"

 

2. With the old map you could highlight what caches are in what bookmark by selecting the bookmark name. This is no longer available.

 

3. Having the cache names on display at all times is not available either.

 

4. If you click on the cache symbol, nothing happens. Is the cache page suppose to open?

 

I can live with the new maps as long as they do not lock up. I do wish the capability to highlight all caches in a bookmark was still available. I use this to create routes.

 

If I use the Geocaching.com maps, I can see the names of all caches. I will probably go back to using the geocaching.com maps rather than using these new maps. I do not see the new maps as an improvement over the previous Geocaching.com Google Map.

Edited by JC_Geo
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Ok, update time.

 

Most, if not all of the bugs with the Geocaching Google Maps should be fixed, so please let us know if you see anything wonky.

...

Let me repeat that: Over time we will return as many as possible of the cool features you enjoyed with the old map. I recognize that this has inconvenienced some of you and for that I'm really sorry.

 

First, thank you for finally letting us know what is going on. It has been quite frustrating to see changes being attempted that only seem to expand existing features while the core functionality was overlooked. I guess I am confused about the explanation though... Are you being forced under some licensing agreement to switch? Otherwise, what is the urgent need to release non-functioning code to paying customers?

 

That being said, I am not quite sure about the "Most if not all bugs" are fixed. The same list I have posted the past two times a release has been put out still seem to be there. Several of them are significant and render the maps useless. To me those are not just missing feature they are usability errors. For example right now, when you click the option to view the list of cache names, the map becomes non-functional. That is a critical error.

 

Also, I am not sure why there can't just be a listing of the caches that does not involve the popup (as there was on the right of the map in the old version). That would solve two problems all at once. First, it would get rid of the most critical error I see and at the same time give you guys additional time to find the true underlying problem. Second, it would give those of us that liked having the listing as a part of the screen so it could be printed. I can't see how that would take long to implement in ASP.NET. Then on top of that, it would allow for additional features to be added back (such as bookmark management). I could go further on nice a "good" listing could be... but will save that for another day. B)

 

Hope someone is listening! Thanks.

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I am with most of the previous replys in the problems that I am having with the new maps.

 

I discovered a new problem today when I attempted to SEND the cache location files to my Garmin GPS. It doesn't work, the file doesn't go to the Geocache list it goes to the waypoints list instead. The other problem is the GEOCACHE symbol is notthere it is replaced by a BULLETT symbol. The Geocache screen will not work with this new symbol. It used to show the closed chest until you clicked on FOUND then the chest would be shown open.

 

I was able to locate a couple of caches using the waypoints but I had to mark that I had found then on the pages that I had printed out with the cache information.

 

PLEASE FIX THIS OR GIVE US BACK OUR OLD MAPS AND CACHE INFORMATION PAGES !!!!!!!!

 

Doxie Man

Premium Member

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I am starting to get a little more than PO'd about the freaking maps! I am trying to use the useless maps to find and download some caches that are in a pretty remote area. However, using the new and useless maps, when i try to zoom in, I mainly get BIG AND USELESS GRAYED OUT areas right where I need to be looking. The maps are not completely loading and never do, no matter what I try. There are too many things wrong with the maps, the website, Send to GPS, icons, printing, etc. Take everything back to the old and WORKING way.

 

If you listen very carefully, you can almost hear Lily Tomlin as Ernestine, the telephone operator:

"We don't care. We don't have to. We're the phone company." Of course, this was before the big breakup of AT&T and its monopoly. They knew people could complain all they want, but where else could they go?

Edited by GeoScooter1
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I like the new maps I can finally see what I've done in the neighborhood and what I've missed and it worked great with firefox last night and seemed to be working well with IE7, and then the whole thing locked up on me when I was scrolling.

I don't like the 15mile limit for rural areas I was scrolling forever down 287 in Texas looking at some route caches but it sure beats that 20 per page like the old one had. I also like the checkmark features, say if I just want to look at virtuals or I can get rid of my finds. I don't bookmark or print out the map much so I don't know the issues there.

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My reply which I put in the wrong place last nite: am attempting using mapping for first time today. see we are on to the new maps again. As of right now - using zipcode 45750 the mapping is missing various random blocks. cant get a full map on any position by moving around.

 

Also appears we have lost the ability to select other mapping sites. This is a very helpful feature as the sat views in other sites are superior in detail in many cases to the google mapping. in more rural areas google mapping is pretty worthless for any sort of close detail.

 

My vote is still for the old style mapping

 

Thanks,

Codge-wv

 

Today - am looking at new maps at work computer, same problem with parts of map are gray and loading just keep churning (using Win XP and IE7). Like the idea of old maps with updated features but keeping the ability to move across large areas for those of us in more rural areas. Also using the pdf print feature as a premium member, so dont appreciate losing that.....

 

Codge-wv

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I am still getting huge grey-out blocks on the maps also. In the computer bar, it says it is still downloading from mt*.google.com or it is waiting on maps but after 5 minutes....I am still waiting. I have tried this in both IE7 and Firefox. At least, the check box for "Hide My Finds" seems to actually be staying checked when I pan/move the map. That is very good! I still don't like the 15 mile limit because it is not useful when looking for caches in remote area.

 

The state maps feature is still not working. I found that to be a useful tool and would like to have it working again.

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The new maps are not "useless"; they're different. To the "different is bad - run in circles. scream and shout" crowd, there is no mitigating change. To most people, the improved density is an improvement. Yes, there's room for improvement still, especially in rural areas, but screaming for reversion instead of improvement is just wrong.
I don't think anyone was saying change was bad just because they didn't like change. It was because:

1. No one, to my knowledge, knew why there was change. What was the goal of this change?

2. Functionality many of us relied on was gone.

3. There was no test environment set up for UAT (user acceptance testing) something common in the software development world

 

The maps are optimized for online use.
Not really. At least on my end they were taking much longer to load/refresh. That's contrary to online use optimization. (the refresh time has gotten better, though here the initial load time has gotten worse)

 

Every time I see one of these long threads where the vocal minority "demand" change, I cringe because I know it's that much less likely that we'll see any *actual* change implemented here. "Oh, no, we can't fix the yellow pushpin problem. People will complain that they like that..."
People complain when they suddenly find themselves being guinea pigs for "improvements" when they aren't told in advance the why/how/when facts.

 

For me, this change comes at a very bad time not being able to preview from PQ's. I'm about to leave on a trip to the UK and I rely heavily on that feature when I travel. And the 15 mile limit is even worse because of the sparness of caches in northern England.

Edited by roveron
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I cannot get a cache listing in this new map interface to create bookmarks. All I see is the cache icons, but no listings will show up, I just get a blank box when I hit the link. This is making my prep for next weeks cache trip a pain for sure. I might be doing something wrong here I suppose, but it seems to me that I am doing the right thing.

 

Maybe the site should consider rolling back to the old map system until all the kinks are ironed out in the new system.

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Every time I see one of these long threads where the vocal minority "demand" change, I cringe because I know it's that much less likely that we'll see any *actual* change implemented here. "Oh, no, we can't fix the yellow pushpin problem. People will complain that they like that..."

 

I seem to see a "Vocal Majority" here. It seems a majority of the people who are "vocal" on this are viewing the new interface in a negative light.

 

I cannot speak for the "non-vocal" members of this community, but the "vocal" members here voicing their opinions on this new interface (mostly negative opinions) are the majority.

Edited by vmabuck
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I think my cache GC16BTQ

shows perfectly one of my problems with the new maps - anyone just from the map want to tell me where it is???

Is this comment in jest? Zoom out and you can see it is in the Atlantic just off the Scotland coast.

 

Yes, but once you've zoomed out the cache is no longer marked !

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I didn't have time to read all the whole thread here, but I'd like to add that I like the new maps.

I was impressed when I saw them yesterday for the first time. I don't usually use the map to do cache planning because of the 20-random-cache limitation of the display, but this time I could actually target a region of the town that I wanted to go to and see all the caches in that area, not just a handful randomly popping up when I scrolled.

 

I also enjoyed playing with the "My Place Marker" feature, which I notice today is gone again.

 

After I figured out how to use the place marker, I got really excited that I could drop a marker onto an existing cache location and have it display the 0.1mi radius circle around that point so I could quickly and easily tell where a (potentially) valid location for a new cache could go. I've been struggling with this for some time now using mostly Google earth and crude image overlays to try to get these circles drawn.

 

Also, the display waymarks feature didn't produce anything for me yesterday and now I see it's also gone. That kind of integration could bring some people back to Waymarking..... please bring it back as soon as it gets to working again.

 

Thanks for all your work on these things. I appreciate the ever changing nature of integrating 3rd party mapping, and I know you are doing your best to digest the new code that's been stuffed onto your plate!

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