OpinioNate Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 Many of you old timers might recall a time when Jeremy (Pres. and CEO) was more frequently sighted here in the forums explaining updates and taking suggestions for new features. However, trying to keep up with a growing company has left him with less and less time to devote to that important task. To that end, I will be spending more time in this forum listening to your concerns and keeping you informed of important matters that affect the geocaching community as a whole. About me (Nate): I started out with Groundspeak in 2003 helping geocachers by email when they needed assistance, and perhaps spoke to a few of you by telephone when your cache was muggled or to explain why a geocache should not be placed on railroad tracks (you might damage the train). Since then I have had a number of different responsibilities but today I mostly handle quality assurance and testing for various projects. If any of you moonlight as waymarkers (gasp!) you will by now be familiar with my presence in the "other" forums. So if that's you, then you are, eh... lucky to get a double dose of me over here, too. So what's the point? My main goal is to wrap up all your bugs, feature requests and complaints in a convenient little package, and to pass them along to the people responsible for making them happen. When that's done I'll come back and let you know how it all went. Finally, you'll tell me about what broke as a result and the process repeats. See how that works? It's the circle of life! How you can help me: My only request is for you to review Raine's post on reporting site issues and continue to put his suggestions into practice. This is hugely important as it speeds up our troubleshooting process and lets you get back to having fun as quickly as possible. For feature requests/feedback please take a moment to search other threads for similar topics before starting a new one. A lot of the same requests have been brought up and answered in the past. Parting words and warm fuzzies: I can't promise to respond individually to every post here, but I will promise to read them all and take what you have to say to heart. It's only through your feedback that Geocaching.com can continue to grow and thrive, and we prize that above all else. You should never have to ask yourself, "Is Groundspeak paying attention?" Because the answer isOOH LOOK A BUNNY RABBIT Happy Geocaching
+chizu Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 welcome to the new whipping boy Goundspeak Lackey!
+cache_test_dummies Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 Welcome, Nate! About Us (Forum Participants): Why does my post say 'Ringbone' please implement a rating system please don't implement a rating system can I change my username why are people allowed to log multiple finds on events micros should be their own cache type someone has been holding my travel bug for too long so please ban them and give me their home address bring back the old maps bring back the new maps why did my topic get closed bring back virtuals PQs shouldn't be limited to 500 caches please add an attribute for unicycle-friendly caches I accept your apology GEOCACHING DOESN'T CARE ABOUT CHINLDREN! Also, it may be useful to know that the reviewers don't seem to care much for goats. Good luck!
+gpsfun Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 Welcome, Nate! About Us (Forum Participants): Why does my post say 'Ringbone' please implement a rating system please don't implement a rating system can I change my username why are people allowed to log multiple finds on events micros should be their own cache type someone has been holding my travel bug for too long so please ban them and give me their home address bring back the old maps bring back the new maps why did my topic get closed bring back virtuals PQs shouldn't be limited to 500 caches please add an attribute for unicycle-friendly caches I accept your apology GEOCACHING DOESN'T CARE ABOUT CHINLDREN! Also, it may be useful to know that the reviewers don't seem to care much for goats. Good luck! CTD only has these complaints because he is in my review territory.
+Michael Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 Welcome, Nate! About Us (Forum Participants): Why does my post say 'Ringbone' please implement a rating system please don't implement a rating system can I change my username why are people allowed to log multiple finds on events micros should be their own cache type someone has been holding my travel bug for too long so please ban them and give me their home address bring back the old maps bring back the new maps why did my topic get closed bring back virtuals PQs shouldn't be limited to 500 caches please add an attribute for unicycle-friendly caches I accept your apology GEOCACHING DOESN'T CARE ABOUT CHINLDREN! Also, it may be useful to know that the reviewers don't seem to care much for goats. Good luck! CTD only has these complaints because he is in my review territory. So its YOU that doesnt care much for goats???????????
+cache_test_dummies Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 I can't wait to see if Keystone has to move Nate's major announcement topic to OT.
bogleman Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 Parting words and warm fuzzies: I'll add the XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX should be pinned, not that anyone would read it
ParentsofSAM Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 Welcome! I am glad that someone will be in the forums providing feedback and information. That is great.
+onecrazycanadian Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 Welcome, Nate! About Us (Forum Participants): Why does my post say 'Ringbone' please implement a rating system please don't implement a rating system can I change my username why are people allowed to log multiple finds on events micros should be their own cache type someone has been holding my travel bug for too long so please ban them and give me their home address bring back the old maps bring back the new maps why did my topic get closed bring back virtuals PQs shouldn't be limited to 500 caches please add an attribute for unicycle-friendly caches I accept your apology GEOCACHING DOESN'T CARE ABOUT CHINLDREN! Also, it may be useful to know that the reviewers don't seem to care much for goats. Good luck! CTD only has these complaints because he is in my review territory. So its YOU that doesnt care much for goats??????????? Whew, I thought he was referring to me for a minute. Wait a sec. I don't like goats either. Is that a problem??
+Kealia Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 Hmmm, smells like a sock puppet to me. Hopefully this will stop the "Groundspeak doesn't care" movement. I've always seen Groundspeak folks in here (Jeremey, Raine and others) so it's nice to know that there is a single point of "contact" know handling this. Anybody want to start a pool on how long it is before Nate pulls out his hair?
+The Blue Quasar Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 Having spent over two years enjoying the company of OpinioNate in the "other" forums a.k.a. Waymarking Forums I think I can say with confidence that if OpinioNate shows even half of the dedication to the Geocaching Forums as he does to the Waymarking Forums, this is an excellent direction for Groundspeak to be taking. Nate, as we have come to learn in Waymarking is really good at being open minded, and communicates pretty well. When I last gave him his annual review, he scored 94% (I'm kidding... I have no business evaluating him... but I love that little guy!) But seriously, this is a really good thing that is happening for everyone in here. And having someone that oversees all of this again will be a huge benefit. I'm happy to see Nate becoming more involved in this portion of Groundspeak's original game. The Blue Quasar
OpinioNate Posted October 5, 2007 Author Posted October 5, 2007 (edited) Thanks to the well wishers and to CTD for getting all the forum memes out of the way (or most, I can still think of a few more). I'll remind Kealia that I worked our customer service for two years so if my hair were ever in jeopardy it would likely be gone by now. Happy to report they are still intact (though perhaps not overly stylish). On preview: *blush* Thanks BQ Edited October 5, 2007 by OpinioNate
+alexrudd Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 GEOCACHING DOESN'T CARE ABOUT CHINLDREN! Wow, how could I have forgotten about that one? Hopefully we get less complains of that sort now, with a visible contact.
+HaLiJuSaPa Posted October 6, 2007 Posted October 6, 2007 OK Nate, let's get started.....uh, bring back virtuals!
+Miragee Posted October 6, 2007 Posted October 6, 2007 OK Nate, let's get started.....uh, bring back virtuals! I second that request. Only with the addition of one qualifier. Please bring back good Virtuals, like this one I found last week. Here is the first part of my log: Oh, this is just the best spot , and is the reason I miss the Virtual caches so much. I don't know how I would have found this location if your cache had not brought me here, a location where a Traditional cache wouldn't work . . . and neither would a Multi. Waymarking . . . what's that? <snip> Let the discussion continue . . . or not. Maybe this isn't up for discussion . . . if not, could we have a vote?
Mushtang Posted October 6, 2007 Posted October 6, 2007 Maybe this isn't up for discussion . . . if not, could we have a vote? I think there was already a vote of all the people who's vote mattered. Jeremy voted no. The final count was Yes-0 No-1, and now they're not coming back. Hooray for democracy!!!
+mtn-man Posted October 6, 2007 Posted October 6, 2007 The discussion is also off topic. Getting back on topic... great to hear Nate! I hated missing you last time I was out there. I'll be back in November. Let's go eat some bait!
+TrailGators Posted October 7, 2007 Posted October 7, 2007 Hi Nate, it's nice to meet you. I work in QA myself. It's a thankless job but someone's gotta do it! I am curious about what new kewl stuff is on the horizon. I'd also be happy to a beta-tester for testing that stuff. Good luck!
+MtnGoat50 Posted October 7, 2007 Posted October 7, 2007 Welcome, Nate! About Us (Forum Participants): Why does my post say 'Ringbone' please implement a rating system please don't implement a rating system can I change my username why are people allowed to log multiple finds on events micros should be their own cache type someone has been holding my travel bug for too long so please ban them and give me their home address bring back the old maps bring back the new maps why did my topic get closed bring back virtuals PQs shouldn't be limited to 500 caches please add an attribute for unicycle-friendly caches I accept your apology GEOCACHING DOESN'T CARE ABOUT CHINLDREN! Also, it may be useful to know that the reviewers don't seem to care much for goats. Good luck! CTD only has these complaints because he is in my review territory. So its YOU that doesnt care much for goats??????????? What's not to like about goats???? They're one of my favorite animals!!! Welcome Nate! I've seen several threads by unhappy geocachers, where a simple "We know it's a problem and we're 'workin on it'" would have really helped calm people down. Thanks!
+Super_Nate Posted October 7, 2007 Posted October 7, 2007 Welcome to the team! From what I have seen and heard, I know that you are truly going to be Super Nate!
+Glenn Posted October 7, 2007 Posted October 7, 2007 <snip> OOH LOOK A BUNNY RABBIT Happy Geocaching Well there is your problem. What is a bunny rabbit doing in the lilly pad? Everyone knows that hamster are what keep servers running. A gerbil can be used in a pinch but not a rabbit. Rabbits can't keep the wheel spinning at a constant rate.
+cache_test_dummies Posted October 9, 2007 Posted October 9, 2007 <Announcer voices> Bob: Well, Jim, it would seem that Nate's got his hands full today! Jim: That's right, Bob! The new changes they just rolled in are causing plenty of action from all sides. So far, he seems to be handling it well, but the new maps are really adding to the pressure! Bob: Wow! Did you see that? He just handled another one, an Icon issue this time! Jim: Beautiful return! I tell you, this kid has style. You can tell the people upstairs have lots of confidence in him. Bob: We'll certainly be keeping an eye on this youngster as things heat up! </Announcer voices> Keep up the good work, Nate!
OpinioNate Posted October 9, 2007 Author Posted October 9, 2007 <Announcer voices> Bob: Well, Jim, it would seem that Nate's got his hands full today! Jim: That's right, Bob! The new changes they just rolled in are causing plenty of action from all sides. So far, he seems to be handling it well, but the new maps are really adding to the pressure! Bob: Wow! Did you see that? He just handled another one, an Icon issue this time! Jim: Beautiful return! I tell you, this kid has style. You can tell the people upstairs have lots of confidence in him. Bob: We'll certainly be keeping an eye on this youngster as things heat up! </Announcer voices> Keep up the good work, Nate! You crack me up, man. Keep in mind that today is not the day to be causing trouble over on the other forums, so behave over there.
+9Key Posted October 9, 2007 Posted October 9, 2007 Is there a group of beta testers that I could join? I'm a .Net developer by trade and a long time geocacher and I'd like to help.
+mtn-man Posted October 9, 2007 Posted October 9, 2007 Is there a group of beta testers that I could join? I'm a .Net developer by trade and a long time geocacher and I'd like to help. You joined the beta tester group the day you signed up with the site. Since so much of this is new stuff, I think we find broken stuff as we use the site.
+Miragee Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 (edited) Today, while logging caches I found yesterday, I noticed that the site is not remembering the date, as it used to . . . I have had to change the log date for each new log I am writing. Is that a new "feature" or a bug? On Edit: Browser: Opera 9.23 Win XP Media Edition Edited October 10, 2007 by Miragee
+Ambrosia Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 Each time I see someone say "hi" to Nate and welcome him, I go, "wait....he's not new!".
+mtn-man Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 Today, while logging caches I found yesterday, I noticed that the site is not remembering the date, as it used to . . . I have had to change the log date for each new log I am writing. Is that a new "feature" or a bug? How you can help me: My only request is for you to review Raine's post on reporting site issues and continue to put his suggestions into practice. This is hugely important as it speeds up our troubleshooting process and lets you get back to having fun as quickly as possible. For feature requests/feedback please take a moment to search other threads for similar topics before starting a new one. A lot of the same requests have been brought up and answered in the past.
+benh57 Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 If GS is truly listening, then a quick post in each thread 'thanks for your feedback, we are aware of this issue' or similar would help a lot. When there is no reply at all to a particular issue over several posts/threads about a topic, it looks like you aren't listening. It's been standard policy that 'if there's no response, assume we know'. This is just not good customer service and just pisses people off.
+SUp3rFM & Cruella Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 (edited) You should never have to ask yourself, "Is Groundspeak paying attention?" Because the answer is BLAME THE AMPERSAND. Nice to hear from you, Nate. If GS is truly listening, then a quick post in each thread 'thanks for your feedback, we are aware of this issue' or similar would help a lot. When there is no reply at all to a particular issue over several posts/threads about a topic, it looks like you aren't listening. It's been standard policy that 'if there's no response, assume we know'. This is just not good customer service and just pisses people off. Agree. That would much better. Edited October 10, 2007 by SUp3rFM & Cruella
+9Key Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 Is there a group of beta testers that I could join? I'm a .Net developer by trade and a long time geocacher and I'd like to help. You joined the beta tester group the day you signed up with the site. Since so much of this is new stuff, I think we find broken stuff as we use the site. That's not the way software, including web, is generally tested - rollling out code to production and having your end users find your bugs.
+SUp3rFM & Cruella Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 That's not the way software, including web, is generally tested - rollling out code to production and having your end users find your bugs. Guess it's much more exciting that way.
markandlynn Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 Dates backwards for the rest of the world on the cache pages (other than the FOUR who use month day year format)
+cache_test_dummies Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 If GS is truly listening, then a quick post in each thread 'thanks for your feedback, we are aware of this issue' or similar would help a lot. When there is no reply at all to a particular issue over several posts/threads about a topic, it looks like you aren't listening. It's been standard policy that 'if there's no response, assume we know'. This is just not good customer service and just pisses people off. I think this very thread, and the fact that there were more than a dozen such follow-up posts by OpinioNate yesterday afternoon is an indication of Groundspeak's understanding of this issue.
+ekhoc Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 Dates backwards for the rest of the world on the cache pages (other than the FOUR who use month day year format) This continues to be an annoyance. Pocket Query pages used to have dd MON yyyy which was at least logical, but now there is a mm/dd/yyyy date field, which makes creating PQs more difficult. Could we just please get an easy-to-use yyyy-mm-dd format, at least as an option? Please? Btw, the calender window on PQ pages apparently does not work on Konqueror 3.5.5 on Debian 4.0.
+Markwell Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 Dates backwards for the rest of the world on the cache pages (other than the FOUR who use month day year format) If there's problems - specific problems - then I would think that each would be better off in its own thread rather than having a single thread hold multiple site issues. Am I right, Nate?
OpinioNate Posted October 10, 2007 Author Posted October 10, 2007 Am I right, Nate? Absolutely right. It's in your best interest to document your thoughts in a new thread (or an old one on the same topic) so it doesn't get lost.
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