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Feature Request - Night Cache Icon


MickEMT

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Icon would be nice, but how about attributes?

 

night-yes.gif This one should suffice, though it does only carry a recommendation, not a requirement. Requirement could be stated in the listing.

 

available-yes.gif I would add this one to the listing as well.

 

The very first cache I found was a "reflector" night cache! GC7155 Night Eyes of Niles. I really did enjoy it. I started caching the dead of winter.

Edited by Rattlebars
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Icon would be nice, but how about attributes?

 

night-yes.gif This one should suffice, though it does only carry a recommendation, not a requirement. Requirement could be stated in the listing.

 

available-yes.gif I would add this one to the listing as well.

 

The very first cache I found was a "reflector" night cache! GC7155 Night Eyes of Niles. I really did enjoy it. I started caching the dead of winter.

 

I've seen non night caches use those attributes and "real" night caches that don't.

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Icon attribute use is so inconsistant it's not worth it to add more, just as the terrain and difficutly levels are just plain wrong 90% of the time also and how many multi's have you done that are really puzzles, or the other way around.

I had heard that TPTB are trying to implement those icon attributes into the GPX output so that GSAK can use them, but I hold no hope that they will be useful.

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available-yes.gif I would add this one to the listing as well.

 

:) That would mean it is also findable during broad daylight. But a real nightcache is only findable in the dark - there are ways to enforce this like electronic reactive lights, alarm clocks etc.

 

So for a night cache you should use the opposite icon: available-no.gif

 

But a separate attribute for real nightcaches would be nice and avoid some of the confusion between caches which are recommended at night and those which can only be found at night but not at daylight. :)

Edited by eigengott
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Any chance night caches could be given their own icon? After all, they are a unique type of cache.

I know a number of cachers who love night caches, and this would help those that love them and those that hate them to sort them out from the rest.

A night cache is not a "type" of cache. The types are traditional, multi, puzzle, etc. Any of those types can be setup to be only done at night.

 

The best way to do this without a new attribute is to set "Recommended at night" but also "NOT available 24/7"

 

Whether or not people actually use attributes is another thread entirely.

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The best way to do this without a new attribute is to set "Recommended at night" but also "NOT available 24/7"

 

 

Then that sounds like the area where the cache is is off limits at some times... and usually those times are at night. And that's a bit confusing to people since you're recommending the cache at night. Once we start mixing the meanings of two (or more) attributes together we enter a really fuzzy gray area that no one will completely understand. A Night Cache attribute says it all quite clearly, and I like that idea. I wouldn't want to see "Night Cache" as a cache type, however.

 

(Edited for clarification)

Edited by DocDiTTo
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My knee jerk to this was to say use the attributes, it is not a type. However the attributes are so inconsistent and, as the message above states, can be confusing.

 

There would be a problem identifying whether it is a micro, small, etc. so I am not sure what a solution would be, but do think there needs to be one. Since there are so few, I can also understand TPTB not wanting to expend much energy on it.

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My knee jerk to this was to say use the attributes, it is not a type. However the attributes are so inconsistent and, as the message above states, can be confusing.

 

There would be a problem identifying whether it is a micro, small, etc. so I am not sure what a solution would be, but do think there needs to be one. Since there are so few, I can also understand TPTB not wanting to expend much energy on it.

 

There wouldn't be a problem identifying the cache size, that's a seperate part of the page all together.

Hey, GC gave those "maze" caches their own icon, and there are few of those.

Night caches should be their own type, just like traditional, multi, event, virtual, earthcaches..... after all they are a unique type of cache.

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There wouldn't be a problem identifying the cache size, that's a seperate part of the page all together.

Hey, GC gave those "maze" caches their own icon, and there are few of those.

Night caches should be their own type, just like traditional, multi, event, virtual, earthcaches..... after all they are a unique type of cache.

There is current only one GPS Adventure type "cache". This is a special cache type for the Groundspeak sponsored GPS maze exhibit and my guess it would be used for similar types of exhibits that promote geocaching or GPS education. These are not quite events and are certainly not caches. I would prefer they were listed as waymarks - but like Earthcaches, Groundspeak has decide to count these as geocaches probably because the want to promote the educational aspects of geocaching.

 

I don't see night caches as a separate type of cache. They are a basically a type of offset cache that should be listed as a multi although listing as a mystery/unknown helps in ensuring that people who try this cache do read the cache page for instructions to know it is a night cache. You should be getting the coordinates for the starting position and have "the option of using accurate GPS coordinates as an integral part of the cache hunt". Once at the starting point you follow reflective tacks or some other method to get to the cache. This is no different than any other offset cache. You get coordinates for the starting point and use what you find there to get to the final cache, either by calculating the final coordinates or by using letterbox style clues to get to the final cache. The one difference for night caches is the requirement/recommendation to do this cache at night. (It's really hard to see those reflective tacks in the daytime. :) ).

 

The request for a new icon is generally coming from someone is trying find night caches to find. If we made a new cache type for every type of cache that someone liked Geocaching.com would soon look like Waymarking.com with it's several hundred Waymarking categories. I think the best solution for people who want to find a specific type of caches, is for them to get a premium member in the area to start a bookmark list for this type of caches. When people discover new caches in the area they could send that information to the member who owns the list to add. For night caches you could make the bookmark list public so that once you found one night cache you'd have a link to the list of other night caches.

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what is the best way to find a bookmark list of night caches that might be in a certain part of the USA?

Basically, you need to do a PQ for caches with the night recommended, and then look through them, until you find what you're looking for. Or, you can always ask around, a lot of cachers already know them.

As noted, you should mainly look for unknown type caches, since they typically don't follow regular or multi- cache rules.

Hope that helps!

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Basically, you need to do a PQ for caches with the night recommended, and then look through them, until you find what you're looking for.

 

Ever try that? It returns a LOT of caches, not an easy way to find what you are looking for. I tried it and out of the nearest 500 caches, only 5 night caches were on the list. Also, two caches that I know are night caches did not make the list.

 

Night caches are a unique type of cache, they are designed so that they can only be done at night and that holds true weather they are "traditional", "multi" or "puzzle" type caches.

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weather they are "traditional", "multi" or "puzzle" type caches.

And that reason right there is why there's an attribute. Night caches could be "traditional", "multi" or "puzzle" type caches.

I tried it and out of the nearest 500 caches, only 5 night caches were on the list. Also, two caches that I know are night caches did not make the list.
Not enough people are using attributes, then. Write the owners of the two night caches and ask them to add it as an attribute. That's what needs to happen rather than springing off another cache type.
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As I ve just posted in another thread I strongly support the introduction of an icon for Nightcaches!!!!

 

How many have to speak up for offical recognition ;-) ?

 

@ eigengott: as you are a reviewer now, are you able to press this matter?

 

Greetings from 53° 10' 008° 13'

 

Ringeck

Edited by Ringeck
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not only would a Night Cache Icon be fantastic, but also a way to Search for night caches, I can type "night" in the keyword search, and it will bring up caches with night in the title, but they are from all over the world, it would be nice to be able to search by keyword, and limit results to your particular area

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I'd like a "Night Cache" icon as well.

 

That said, you can find all of the night caches I've been involved with creating with a word search because the name starts with "Nighttime".

 

"Puzzle caches" takes in too wide a swath and seems a catch for "everything left over".

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Attributes will only work if EVERYONE uses them, and uses them appropriately.

 

You could argue that EVERY type of cache could be identified by attributes. Asking for a night cache type isn't so out of bounds or unreasonable.

 

Would creating a type called Night Cache with an icon be that difficult (and I'm not being sarcastic - I don't honestly know.)

 

In fact, geocachers might find it helpful, especially geocachers who are not very techno-savvy. You know, folks who just want to do very simple searches for caches.

 

:anibad: Isn't that what service is about - being helpful?

 

:)

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Believe me, I'm in favor of having night caches get their own icon. I was trying to point out that the attribute system is voluntary, and somewhat abused. Not to mention that most cachers ignore them. As a test, I put the "livestock" attribute on a parking lot micro..... it was over 6 months before someone even noticed!

 

"Night Caches" are a specific type of cache, plain and simple. I really don't see that the creation of a type and icon for night caches would be a big technical challenge. As for the argument of what about multi or puzzle night caches, well, a night cache is a night cache, that's the MAIN type. I've seen multi's that had a small puzzle involved and puzzles that are multi's. If one wanted to get overly technical, every night cache is a combination of multi and puzlle. The coords are false, and a cacher must find multiple waypoints, i.e. firetacks.

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FWIW, not all night caches use FireTacks Trail Markers™ (or similar retro-reflective material).

 

If we have a type for caches that can be found only at night, then do we also need a type for caches that can be found only during the day?

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