Possible feature request

[+abyssnolf]

I routinely geocache with a group of people, sometimes 5, sometimes up to 8 or 9, and the people who go aren't always the same. Also, when the group goes geocaching, I'm primarily the first to log a find and at the end of the day everyone in the group checks my previously found caches to see which they need to log (sometimes weeks later). After doing this for a couple months, I've thought of a couple features that might make sense for groups.

 

First, it could make sense to create a group relationship. For instance, I could create a group and invite others to join. This would then make a cohesive unit that describes that group.

 

Second, when logging a cache, an individual could choose a group that they cached with, then be presented with a list of people in that group (or from their Friends list) that they geocached with. They could select multiple people. In this way, a user could keep track of who they cached with for each cache without having to name them in the comments or have a summary name like Team EtcEtc when only some of the "team" was present.

 

Third, when a user selects that they were with another user when they found a cache, that user might be able to see this list of caches and comments so that they would know which caches to log. They would also be able to remove themselves from being linked to a cache if there was a mistake. For instance, when I finish logging all of the finds and selecting all the people who found it with me, those people would be able to log in and see a list of caches that I had linked them to, and they would then know exactly which ones to log as well. The people who I had selected were with me when I found the cache would then be automatically selected for them (either hidden if no Friend relationship existed or selected if one did exist).

 

And finally, if a group (either defined as in bullet one or as a set of selections from bullet three) logs a bunch of caches together, those comments could be grouped into a single comment that could be viewed in more detail on a separate page. The comment might be (Group: Team EtcEtc found this on... with members: so-and-so, etcEtc, and ... Click here for their comments) [As a side note, the first user to post for the group might have their comment included in that summary, possibly]. In this way, if I go caching with 8 people and we all find it, it doesn't look like 8 separate people found (or DNF) a cache in one day and it doesn't flood the top comment board on the cache information page. Furthermore, some people don't feel the need to insert meaningful comments because I've already spoken for the group (more or less), so their comments aren't exactly important to the main page (there, I said it).

 

These are just some thoughts. In the meantime, things work as they are quite well. Thanks for the effort and the fun!

[+mtn-man]

Moving to the proper forum, Geocaching.com Web Site Forum.

[+Thrak]

It seems to me that the best way to deal with it is for the folks who were along for the cache to stop procrastinating and log their finds. If it's too much effort for them to keep track of the caches they find so they can log the things then it sounds like they aren't all that interested. Not trying to be snarky here but why should Groundspeak need to make special features simply to accomodate folks who are too lazy to write down their caches in a little pocket notebook or something else of that nature?

[+TrailGators]

I always find someone in my group and view the caches that they logged to make sure I didn't forget any or visa versa. I also mention the names of everyone in the group (if it is a small group) or say the group name (if it was a large group) in my log. I like having my own logs. So I am happy doing it that way.

[+OReviewer]

I usually just copy that days "my" page into an e-mail with the date. That includes all the stuff they need including links to the cache pages. Doesn't get much simpler than that.

[+abyssnolf]

First off, it's not necessarily about laziness, and even if it were my suggestions go beyond that. These features aren't "required" for anyone to have fun and enjoy the sport, and I'm not demanding them; they are just some ideas that might make things convenient for large groups of regular geocachers and some thoughts that might give the Groundspeak people something to think about if they wanted to enhance the site. I'm not trying to be overly defensive, but it's unfair to suppose that everyone who might benefit from these features (if implemented) is lazy.

 

Second, I'm not suggesting we remove the ability for individuals to comment once they become part of a group, but that their comments are viewed in a separate branch dedicated to that group, as a means of preventing the comment thread for a cache from being flooded with the logs of a single group. Only the top 5 caches appear in .gpx downloads or by default on the main information pages, so it doesn't necessarily make sense to clear them all out with each user in a group posting basically the same log. Furthermore, if there is a DNF, then the cache owner thinks that a whole slew of people did not find their cache when it might just be that the group failed to find it the first time around (the owner could likely put it together if they looked at the logs, though).

[+abyssnolf]

Also, thanks to mtn-man for moving this thread to the correct place.