Exclude caches needing maintenance

[+Kit Fox]

When creating pocket queries, I always check the box "is active" to weed out disabled caches. What I could really use is a new check off box that says "exclude caches needing maintenance." A good portion of my time is wasted going through caches with the "yellow log" in GSAK to figure out what is wrong with caches needing maintenance.

 

If you could make caches needing maintenance disappear from my PQs, I would be very greatful.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Keystone]

What results do you obtain when you select the "Needs Maintenance" cross icon under the "Attributes to Exclude" section of the pocket query setup screen? I sometimes run queries to include this attribute, in my cache reviewer role. Haven't tried the other way around. I would hope that the exclusion function also works, but in the past the attributes feature of pocket queries has misbehaved.

[+Kit Fox]

What results do you obtain when you select the "Needs Maintenance" cross icon under the "Attributes to Exclude" section of the pocket query setup screen? I sometimes run queries to include this attribute, in my cache reviewer role. Haven't tried the other way around. I would hope that the exclusion function also works, but in the past the attributes feature of pocket queries has misbehaved.

 

Doh,

 

I never bothered to mess with the attributes section. The last time I tried using the attributes in my PQs, they didn't work well. Thanks for the tip.

Edited August 9, 2008 by Kit Fox

[+blb9556]

What results do you obtain when you select the "Needs Maintenance" cross icon under the "Attributes to Exclude" section of the pocket query setup screen? I sometimes run queries to include this attribute, in my cache reviewer role. Haven't tried the other way around. I would hope that the exclusion function also works, but in the past the attributes feature of pocket queries has misbehaved.

 

Yes that works but to get rid of that attribute the owner has to post "Owner Maintanance" Which sometimes they don't. So the cache is fine but still has the attribute.

[+Corey]

What results do you obtain when you select the "Needs Maintenance" cross icon under the "Attributes to Exclude" section of the pocket query setup screen? I sometimes run queries to include this attribute, in my cache reviewer role. Haven't tried the other way around. I would hope that the exclusion function also works, but in the past the attributes feature of pocket queries has misbehaved.

 

Yes that works but to get rid of that attribute the owner has to post "Owner Maintanance" Which sometimes they don't. So the cache is fine but still has the attribute.

Well, that's the only way to tell whether the cache needs maintenance, isn't it?

Or maybe "Last log (is) Needs Maintenance" would work better? Just a thought.

[Keystone]

Yes that works but to get rid of that attribute the owner has to post "Owner Maintanance" Which sometimes they don't. So the cache is fine but still has the attribute.

Yep, which is why my form letter for a sweep of caches with the Needs Maintenance attribute once or twice a year states as follows:

 

This listing has had a "Needs Maintenance" icon on it since {DATE}. A previous player's visit to your geocache indicated that there was an issue that they felt should be addressed. You may have already taken care of the issue but the "Needs Maintenance" icon still remains. If there is an unresolved maintenance issue with this cache, however, please take care of it as soon as possible.

 

The "Needs Maintenance" type of log places an attribute icon on the listing that looks like a 'first aid' symbol. To remove the 'first aid' symbol you will need to post an "Owner Maintenance" log after you have checked on the cache. Except for mistaken requests or requests that have been fixed by others, you should only log "Owner Maintenance" after you have physically visited your cache and determined that the cache is back in good shape.

 

"Needs Maintenance" is a player note to request that the owner take some action about the conditions of the geocache. Other cachers will also be aware of what they should expect when they search for your geocache. It is not the same as "Needs Archived" which is used to ask a Reviewer to see if the listing is still valid based on the guidelines http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx .

 

Some players ignore listings or create Pocket Queries to filter out geocaches that have "Needs Maintenance" attribute icons on them and will not search for them. Don't let players miss out on finding your cache!

 

If you have any questions about this log entry please contact me by e-mail via my profile page.

 

Thanks,

Keystone

Geocaching.com Volunteer Cache Reviewer

[AZcachemeister]

What results do you obtain when you select the "Needs Maintenance" cross icon under the "Attributes to Exclude" section of the pocket query setup screen? I sometimes run queries to include this attribute, in my cache reviewer role. Haven't tried the other way around. I would hope that the exclusion function also works, but in the past the attributes feature of pocket queries has misbehaved.

 

Yes that works but to get rid of that attribute the owner has to post "Owner Maintanance" Which sometimes they don't. So the cache is fine but still has the attribute.

 

Occasionally, a 'Needs Maintenance' gets posted when the need is less than an emergency...like 'the log is NEARLY full'. Frankly, I wish more cachers would post these. In this case, the cache is in fine condition, perfectly findable and loggable.

 

If a cache has an absentee owner, there is nobody to post the 'Owner Maintenance' log. Perhaps the cache is being maintained by the community at large. You would need to read the logs to know the true status.

 

The 'Needs Maintenance' attribute is editable by the owner, just the same as any other attribute. I can add it or remove it as I like, without leaving home or posting anything on the cache page. Some owners prefer to quietly do their maintenance, and do not post logs when they do (I don't know why, but they do).

[+Cache O'Plenty]

Keystone: thanks for the information in that form letter. Clears up the impact of a Needs Maintenance icon as well as how to clear it.

 

This thread has prompted me to investigate the PQ Exclude criteria as it makes sense not to search for a cache that has unresolved problems. I ran a test on one PQ of 478 caches and clicked on the Exclude "Needs Maintenance" icon. Running the PQ resulted in only 406 caches - a reduction of 72 caches.

 

However, searching via GSAK only identified about 25 caches with the icon.

 

Any idea on what the discrepancy is? I'm thinking that GS excludes ANY cache with an unresolved "Needs Maintenance" while GSAK only looks at the past 4 logs.

[+Kit Fox]

Well I tried excluding the attribute "needs maintenance," but much to my chagrin, the form unchecks the symbol on its own. Everytime I revisit the PQs the symbol is no longer colored.

 

So how about a check off box?

[+ventura_kids]

Just go find the caches, and do the maintenance for the owner.

Then log a note saying the cache is maintained now.

The owner will be happy, and you will now be able to go find a well maintained geocache.

[+Cache O'Plenty]

And remind him (the owner) to post a "Owner Maintenance" log so that the "Needs Maintenance" flag is removed.

 

There are many, many cache pages showing "Needs Maintenance" that have been resolved but no one input the "OM" log to clear it.

[+ClydeE]

 

However, searching via GSAK only identified about 25 caches with the icon.

 

Any idea on what the discrepancy is? I'm thinking that GS excludes ANY cache with an unresolved "Needs Maintenance" while GSAK only looks at the past 4 logs.

 

No, GSAK will look at ALL your logs in your database for this log. Of course, there in lies the answer to your question. A PQ only returns the last 5 logs (plus your own), so if the "Needs Maintenance" log is beyond this GSAK won't see it unless you have accumulated more logs or downloaded a single GPX file from the cache page which does include the last 20 logs (plus your own). Either way, if the log is beyond the scope of the logs you currently have stored in the database, GSAK won't know about it.

[+Cache O'Plenty]

That seems logical and I'd reached that conclusion a while after posting. However, I guess the real scenario would be if the LAST log was a NM. If it's been found since the NM log, I would normally just assume the owner never released it. This is really all rather mute since many of the NM I reviewed in my sample actually weren't indicators that the cache was down, just needed a new log or something. I think I'll just keep looking for NM caches based on log reading.

[+Kit Fox]

Just go find the caches, and do the maintenance for the owner.

Then log a note saying the cache is maintained now.

The owner will be happy, and you will now be able to go find a well maintained geocache.

 

I already did that for you, back in April of 2005, but you thanked me by archiving the cache.

[+Cache O'Plenty]

Well I tried excluding the attribute "needs maintenance," but much to my chagrin, the form unchecks the symbol on its own. Everytime I revisit the PQs the symbol is no longer colored.

 

So how about a check off box?

Even though the symbol "unchecks ... on it's own", it's still checked, it seems. May be a problem from the recent site changes that occurred.

 

I tried it on several of my PQs and just received them. All caches that had a NM log were excluded. However, that may not really be what I wanted. Just because a cache had a NM last year doesn't mean that it wasn't resolved and is now fine. It just means that it once had a NM logged. A good example is this cache:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...b3-be30d5c88434

 

it has a NM on it dated April 12, 2006 but it has been found successfully over 60 times since.

 

What I wanted was to exclude caches that have a problem now! A real problem, not just needing a new log or such. So, just because the last log is a NM, it really doesn't mean the cache is missing.

 

Bottomline: I'm going to uncheck that attribute and get them all.

Edited August 10, 2008 by Cache O'Plenty

[+Miragee]

<snip>

 

Occasionally, a 'Needs Maintenance' gets posted when the need is less than an emergency...like 'the log is NEARLY full'. Frankly, I wish more cachers would post these. In this case, the cache is in fine condition, perfectly findable and loggable.

 

If a cache has an absentee owner, there is nobody to post the 'Owner Maintenance' log. Perhaps the cache is being maintained by the community at large. You would need to read the logs to know the true status.

 

The 'Needs Maintenance' attribute is editable by the owner, just the same as any other attribute. I can add it or remove it as I like, without leaving home or posting anything on the cache page. Some owners prefer to quietly do their maintenance, and do not post logs when they do (I don't know why, but they do).

Recently, I had a cacher put a "Needs Maintenance" log on a cache of mine when they found it on the ground, instead of "eye level" as stated in the hint . . . Doh!!! :

 

To get rid of the Attribute, my "Owner Maintenance" was to edit the hint . . .

 

With the new policy about "Absentee Owners," I sure hope cachers are much more judicious in using the "Needs Maintenance" attribute . . .

[+Kit Fox]

Well I tried excluding the attribute "needs maintenance," but much to my chagrin, the form unchecks the symbol on its own. Everytime I revisit the PQs the symbol is no longer colored.

 

So how about a check off box?

Even though the symbol "unchecks ... on it's own", it's still checked, it seems. May be a problem from the recent site changes that occurred.

 

I tried it on several of my PQs and just received them. All caches that had a NM log were excluded. However, that may not really be what I wanted. Just because a cache had a NM last year doesn't mean that it wasn't resolved and is now fine. It just means that it once had a NM logged. A good example is this cache:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...b3-be30d5c88434

 

it has a NM on it dated April 12, 2006 but it has been found successfully over 60 times since.

 

What I wanted was to exclude caches that have a problem now! A real problem, not just needing a new log or such. So, just because the last log is a NM, it really doesn't mean the cache is missing.

 

Bottomline: I'm going to uncheck that attribute and get them all.

 

The majority of the caches that have the needs maintenance log, nearest to me actually need maintenance. I have about 1600 caches to find withn the nearest 40 miles, so i'm not worried about missing a couple of caches in good shape, with the NM attribute.