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Make audit log available for all caches


Paradiddle

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One of the main benefits I see of premium membership is to be able to set up an audit log on your cache page. However this can only be enabled in cache pages that are restricted to premium members. I would like to see the audit log function made available to the cache setter on all cache pages (i.e. both unrestricted caches and premium member only caches), but for the function to remain accessible only to premium member subscribers.

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One of the main benefits I see of premium membership is to be able to set up an audit log on your cache page. However this can only be enabled in cache pages that are restricted to premium members. I would like to see the audit log function made available to the cache setter on all cache pages (i.e. both unrestricted caches and premium member only caches), but for the function to remain accessible only to premium member subscribers.

 

I'm not clear on why you would need this information. What would you do with it?

Edited by BlueDeuce
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One of the main benefits I see of premium membership is to be able to set up an audit log on your cache page. However this can only be enabled in cache pages that are restricted to premium members. I would like to see the audit log function made available to the cache setter on all cache pages (i.e. both unrestricted caches and premium member only caches), but for the function to remain accessible only to premium member subscribers.

No thanks. I don't want to be part of someone's witch hunt, when their cache goes missing, just because I may have looked at their cache page.

 

Besides, the whole "auditing" thing is a joke. There are multiple ways of viewing page info without triggering an audit entry. It's just security theater.

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One of the main benefits I see of premium membership is to be able to set up an audit log on your cache page. However this can only be enabled in cache pages that are restricted to premium members. I would like to see the audit log function made available to the cache setter on all cache pages (i.e. both unrestricted caches and premium member only caches), but for the function to remain accessible only to premium member subscribers.

No thanks. I don't want to be part of someone's witch hunt, when their cache goes missing, just because I may have looked at their cache page.

 

Besides, the whole "auditing" thing is a joke. There are multiple ways of viewing page info without triggering an audit entry. It's just security theater.

 

Count me in on what Prime Suspect said. Need I not mention yet again how some nosey person from across the country once emailed me through my profile asking why I looked at their MOC? None of their freaking bi-ness!!!!!! (I was just surfing geocaching.com google maps, and didn't even know it was an MOC).

 

Also, what Blue Deuce said. Why do you need this information? ;)

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There are 2 situations I have encountered when audit logs are useful…

 

1. If you set a high maintenance or complex cache (e.g. where stored equipment needs replenishing or stages need regular checking) it is useful to see when people are viewing your cache page, and how frequently they are doing so, as this can help give the cache setter an indication that someone is preparing to do the cache and they can make sure everything is in order. This situation is only likely to apply to a relatively small number of caches.

 

2. It can be interesting to the cache setter to see who is viewing their cache, especially when a new cache has been released, and particularly with puzzle/mystery caches. If you are part of a highly active local geocaching community it can be fun for the cache setter to be able to see who might be trying to solve their puzzle, and who is in the running for the first to find race. Remember that some geocachers get equal, or more, pleasure from producing well constructed caches and seeing them being solved as they do from the process of seeking caches. It’s a two-way sport involving setter & finder. In such circumstances if you wish to run an audit log you currently have to set the cache as a MOC thereby depriving non-members of the ability to do the cache. It is for this sort of situation I would like to be able to have an audit log but have the cache open to all.

 

In reply to some of the comments posted so far…

 

If a member only cache is ‘muggled’/goes missing, it’s going to be highly unlikely that a paid up member has done this, so looking at the audit log will not be of much value.

 

There may be ways of avoiding triggering an audit entry, but so what? If you wish to view caches in this manner to avoid ‘being seen’ that’s up to you.

 

I suspect it is very rare for people to email someone just because they have looked at their MOC and they live miles away. You were just unlucky.

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There are 2 situations I have encountered when audit logs are useful…

 

1. If you set a high maintenance or complex cache (e.g. where stored equipment needs replenishing or stages need regular checking) it is useful to see when people are viewing your cache page, and how frequently they are doing so, as this can help give the cache setter an indication that someone is preparing to do the cache and they can make sure everything is in order. This situation is only likely to apply to a relatively small number of caches.

 

2. It can be interesting to the cache setter to see who is viewing their cache, especially when a new cache has been released, and particularly with puzzle/mystery caches. If you are part of a highly active local geocaching community it can be fun for the cache setter to be able to see who might be trying to solve their puzzle, and who is in the running for the first to find race. Remember that some geocachers get equal, or more, pleasure from producing well constructed caches and seeing them being solved as they do from the process of seeking caches. It's a two-way sport involving setter & finder. In such circumstances if you wish to run an audit log you currently have to set the cache as a MOC thereby depriving non-members of the ability to do the cache. It is for this sort of situation I would like to be able to have an audit log but have the cache open to all.

I use an audit log for #2. It helps me gauge whether or not I might need to add a hint to my puzzle or not. I also don't think it's a big deal to let paying members have the first crack at my new puzzle caches.
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There are 2 situations I have encountered when audit logs are useful…

 

1. If you set a high maintenance or complex cache (e.g. where stored equipment needs replenishing or stages need regular checking) it is useful to see when people are viewing your cache page, and how frequently they are doing so, as this can help give the cache setter an indication that someone is preparing to do the cache and they can make sure everything is in order. This situation is only likely to apply to a relatively small number of caches.

 

2. It can be interesting to the cache setter to see who is viewing their cache, especially when a new cache has been released, and particularly with puzzle/mystery caches. If you are part of a highly active local geocaching community it can be fun for the cache setter to be able to see who might be trying to solve their puzzle, and who is in the running for the first to find race. Remember that some geocachers get equal, or more, pleasure from producing well constructed caches and seeing them being solved as they do from the process of seeking caches. It's a two-way sport involving setter & finder. In such circumstances if you wish to run an audit log you currently have to set the cache as a MOC thereby depriving non-members of the ability to do the cache. It is for this sort of situation I would like to be able to have an audit log but have the cache open to all.

I use an audit log for #2. It helps me gauge whether or not I might need to add a hint to my puzzle or not. I like letting paying members have the first crack at my new puzzle caches. I wouldn't need the audit log for my other caches. Edited by TrailGators
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Having an audit log will tell you nothing about my caching habits. My first view of a cache page on GC.com is usually when I'm logging it. Before then, it's in GSAK, or in Cachemate, or the iPhone GC app. And when I do view a cache, it doesn't mean I'm actually going to find it...Usually it just means I'm surfing the maps (as others have mentioned) because I'm bored or waiting for another program to finish doing something.

 

I do find it interesting, though, to see who's looking at my old MOC's that I archived years ago...

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If we are voting, I vote to get rid of the audit log completely for all caches and all users.

Why?? If it bothers you that much, just ignore it. Some of us like it.

lol, think about this for a second! Do you know how silly that sounds?

 

There is no way to 'just ignore' someone else tracking your activity!

 

That's like:

 

Citizen: I don't like how the government wiretaps my phone calls to England without a warrant!

 

Government: Why?? If it bothers you that much, just ignore it. Some of us like it.

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Why?? If it bothers you that much, just ignore it. Some of us like it.

 

Seem odd , I bet most here are viewing these logs with a windows operating system, but seem to ignore , everyday, the information given away by your purchase about your computing habits. (look up GUID or Globally Unique Identifier for a start).

 

I personally enjoy looking at my audit logs , just to see how how much attention is is out there for that cache and if it warrants maintaning.

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There are 2 situations I have encountered when audit logs are useful…

 

1. If you set a high maintenance or complex cache (e.g. where stored equipment needs replenishing or stages need regular checking) it is useful to see when people are viewing your cache page, and how frequently they are doing so, as this can help give the cache setter an indication that someone is preparing to do the cache and they can make sure everything is in order. This situation is only likely to apply to a relatively small number of caches.

 

2. It can be interesting to the cache setter to see who is viewing their cache, especially when a new cache has been released, and particularly with puzzle/mystery caches. If you are part of a highly active local geocaching community it can be fun for the cache setter to be able to see who might be trying to solve their puzzle, and who is in the running for the first to find race. Remember that some geocachers get equal, or more, pleasure from producing well constructed caches and seeing them being solved as they do from the process of seeking caches. It’s a two-way sport involving setter & finder. In such circumstances if you wish to run an audit log you currently have to set the cache as a MOC thereby depriving non-members of the ability to do the cache. It is for this sort of situation I would like to be able to have an audit log but have the cache open to all.

 

In reply to some of the comments posted so far…

 

If a member only cache is ‘muggled’/goes missing, it’s going to be highly unlikely that a paid up member has done this, so looking at the audit log will not be of much value.

 

There may be ways of avoiding triggering an audit entry, but so what? If you wish to view caches in this manner to avoid ‘being seen’ that’s up to you.

 

I suspect it is very rare for people to email someone just because they have looked at their MOC and they live miles away. You were just unlucky.

 

Thanks for answering the question. I hope you don't think any of the replies were snarky. Mine for example, was typed with a big grin on my face. :P This actually comes up fairly often, as I can remember Redneck Parrotheads saying how she <3 Audit logs. Gosh, I'd never want to take away her fun. ;)

 

I've heard the puzzle cache statements before, and I suppose I can see the point. Personally, I could care less, I have two puzzles that only get found a few times a year. If anyone is working on them, they can email me.

 

Sorry, I always enter these threads, and always tell the story about the nosey chick stalking me through my profile to see where I was from, and emailing me. I hope I'm not boring anyone by telling the story for about the 5th time. ;)

 

And finally, I don't have a link (but could probably find it with some research), but I remember the last word on audit logs from the CEO of Groundspeak (back when he used to interact in the forums) was that he was "thinking" of getting rid of them all together. This was probably 2-3 years ago, but I think there's very little chance of what you are looking for being implemented.

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If we are voting, I vote to get rid of the audit log completely for all caches and all users.

Why?? If it bothers you that much, just ignore it. Some of us like it.

lol, think about this for a second! Do you know how silly that sounds?

 

There is no way to 'just ignore' someone else tracking your activity!

 

That's like:

 

Citizen: I don't like how the government wiretaps my phone calls to England without a warrant!

 

Government: Why?? If it bothers you that much, just ignore it. Some of us like it.

 

Now that was REALLY funny Ben. ;) But in Tequila's defense, he's Canadian. So I doubt anyone in the Mulroney Government is wiretapping his calls to England. ;)

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Oh, goodie. Then I would receive more "why is a reviewer looking at my cache page?" e-mails. Community service message: just because a reviewer is "looking at your cache page," it does not mean it will be archived, or that anything is wrong with it.

 

I <3 "why are you doing this?" e-mails.

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If we are voting, I vote to get rid of the audit log completely for all caches and all users.

Why?? If it bothers you that much, just ignore it. Some of us like it.

lol, think about this for a second! Do you know how silly that sounds?

 

There is no way to 'just ignore' someone else tracking your activity!

 

That's like:

 

Citizen: I don't like how the government wiretaps my phone calls to England without a warrant!

 

Government: Why?? If it bothers you that much, just ignore it. Some of us like it.

 

Now that was REALLY funny Ben. :laughing: But in Tequila's defense, he's Canadian. So I doubt anyone in the Mulroney Government is wiretapping his calls to England. :)

 

LOL.

 

I also don't wear a hood and mask when I do a parking lot micros in fear that the multitudes of video cameras will pick up my image and I wind up on some sort of LPC Watch list.

 

For the record, Brian Mulroney has not been in power for 10 years.

Edited by Tequila
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If we are voting, I vote to get rid of the audit log completely for all caches and all users.

Why?? If it bothers you that much, just ignore it. Some of us like it.

lol, think about this for a second! Do you know how silly that sounds?

 

There is no way to 'just ignore' someone else tracking your activity!

 

That's like:

 

Citizen: I don't like how the government wiretaps my phone calls to England without a warrant!

 

Government: Why?? If it bothers you that much, just ignore it. Some of us like it.

 

Now that was REALLY funny Ben. :laughing: But in Tequila's defense, he's Canadian. So I doubt anyone in the Mulroney Government is wiretapping his calls to England. :)

 

LOL.

 

I also don't wear a hood and mask when I do a parking lot micros in fear that the multitudes of video cameras will pick up my image and I wind up on some sort of LPC Watch list.

 

For the record, Brian Mulroney has not been in power for 10 years.

 

You don't say? I thought he appointed himself "President for life" in like 1988 or so. My bad.

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Thanks for answering the question. I hope you don't think any of the replies were snarky. Mine for example, was typed with a big grin on my face. :laughing: This actually comes up fairly often, as I can remember Redneck Parrotheads saying how she <3 Audit logs. Gosh, I'd never want to take away her fun. :laughing:

 

Little does TWU know that I'm really out to get him.

 

Shhhhhhh!

 

:):laughing:

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If we are voting, I vote to get rid of the audit log completely for all caches and all users.

Why?? If it bothers you that much, just ignore it. Some of us like it.

lol, think about this for a second! Do you know how silly that sounds?

 

There is no way to 'just ignore' someone else tracking your activity!

 

That's like:

 

Citizen: I don't like how the government wiretaps my phone calls to England without a warrant!

 

Government: Why?? If it bothers you that much, just ignore it. Some of us like it.

 

Now that was REALLY funny Ben. :laughing: But in Tequila's defense, he's Canadian. So I doubt anyone in the Mulroney Government is wiretapping his calls to England. :)

 

LOL.

 

I also don't wear a hood and mask when I do a parking lot micros in fear that the multitudes of video cameras will pick up my image and I wind up on some sort of LPC Watch list.

 

For the record, Brian Mulroney has not been in power for 10 years.

 

You don't say? I thought he appointed himself "President for life" in like 1988 or so. My bad.

 

He tried.

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Oh, goodie. Then I would receive more "why is a reviewer looking at my cache page?" e-mails. Community service message: just because a reviewer is "looking at your cache page," it does not mean it will be archived, or that anything is wrong with it.

 

I <3 "why are you doing this?" e-mails.

 

I like this idea of being on caches we want them to be on. It's funny thay keystone says that since I see that he views a few of my caches a lot. But I don't mind or complain :)

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If we are voting, I vote to get rid of the audit log completely for all caches and all users.

 

Why?? If it bothers you that much, just ignore it. Some of us like it.

 

It's a privacy thing. However if we are voting I'd vote to see who all looked at my cache regardless of what trick they used to do it. After all my cache is there for everyone to see and by default open to whatever witch hunt may be involved as well.

 

I like the OP's suggestion. Have the audit log available on all caches a PM has regardless of if the cache is PMO or not.

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Recently, I changed most of my caches from PMO to non-PMO. Of course, the link to the audit log disappeared. As a test, I just edited one of these non-PMO caches and made it a PMO cache again. The Audit Log information was still there.

 

I then chose one of my caches that has always been a non-PMO and made it PMO. There was no log information other than my own visit today.

 

So, audit information is not even collected on non-PMO caches. Only during PMO periods is it collected.

 

Thus, it's not just a matter of allowing access to the audit logs of all owned caches. It also impacts the data collection and storage requirements for all that information.

Edited by Cache O'Plenty
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Well, I'm thinking that the current basic audit log causes more angst than it resolves.

 

Now if was something tied into something like myspace or facebook I could understand people opting in to be part of a community that says 'Hey I'm interested in your cache. Let's share, even if it's nothing of any consequence." But I think that should in an opt-in feature

 

I don't know how much gc.com is wanting to re-invent parts of the wheel already provided on the internet.

 

If it's just - who looked at my cache - I still don't see a benefit. You put the cache listing out there, people are going to look at it. Why do you need to know? Are you looking for new friends, hmm?

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Well, I'm thinking that the current basic audit log causes more angst than it resolves.

 

 

Judging by the replies in this thread, it only seems to cause angst to people in the USA and Canada :)

 

One of the reasons for raising this issue was because I know that some people don't like the idea of caches not being accessible to all and therefore they dislike the whole MOC principle. I have indicated why there are some situations when the audit log provided in a MOC cache can be helpful or desirable (there are also other reasons for making a cache a MOC, but that's a separate debate), so in such circumstances anyone that doesn't support the capacity for auditing to be available on non MOCs should not complain about those MOCs being restrictive.

Edited by Paradiddle
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Judging by the replies in this thread, it only seems to cause angst to people in the USA and Canada :)

 

You know, I'm interested in having a discussion even if I currently disagree. If you are going to tell me that my nationality is the issue... (edited to remove personal attack)

 

I'm looking for a reason why you need to know I looked at your cache. You answered, I'm responding.

Edited by BlueDeuce
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Judging by the replies in this thread, it only seems to cause angst to people in the USA and Canada :)

 

You know, I'm interested in having a discussion even if I currently disagree. If you are going to tell me that my nationality is the issue... (edited for personal attack)

 

I'm looking for a reason why you need to know I looked at your cache. You answered, I'm responding.

I was going to say that every idea posted has people that do and do not like it. I haven't seen where people in one country feel that much differently than people in any other country. Geocaching is pretty much universal. So is people wanting to come up with ways to improve it.
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Judging by the replies in this thread, it only seems to cause angst to people in the USA and Canada :)

 

You know, I'm interested in having a discussion even if I currently disagree. If you are going to tell me that my nationality is the issue... (edited for personal attack)

 

I'm looking for a reason why you need to know I looked at your cache. You answered, I'm responding.

I was going to say that every idea posted has people that do and do not like it. I haven't seen where people in one country feel that much differently than people in any other country. Geocaching is pretty much universal. So is people wanting to come up with ways to improve it.

 

That's fine. I'm willing to talk. Don't tell me that the problem is that I'm an American.

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add my vote to the "ditch all audit logs" column.

 

also add my vote to the "ban forever use of cute emoticons" column.

 

the only time i ever view a PMO cache is if i somehow failed to notice it was PMO and hunted it inadvertently.

 

as a rule i do not look at them or hunt them. in the privacy of my own home i also make fun of people who hide them.

 

if i EVER use that cute little sideways heart emoticon i want someone to come and shoot me execution-style. the originator of it ought to be drawn and quartered, and whatever remains of the offender ought to be dragged through the streets of as many cities as is practicable.

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Woah, guys! It was a tongue-in-cheek comment that I hoped would get some people from other locations to chime in with their thoughts on this matter. Let's bury that one and move on.

 

In essence, so far, some people would like to have auditing available on some caches without having to make them premium member only, and these people have various (non-malicious) reasons why they would find this of help or interest.

 

Others don't like auditing as, for one reason or another, they don't want their viewing of cache pages to be trackable by the cache owner. This group would rather auditing was not available at all, or that any tracking feature was optional and/or clearly indicated.

 

So how to move on and come to a compromise between the two ends of the spectrum?

 

Some suggestions could be....

 

1. Have a built in option for visit counters e.g. number of hits over variable periods of time. This would allow the owner to see how often the cache page was being accessed and might help in deciding if the cache should be archived or altered.

 

2. Have auditing available, but allow each individual to have a setting that will determine the information that is left on the audit trail e.g. Cacher name (as present) or anonymous. An anonymous system could assign you a guest number which would allow the cache setter to see how may times particular guests have accessed the cache without revealing their identity.

 

Any other suggestions?

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I'm guessing that the audit log represents server load, and isn't going to be expanded.

 

I'll mention another reason to make caches MO, which is that members can build bookmarked lists, so for compilation caches it's easier for the cache owner to require a bookmarked list.

 

I also am fond of looking at the audit log on caches. I don't think I'll torture flask with emoticons over it though.

 

I had a Jeep TB after GW3 when they were handed out at the event. I put it in a new MO cache, and the audit log was a hoot. Evidently people all over the country had watchlisted boatloads of those jeeps hoping to find one.

 

I've also had a cacher log a find on a MO cache of mine and never appear on the audit. Easy enough to get the cache via PQ, then use a GSAK macro to end up on the cache log page without ever touching the cache page itself (there may be other ways, but that's one I know about). Just an observation.

 

I too have gotten the "why are you looking at my cache" emails. A truly odd question.

Once I responded, because I figured that the cache had been linked from these forums, and the cache owner was really wondering what the heck was up with all the hits from all over.

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I'm guessing that the audit log represents server load, and isn't going to be expanded.

Server load, oh dear, oh brother.

 

I think there is a server just dedicated to the audit list (thats why it's not updated for logs of a non premium member owner of his PMO cache),

 

as there is a server dedicated to the datebase itself,

 

and one dedicated to the forums,

 

and one dedicated to wap (yes it's a different server, that's why an email doesn't get generated to a cache or bug owner for any log),

 

and one dedicated to PQ's,

 

and one dedicated to weekly emails,

 

and one dedicated to profile emailing,

 

and one dedicated to logging caches and bugs,

 

and one dedicated to searches,

 

and one dedicated to profile history (that's why sometimes it's half an hour after logging something, or creating something before it shows up)...

 

I'd love to see a block diagram of the hampster cage, like the NASA one I once saw.

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I'm guessing that the audit log represents server load, and isn't going to be expanded.

Server load, oh dear, oh brother.

 

I think there is a server just dedicated to the audit list (thats why it's not updated for logs of a non premium member owner of his PMO cache),

 

as there is a server dedicated to the datebase itself,

 

and one dedicated to the forums,

 

and one dedicated to wap (yes it's a different server, that's why an email doesn't get generated to a cache or bug owner for any log),

 

and one dedicated to PQ's,

 

and one dedicated to weekly emails,

 

and one dedicated to profile emailing,

 

and one dedicated to logging caches and bugs,

 

and one dedicated to searches,

 

and one dedicated to profile history (that's why sometimes it's half an hour after logging something, or creating something before it shows up)...

 

I'd love to see a block diagram of the hampster cage, like the NASA one I once saw.

 

Support the site by becoming a premium member and maybe they will show you the block diagram.

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1. Have a built in option for visit counters e.g. number of hits over variable periods of time. This would allow the owner to see how often the cache page was being accessed and might help in deciding if the cache should be archived or altered.

 

Any other suggestions?

I like this idea. Maybe they could show a little icon that turns shades red or blue depending on how many times it is getting visited (like the forum topics). Of course, they shouldn't count the owners own visits to his or her cache page.
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Blue would work for me. :P

Don't you mean to say that two blues would work for you? :ph34r:

 

Support the site by becoming a premium member and maybe they will show you the block diagram.

Who says I don't support the site?

I may have several geocaching accounts, any number of which might be a Premium Members one.

Everyone knows me as TrainLove and I'm not going to change that. The only account I ever pust with in the forums is this, since that's what the rules say.

Edited by trainlove
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Oh, goodie. Then I would receive more "why is a reviewer looking at my cache page?" e-mails. Community service message: just because a reviewer is "looking at your cache page," it does not mean it will be archived, or that anything is wrong with it.

 

I <3 "why are you doing this?" e-mails.

 

When reviewers are looking at caches, they might just be doing a routine sweep to make sure everything's sunshine and rainbows in geocachingland. If I see a reviewer username on an audit log I think (1) they're looking at my hides for whatever reason because I said something on the forum and they got curious about me; (2) they're doing routine stuff and are active and involved reviewers; or (3) they're really bored.

 

If a reviewer is going to archive something of mine, I'm pretty sure they'll want to talk to me about it first.

 

I <3 reviewers who do check-ups.

 

And I <3 using the <3. It shaves 15 years off me.

<<<333

Edited by Redneck Parrotheads
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Blue would work for me. :P
This topic is feeling blue. I guess there's not enough heat to turn it red... :ph34r:

 

Oh, there's plenty of red.

 

I don't have my mind set for or against the audit log, so I'm happy to discuss the pros and cons of expanding it or not.

 

I don't quite see the benefits although the OP talks about how it can support finders. I'd like to hear more. As long as someone doesn't simply try to paint my position without talking to me, they might be surprised with my response.

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