Jump to content

Release Notes 4/21/09


OpinioNate

Recommended Posts

Really dissapointed with the discontinuation of the Google Earth KML overlay - I used it to identify caches when I go on holiday - Will be in the New Forest area and used it to find caches around where we will be staying - how do I use the built in maps to do that when you don't know of any caches in the area in the first place? Then will be in Washington DC and have the same problem??

 

I agree--often found KML useful for preliminary scanning and planning.

 

I can use pocket queries to hone in on an unfamiliar area. In the US this is fine, but when I use this technique for Europe for some reason there is no google maps option. So I have to kludge it by starting with maps in the US then scrolling halfway across the globe to get to an area of interest, then refining the location, then zooming in by trial and error. Is there some reason that you don't have a google maps link for European cache listing pages?

Link to comment

If you an pocket query to get honed in on an area, can you PQ and plop the GPX into Google Earth?

 

Sure, but I don't get the full functionality of the normal geocaching.com "search for caches with google maps" functionality (e.g. the list of caches in the sidebar, map resizing, and the ability to display cache numbers on the map). From the main page, if you do a search for something in, say, France, the results page does *not* have the search with google maps link in the header; if you do a search for something in, say, New York, the results page does. But I can start with the map in the US, zoom out, drag the map over to France, zoom in to a locale, and have the normal mapping functionality. It just seems to be an oversight that the link is not there for search results outside the US. So, my question is, can that link be added just to make it a little easier for us who are planning trips abroad and want to do some leisurely browsing? Seems like such a simple thing.

Link to comment

It just seems to be an oversight that the link is not there for search results outside the US. So, my question is, can that link be added just to make it a little easier for us who are planning trips abroad and want to do some leisurely browsing? Seems like such a simple thing.

THAT does seem like an oversight.
Link to comment
9432: Trackable Mileage no longer calculated automatically

HOTFIX: Fixed bug preventing trackables from automatically updating mileage

 

I just dipped my geocoin twice in the past 20 minutes and neither time did the mileage update automatically. I still had to manually update the mileage.

 

Bruce

The updating may not be instantaneous. How long did you wait before checking the mileage?

 

I tried updating mileage on a couple of my coins around midday today and the mileage has not been updated more than 6 hours later.

 

I have quite a few coins that are patiently waiting for their mileage. Do we have to manually recalculate mileage on every single one or will the mileage gradually get updated as the missing mileage is backfilled after this fix?

Link to comment

I do think it's a mistake to remove the google earth KLM facility. I used to use it a lot to give me an overview of the area I wanted to visit. It would give me an idea of where the caches where in relation to each other. Having read the forum regarding this, there's lots of suggestions regarding replacing this facility & using other applications. Thats great if you understand what you're doing, but when you are as technically illiterate as I am, its no help!! :D

 

I dont even know how I managed to get the KLM facility onto my Google Earth maps so asking me to try & get something new to work is asking a lot ;)

 

I have to say the figure of 200 users surprises me, I certainly know of aprox 20 cachers in the uk who use it & thats just in my small geocaching social circle.

 

I suspect that if this was properly researched, the number of users would turn out to be substantially higher.

Link to comment

Wow, the Google Earth kml was an essential tool for my geocache planning, especially with travel. The maps do not provide anywhere near the same flexibility and functionality. VERY disappointed to see it being discontinued. This is a great loss.

 

The 500 cache limit on queries severly restricts the usefulness of uploading gpx files to Google Earth. How about allowing queries of all caches in a state/province/country. It would be a huge file, but then we could load those to GE and have nearly the same functionality as before. Plus, the query would only need to be run once a week at most. It would still be a huge savings in processing compared to running a new query each time the window was refreshed. But to claim that the newer Google maps are a reasonable replacement does not hold up for me.

Link to comment

I seriously can't believe that only 200 people used the KML in Google Earth. I know of at least that many in So. California alone.

And as for Twitter, I think it's probably a good idea for some people but it's blocked by my company security firewall making it useless for me personally.

Link to comment

9353: Remove Google Network KML Link from My Account Details

Discontinued support for Google Earth KML to improve site performance*

 

I am very disapointed that you removed Google Earth KML!!!!

This is a feature that is Not duplicated elsewhere. The regular google maps do not have the same features.

I am sure there is another answer to the problems you were having with speed that would not include removing this feature.

 

The fact is it is a complicated application that takes a while to learn. Not many people had gotten the hang of it yet. It was not available for long enough for people to really realize the full depths of it's benefits. I was just figuring it out myself and wanted to use it more.

 

I hope in time you see the error of your ways. This was a great feature many cachers had not discovered yet. It is one that was slow to catch on, and did not get the chance it deserved.

 

With all the money going into Groundspeak through memberships, don't tell me you don't have enough to solve the slow problem in another way without losing an important feature at Groundspeak.

Please respond

Link to comment

I was a big user of the Google Earth kml file. I'm on vacation this week with a new laptop and needed to use Google Earth to plan out some caching in the area but I've been stumped for an hour trying to find it. Decided to look on the forums and found this as well as several other posts about it missing. Yes I can use google maps but its much tougher than Google Earth. Please bring it back.

Link to comment

I'm disappointingly disappointed by all of the disappointment. But since Nate is apparently just lying to everyone (Why...that number HAS to be larger!!), why even register your complaint?

 

Won't Nate just lie to you again? B):)

Link to comment
Really dissapointed with the discontinuation of the Google Earth KML overlay - I used it to identify caches when I go on holiday - Will be in the New Forest area and used it to find caches around where we will be staying - how do I use the built in maps to do that when you don't know of any caches in the area in the first place? Then will be in Washington DC and have the same problem??

 

Yes, that is what I find disappointing about the removal. It was a valuable tool for that purpose.

 

Would this work Nate:

Mirror the DB with the caches and stick it on another box and use this to make the calls to for the KML.

 

... and Get this forum on its own Box.

 

I was one of 200. I will not reup my premium membership for at least 2 years or until they get back in line. I can live without pocket queries and premium member caches.

Link to comment
9709: Google Maps link on 'other conversions' page doesn't load properly\

Fixed Google Maps URL on "Other Conversions" and "Additional Waypoints" pages

 

Glad this was finally fixed after being told over and over again by GC support that it was working fine on their end and must have somehow been my fault.

Link to comment
I'm gonna miss the Google Earth KML. I guess I was one of the 200. I used that constantly. I'm gonna need to learn some new trick.

 

Me too. The new trick is for Groundspeak to get better dedicated servers to run this place on.

 

It has never been a hardware issue. Unfortunately there are problems that can't be solved by throwing money at them.

 

That's a good one OP. Perhaps you can share that concept with the President, the Federal Reserve, and the Big Three. :laughing::D:D

Link to comment

One suggestion for the maps page. Is there any way you can make the scrollwheel zoom in/out when the mouse is over the map? It makes it a lot easier to move and and zoom in/out on the map. It works on maps.google.com.

I like this suggestion, but I'm pretty sure it's a technical limitation. I'll check on that to make sure.

You may have found this already: enableScrollWheelZoom()

Link to comment

I too will miss the Google Earth KML. I used that every time I planned a caching trip. I would use it to scout an area then build my PQ's. I would bet that the degraded performance due to the Google Maps interface and the increased PQ usage (due to remove the GE KML) would probably be worse than still having the GE KML.

Link to comment

Frankly, it sucks. I went out and purchased an Acer Aspire and a $50 usb / serial cable to hook up the Garmin while using the Blackberry JUST so that I could geocache on the fly. Frankly, a pocket query isn't flexible enough. I miss it already.

Link to comment
Really dissapointed with the discontinuation of the Google Earth KML overlay - I used it to identify caches when I go on holiday - Will be in the New Forest area and used it to find caches around where we will be staying - how do I use the built in maps to do that when you don't know of any caches in the area in the first place? Then will be in Washington DC and have the same problem??

 

Yes, that is what I find disappointing about the removal. It was a valuable tool for that purpose.

 

Would this work Nate:

Mirror the DB with the caches and stick it on another box and use this to make the calls to for the KML.

 

... and Get this forum on its own Box.

 

I was one of 200. I will not reup my premium membership for at least 2 years or until they get back in line. I can live without pocket queries and premium member caches.

 

Amen my brother. Excellent idea. Pocket queries blow.

Link to comment

I've just updated Google Earth to version 5 and am sorely disappointed that we will no longer have the KML geocaching network. I used GE all the time when traveling. It's really inconvenient to do a PQ for an area and upload to GE 5 just to check out geocaches all over the world. And, annoyingly, the geocaches are displayed as flags and no longer treasure boxes.

 

Any chance that this option may be reconsidered?

Link to comment

I will miss the Google Earth KML file as well. I am also 1 of the 200 geocacher that uses this feature, almost every day. It was fast, easy and alsome. I didn't care if it was acurate, I just needed to see the caches and the where abouts and how too get there. But now its gone. :ph34r: I am now checking out Geocaching Maps and it doesn't look so bad. Every program is different in a way, each has pros and cons. Over time, things changes, sometimes for the better. Other then that, happy geocaching everybody.

Link to comment

Trying to figure out why GE would not load caches and discovered this change. Used this feature everytime I went caching. Now on to discover how I can find a work around, Though the google maps have been a hassle I suspect that will only be an option from here on out.

Link to comment

I will miss the Google Earth KML file as well. I am also 1 of the 200 geocacher that uses this feature, almost every day. It was fast, easy and alsome. I didn't care if it was acurate, I just needed to see the caches and the where abouts and how too get there. But now its gone. :ph34r: I am now checking out Geocaching Maps and it doesn't look so bad. Every program is different in a way, each has pros and cons. Over time, things changes, sometimes for the better. Other then that, happy geocaching everybody.

It was never claimed that only 200 people used it.

Link to comment

I will miss the Google Earth KML file as well. I am also 1 of the 200 geocacher that uses this feature, almost every day. It was fast, easy and alsome. I didn't care if it was acurate, I just needed to see the caches and the where abouts and how too get there. But now its gone. :ph34r: I am now checking out Geocaching Maps and it doesn't look so bad. Every program is different in a way, each has pros and cons. Over time, things changes, sometimes for the better. Other then that, happy geocaching everybody.

It was never claimed that only 200 people used it.

Hmm.. quoting the first post of this thread!

The other reason is that only about 200 users regularly accessed the Google Earth KML, and the performance hit to the site was grossly out of proportion with the return. In other words, it was making the site run quite slowly.
Link to comment

So many people that 'used it all the time' only now discovering this? 'All the time' must not be very often. :ph34r:

 

Thank you for your input. But I just purchased a subscription renewal specifically to use this feature and now it's not available. Honestly, the GE interface was head and shoulders above the web based Google map option.

Edited by Railfan07 and Tag Along
Link to comment

I can live with Google Maps. All I would be missing is the GE tools. But hey, there's a scale at the bottom of the map, so I guess I can still have an idea of the distances on the map.

 

No big deal to lose GE KML support. I understand Groundspeak would prefer us to use Google Maps which requires us to see some of the ads (and therefore add some hits to the pages showing them). GE was just like running unlimited PQs, but without any monetary input of any sort (except a tiny part of the Premium Membership).

Link to comment

I will miss the Google Earth KML file as well. I am also 1 of the 200 geocacher that uses this feature, almost every day. It was fast, easy and alsome. I didn't care if it was acurate, I just needed to see the caches and the where abouts and how too get there. But now its gone. :anicute: I am now checking out Geocaching Maps and it doesn't look so bad. Every program is different in a way, each has pros and cons. Over time, things changes, sometimes for the better. Other then that, happy geocaching everybody.

It was never claimed that only 200 people used it.

Hmm.. quoting the first post of this thread!

The other reason is that only about 200 users regularly accessed the Google Earth KML, and the performance hit to the site was grossly out of proportion with the return. In other words, it was making the site run quite slowly.

News flash! Regular Users != Total Users

 

Like I said, it was never claimed that only 200 people used it. Thanks for the quote proving my point. ;)

Edited by Prime Suspect
Link to comment
The other reason is that only about 200 users regularly accessed the Google Earth KML, and the performance hit to the site was grossly out of proportion with the return. In other words, it was making the site run quite slowly.

News flash! Regular Users != Total Users

 

Like I said, it was never claimed that only 200 people used it. Thanks for the quote proving my point. :anicute:

Of course until Raine's post the other day, we had no idea what constituted regular access. From Raine's post we know that it is defined as anyone who panned in Google maps more than 500 times in a day. Nate probably should have said originally that there were only about 200 users who used the system excessively but that was enough to create performance hit to the site that was out of line with the total number of users who used the GE feature. The imprecise wording of Groundspeak's explanation has caused many people to distrust everything else they say about the GE KML feature. Did it really impact the site? Was the impact caused the 200 who regularly (over)used the feature or was this impact caused because even those who occasionally used it put too much of load on the site? How much more costly was it to produce the KML to refresh in Google Earth than it is to refresh the display in Google Maps? If there is a significant difference, was there an investigation as to why this is? Perhaps for some reason, Groundspeak doesn't want to reveal some of this information. If they expect to win back the confidence of those that feel they have been given the straight scoop on why the GE feature was remove, they would be better off, IMO, to come clean and answer these questions.

Link to comment

How much more costly was it to produce the KML to refresh in Google Earth than it is to refresh the display in Google Maps? If there is a significant difference, was there an investigation as to why this is?

 

Thank you for asking this question; I would love to hear a technical explanation of the difference. That was my first question upon discovering this thread today. I noticed a while ago that GE KML was broken, but I cache infrequently, and hey, sometimes things break. But a cache overlay on GE will really force me to change things up, especially when planning vacation sidetrips. PQ's are more trouble than they're worth for people with certain types of caching styles (very targeted or infrequent caching). What I liked about GE was being able to do a Waymarking overlay and a benchmarking overlay along with caches... all in one neat application, with terrain info, and the other photos that show up in GE.

Link to comment

With the KML files, Google Earth could display nice icons QUICKLY on a satellite map. Google maps can not do this. Also, with Google Earth, the update was very regular, could it just be brought down to refresh already viewed areas once a day?

 

View new area - gets caches

Zoom in - Gets caches again.

 

Wouldn't it make more sense to do this?

 

View new area - get caches

Zoom in - use cached caches? :anicute:

View area next day - have caches changed - reload if yes.

 

Much more sense...

 

Also, wouldn't encoding for .kml be the same difficulty as encoding for Google Maps

 

Finally,

 

Google Earth.

 

GE sends window to server

Server sends back cache types and locations

GE displays

 

Google Maps

 

Browser sends area to GM server

GM server sends window to GC server

GC server responds

GM server translates into HTML

Browser displays.

 

The GC.com server does the same work!!!

Google maps is faster.

Google Maps caches satellite data!

Google Maps can print easily

Google maps is much better, nicer and cleaner.

 

I wouldn't mind having a standalone .exe for geocaching.

Link to comment
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...