Twitter integration

[Skippermark]

There was a post in a local forum the other day where cachers were looking to exchange Twitter info with other cachers so they could keep track of each other.

 

After seeing that note and everyone swapping IDs, I decided to turn on the GC.com/Twitter integration and then headed out on vacation. Big mistake.

 

I have Twitter integrated with Facebook, so every time I marked a field note on GC.com, it got sent to Twitter and then onto Facebook. We did a good amount of caching this weekend, so there were quite a few updates, and I got a lot of comments and emails about it.

 

One person even threatened to report me to Groundspeak -- Ummm, for what? Caching too much? .

 

I was in a somewhat rural area and didn't have great internet on my phone and couldn't connect to GC.com to get it turned off until yesterday.

 

But, when I disabled it, I got messages from people saying they liked it and told me to turn it back on. They enjoyed seeing the adventures we were having.

 

I liked it because sometimes I wasn't sure if I had marked a cache found, and I could just check it with the Facebook to see if it had posted a note. That was much faster than trying to refresh the GC.com field notes page since my internet was so slow.

 

So, I'm just curious who uses and if so, do they like it...and if so, what do they do about people that don't like to see it? I know people can block things like that on FB, but I don't think a lot of people know how to do it.

[knowschad]

Only Twits Twitter, and I amd not a Twit.

[+dakboy]

I heard 200 people used it.

[+obsidianspider]

I was skeptical about enabling the feature as I usually like to put more than TFTC in my logs. With tweeting your finds, what does it put in the log of the cache?

 

FWIW, I'm @obsidianspider

[Skippermark]

obsidianspider, it doesn't do anything to the cache itself. A field note is simply a "memo" that's posted on it's own page, listing all the caches you found, DNFd and so on. From there you have to go to the cache itself and post a log. You can see field notes by going to "Access my field notes" which is available on the page you get to when you click on your username in the upper right of the page.

 

From the field notes page, you can look at the cache itself, automatically go to the "log" screen with the proper date entered of when you found it, plus it includes any notes you made while creating your field note such as "wet log" or something like that.

 

To post a "live" field note, you need to use an iPhone, a BlackBerry with GC Navigator installed, or use the SMS feature at http://coord.info. Colorados and Oregons can import field notes once you get home, but they're not posted live to GC.com while out caching.

 

When using the GC.com/Twitter integration, when you submit a live field note to GC.com, it will send that notice to Twitter, so anyone following you on Twitter will see that you just found a cache. This feature is totally optional and does not need to be enabled. If it's disabled, no one will know anything about the caches you're finding, but you'll still have full access to your field notes.

 

It comes through as something like USERNAME found the geocache Crocodile Rock! http://coord.info/GC1AKV7

 

Then, people can just click the link and go to the cache page, but they won't see your log or anything until you actually log it in. It sounds kind of confusing, but it's really not. It's a great thing. I would never go back to logging caches without them.

 

I've included a picture of the field notes page below so you can get an idea of what it's like.

 

Edited May 26, 2009 by Skippermark

[+clubjuggle]

I use it and like it. I've gotten questions from friends about Geocaching, but no one has complained yet. Of course, the most caches I've found in a day is 12, so if I was doing runs of 40 or 50 caches in a day, I might turn the feature off before starting.

[+Maingray]

Not a fan of people I'm following on twitter doing cache runs with this on, often just too many posts. I tend to use for significant caches, or for "going to" the first cache, just to let people vaguely know where i'm going if they wanted to join.

 

If you are going to use textmarks to log every cache you find into field notes, I think it's polite to set up an alternative "cache" twitter account.

[+JeremyR]

I heard 200 people used it.

 

I've never seen the appeal of Twitter myself. I can't think of many people who would want to know that I'm right now at GCxxxxx. If I was intending to meet up with someone at that point, I'd use that other thing my phone is good for - I'd call them

[ao318]

I use the twitter feature for making field notes and for getting hints. I do not have my account open for others to see and I do not follow any one else. It's nice to use if I have my GPS and don;t have my PDA with me. It will give me the coordiantes, size, and DT of the cache. I then will get a hint if needed.

 

It serves a purpose.

[+CraigsOutside]

I've tried it out for week or so and will be turning it off now. It's not truly a twitter option. It's voluntarily signing up to receive advertising from TextMark's service. Before I get flamed, I know I don't have to click on the advertising, but it is still sending me an extra text; this is a cost to most people, even if it is free, the cost is receiving and acknowledging the text and then having to delete a useless text message. It does not really save a step in the posting of finds or dnfs or whatever. If it actually posted a log to a cache while posting to a twitter or FB account as well, that would be of more use. As it is, I'm no longer going to "pay" for this option by asking to double my text usage and receive advertising.

 

edited to add: Since my PN-40 saves a field note after each find, I'll try out downloading/editing those at the end of the day since I have to log on to gc.com to actually post field notes anyway. This way I'm not limited by twitter and don't waste my caching time trying to write a short post before moving along to the next.

 

Just my opinion, yours may differ.

Edited May 31, 2009 by CraigsOutside

[+DanOCan]

I use it when I have cell coverage. Same thing as the OP: Field Note -> Twitter -> Facebook.

 

Never had anyone complain about to many posts, and if they did I would suggest they unfollow me. I have had some people comment on the specific cache I had just found. Of course I tend to be a user of most things social media related.

[+webscouter.]

I use it to log "landmark" or special caches.

 

For instance I used it to log Geowoodstock VII but none of the caches that I found enroute or after.

 

It let other twitter users know that I was there.

[+yawppy]

I just utilized the GS twitter option, works fine for me, and for all those spooked about the boogey man tracking you down, well, post your notes after you have left the GZ, problem solved.

[GOF and Bacall]

I heard 200 people used it.

 

Now THAT was funny.

[+dakboy]

I use it occasionally. A lot of times I just plain forget. I don't use it to post field notes from my phone though, just "going to/leaving" cache notes; when I upload my field notes from my GPS, those get posted automatically to Twitter at that time. If I posted @GC# while in the field, I'd have double field notes.

[+Genoist]

I use it occasionally. A lot of times I just plain forget. I don't use it to post field notes from my phone though, just "going to/leaving" cache notes; when I upload my field notes from my GPS, those get posted automatically to Twitter at that time. If I posted @GC# while in the field, I'd have double field notes.

 

How do you automatically post your finds to twitter from your field notes?

[+dakboy]

I use it occasionally. A lot of times I just plain forget. I don't use it to post field notes from my phone though, just "going to/leaving" cache notes; when I upload my field notes from my GPS, those get posted automatically to Twitter at that time. If I posted @GC# while in the field, I'd have double field notes.

 

How do you automatically post your finds to twitter from your field notes?

http://www.geocaching.com/my/sharing.aspx

[golfgunny]

I use my phone to make phone calls (and occasionally receive them).

 

When I get tweets, or whatever the heck they're being called this week, on my FB, I mostly ignore them. It's amazing how much useless noise you can tune out after a while! One more fanatic with a, "I just took a dump in the BK bathroom," post isn't something that I really care about.

[+Knight2000]

Only Twits Twitter, and I amd not a Twit.

That is what i was thinking.

[+GIDEON-X]

Only Twits Twitter, and I amd not a Twit.

That is what i was thinking.

"Play Nice" @ 73 I Guess I'm a "TWIT"