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Watchers list should be visible to cache owner


Chananda

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I believe it's a good idea also.

 

Really not much different than being able to see who's looking at your PMO caches.

 

Did a "5" cache a while ago, that had seven people "watching". Why ?

No one logged it in over a year, yet we saw "signs" of folks looking. "Watching" for a handout/hint ?

 

Just seems creepy.

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When I remember well, you'll have the watcher's list available, if you make your cache premium/charter member only...

 

Actually, the Watch List feature is identical on EVERY cache listed on GC.com

 

The enhanced feature available only on Premium/Subscriber caches is the Audit Log. The cache owners asking for an enhanced Watch List are actually requesting a surveillance feature for their cache page. While I do find the Audit Log provides interesting reading, it is not an effective security feature.

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Considering Bookmark Lists and Pocket Queries, neither the Watchlist nor Audit Logs are effective at showing everyone that looks at a cache.

 

The Watchlist might show that there are 5 people watching the cache, but you'll never know that 23 others have it on a hidden Bookmark List.

 

The Audit Log might show that 18 people looked at you cache yesterday, but it doesn't account for the 57 other people that downloaded it in a Pocket Query and viewed it in Watcher or GSAK.

 

I maintain that the Watchlist numbers should just be taken off the cache page, because all it does is spur paranoia.

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Considering Bookmark Lists and Pocket Queries, neither the Watchlist nor Audit Logs are effective at showing everyone that looks at a cache.

 

The Watchlist might show that there are 5 people watching the cache, but you'll never know that 23 others have it on a hidden Bookmark List.

 

The Audit Log might show that 18 people looked at you cache yesterday, but it doesn't account for the 57 other people that downloaded it in a Pocket Query and viewed it in Watcher or GSAK.

 

I maintain that the Watchlist numbers should just be taken off the cache page, because all it does is spur paranoia.

 

This is an excellent point. I have a few "hidden" bookmark lists that no one else would ever know about unless I gave them the URL. The technical terminology for this is they are shared, but not public. I could receive all logs for all caches on these bookmark lists, and voila! I'm a phantom cache watcher. :D

 

Yeah, I'll go with most of the posters here. None of your friggin' beeswax if I'm watching your cache. :) Besides, as noted, TPTB have said it's not going to happen.

 

I will point out thought that 2 of the 3 other major (if you could call them that) U.S. based Geocaching websites, Navicache and GPSGames.org, both show everyone (not just the CO) who is watching the cache.

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Even if you knew who was watching your cache, you would not know why they were watching your cache. You might then spend time speculating about why they were watching your cache. What conclusions would you draw based on your speculations? What would you do with this information, knowing that there was an extremely high probability that whatever conclusions you drew would be incorrect?

 

This is the same flaw as exists with the PMOC audit log. Unless cache owners are willing to come up with three positive reasons why someone might have viewed or be watching their cache before coming up with a negative reason, the information is more harmful than not having it at all. IMHO.

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I maintain that the Watchlist numbers should just be taken off the cache page, because all it does is spur paranoia.

 

I definitely agree with this. What is the point in showing how many watchers there are if *nobody* gets to see who is on the list? The watchers count should just be removed.

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It used to be a bragging point to have a cache with an exceptional number of watchers.

 

Oh so blue has 129 watchers, and as I remember it was well over 250 before the FTF was finally claimed this March.

 

I have long archived caches with several watchers...what do they think is going to happen? :)

 

I wish it was only a joke. You might be surprised at the lame logging activity that can be directed at an archived cache. Curious minds want to know who condones that type of activity, but I've said too much already.

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I can understand not showing everyone this information, but as cache owner I should be able to see it.

I can also get all of your cache's logs by using a bookmark. Why aren't you asking for that? I can also get your logs from a Pocket Query. Why aren't you demanding that also should be revealed?

Agreed - I'm betting more folks get regular updates on caches via bookmark lists and Pocket queries than from the Watchlists. By far.....

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When I remember well, you'll have the watcher's list available, if you make your cache premium/charter member only...

 

Actually, the Watch List feature is identical on EVERY cache listed on GC.com

 

The enhanced feature available only on Premium/Subscriber caches is the Audit Log. The cache owners asking for an enhanced Watch List are actually requesting a surveillance feature for their cache page. While I do find the Audit Log provides interesting reading, it is not an effective security feature.

That only shows who viewed the page. a "watch the watcher" could be big help if you have a geomuggle issue.

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....

That only shows who viewed the page. a "watch the watcher" could be big help if you have a geomuggle issue.

If and ONLY if they happened to be watching the cache via a watchlist. As noted, you can get all the info via bookmark updates and via pocket queries as well.

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a "watch the watcher" could be big help if you have a geomuggle issue.

THAT right there is exactly why I think the watchlist number should not be shown. If a cache gets stolen, suddenly everyone on the watchlist is a suspect. That's just not right.

 

Wow, no kidding. I'm watching your cache because I like to see the logs of the attempts and suddenly I'm accused of being a cache maggot? No thanks.

 

Since there are several other ways of watching a cache I vote to get rid of the count display and be done with it already.

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