On the "Owned Caches" page, there should be flags for caches which need maintenance

[+ChrissySkyking + Blaze]

Hey GC.com programming crew,

 

We just thought of a very cool and, from my experience in programming, pretty easy upgrade you could make to the GC.com website to help cache owners out.

 

On the Caches Owned page (http://www.geocaching.com/my/owned.aspx), each cache owner sees a list of all their caches, sorted by the date of the last find.

 

When going out to maintain caches, a cache owner usually cannot remember the status of each cache (i.e. which caches on their list needs maintenance). It would be extremely helpful for any of the owner's caches that currently have a "Needs Maintenance" log pending on the cache to show the maintain cache "red cross" icon next to the name of the cache on that specific webpage. This will save lots and lots of time (and gc.com server resources) that would otherwise be spent in clicking on each and every active cache that they own to see which ones have the Needs Maintenance tag.

 

If the page already queries and sorts by date of last find, then a quick tweak to the database sql query should allow you to bring up caches that need to be maintained. Right?

 

This would especially be useful to any cache owner with a large number of active caches. Otherwise, it's like a needle in a haystack in finding out which caches need maintenance.

 

Thanks so much for making such a user-friendly website.

 

ChrissySkyking + Blaze

[+Puppy Dawg]

Yep, I'm all for it!

[+Cache O'Plenty]

An alternative has been proposed to place all owned caches with a "needs maintenance" red cross at the top of the My Profile page, the page most people go to initially. In bright red would be even better. And, maybe even a brief note as to what the cacher needs to do to clear the "red cross" (not everyone knows).

 

We have about 460 caches within a 30 mile radius with Needs Maintenance flags. Many of them are grossly outdated as the needed maintenance has been done, but the owner never posted a "Owner Maintenance" log so the flag was never cleared. This would help clean up the database in this area.

Edited September 6, 2009 by Cache O'Plenty

[+the_bell_dingers]

agreed

[+Indotguy]

Hiding caches involves taking responsibility for their maintenance. There are at least a couple of ways of keeping up with the status of owned caches which need maintenance. 1) Save cache emails which address maintenance issues. 2) Disable the cache or post a note after receiving a maintenance request. The disabled cache or cache note will be displayed on the "My Logs (Last 30 Days)" page. I don't have a problem with the suggestions per se. I just don't feel it's Groundspeaks responsibility to keep track of this info for us.

[+ChrissySkyking + Blaze]

Yes, it's not their responsibility, but Groundspeak does desire to publicly list caches that are maintained. Yes, we could save emails, or we could make logs, etc. But for some people with lots of caches, emails get lost, and if it takes longer than 30 days to get to a cache (for whatever reason), it slips off the Last 30 days log page.

 

More to the point, Groundspeak already does pretty much the same thing for Travel Bugs. If you have a travel bug in your inventory for too long, you get a reminder that you need to move it to a new cache. Well, a similar reminder link that says "You have XX caches which need maintenance" that takes you to a page which just lists those caches which have a maintenance log on them would be simple, and, I believe easy for Groundspeak. Or, at the top of the Last 30 Days log page there could be a section listing all caches that need maintenance so it's in your face (so to speak) every time you visit your home page.

 

It's in their interest to provide a simple service such as this to make the game more current and up to date. Of course it's the cache owner's responsibility, and the suggestions made are valid. But, emails aren't the perfect answer and logs to yourself are a bit redundant and just add more "junk" logs to the database.

 

Anyway, it's just an idea. One that would help cache owners who have lots of caches and are busy with normal life.

 

Hiding caches involves taking responsibility for their maintenance. There are at least a couple of ways of keeping up with the status of owned caches which need maintenance. 1) Save cache emails which address maintenance issues. 2) Disable the cache or post a note after receiving a maintenance request. The disabled cache or cache note will be displayed on the "My Logs (Last 30 Days)" page. I don't have a problem with the suggestions per se. I just don't feel it's Groundspeaks responsibility to keep track of this info for us.

[AZcachemeister]

Hiding caches involves taking responsibility for their maintenance. There are at least a couple of ways of keeping up with the status of owned caches which need maintenance. 1) Save cache emails which address maintenance issues. 2) Disable the cache or post a note after receiving a maintenance request. The disabled cache or cache note will be displayed on the "My Logs (Last 30 Days)" page. I don't have a problem with the suggestions per se. I just don't feel it's Groundspeaks responsibility to keep track of this info for us.

 

Nor is it their responsibility to keep track of the caches we have found...

 

I do have other ways to keep track, but this should be fairly easy to accomplish.

[+Hynr]

I agree completely with ChrissySkyking + Blaze. I rarely make maintenance runs but when I do, I have only a vague notion which caches need service. So servicing is slower than it needs to be. I would be willing to promise to do it faster and more effectively if the suggestion were implemented and if it further had next to the suggested icon a link to the log page to facilitate clearing it after performing maintenance. Personally I was not aware that we were supposed to come back to post a “performed maintenance log” as part of the servicing; I bet most users don’t know that either. So having a way to deal with this on the suggested page would indeed be super.

[+tozainamboku]

Premium members can setup a PQ for caches I own and include the Needs Maintenance attribute.

[+Cache O'Plenty]

Premium members can setup a PQ for caches I own and include the Needs Maintenance attribute.

True. The concientious owners probably already do this. I think the focus here is the ones that don't monitor their caches that closely or are "forgetful". It also that assumes that Premium Members know the proper process to clear the NM flag. Many do not. This would just be a friendly reminder to take care of the database details.

[+ChrissySkyking + Blaze]

Wow, we didn't even think of that!! Good idea, which we'll try now!

 

However I'm sure many non-premium members (who can't do pocket queries) could use the suggested new feature as well.

 

Premium members can setup a PQ for caches I own and include the Needs Maintenance attribute.

[+ChrissySkyking + Blaze]

Ok, that works fairly well, except that if you live/work in two states (e.g. at the border, or frequently travel between two points in two states, as we do), you might have caches in two states. That uses up two of the precious 40 pocket query slots.

 

As a result, we did find 8 of our caches out of about 70 that had Needs Maintenance logs, and of those 8, three of them were fine but we had never posted an Owner Maintenance log because we didn't realize how important it was, or more likely, simply forgot to. We had no idea, further, that it was keeping those caches off of other people's pocket queries!

 

So, the pocket query method does work, but I think a normal premium member would have to be really conscientious to go to the trouble. A simple link or list or icon on the My Account page or My Hides page would bring this issue right to the attention of every single cacher who owns caches that need maintenance.

 

And, if a cacher does have such a list, there should be an extra link to an explanation page that tells the cacher how the Needs Maintenance log works so they fully understand the implications. There may already be such a page in the FAQ or somewhere else.

 

Therefore, to reiterate, GC.com programmers, please add this feature! I don't think it's adequately handled anywhere else.

 

Premium members can setup a PQ for caches I own and include the Needs Maintenance attribute.

Edited September 8, 2009 by ChrissySkyking + Blaze

[+Renegade Knight]

...When going out to maintain caches, a cache owner usually cannot remember the status of each cache ...

 

It would be a nice summary feature for planning. That said if I see my cache name, I do recall the status. Still a summary would be nice. So would active and archived caches.

[+Renegade Knight]

...we had never posted an Owner Maintenance log...

 

I never do that. My local caching area makes it well worth emailing the last finder that the cache is back in operation and NOT using that log or any other that says "Cache is replaced!"

[+tozainamboku]

Ok, that works fairly well, except that if you live/work in two states (e.g. at the border, or frequently travel between two points in two states, as we do), you might have caches in two states. That uses up two of the precious 40 pocket query slots.

 

As a result, we did find 8 of our caches out of about 70 that had Needs Maintenance logs, and of those 8, three of them were fine but we had never posted an Owner Maintenance log because we didn't realize how important it was, or more likely, simply forgot to. We had no idea, further, that it was keeping those caches off of other people's pocket queries!

 

You can select multiple states by holding the ctrl key while clicking.

 

True that non-premium members with a lot of caches don't have this capability. Perhaps this is just one more reason to support the website and get a premium membership.

[+scottpa100]

I think the proposal from the Op is a good idea.